Hayden Hackney’s move from Middlesbrough to Premier League club Everton was formally completed on Thursday morning.
Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney has revealed David Moyes’ reputation for developing Championship players into Premier League stars played a key role in his decision to join Everton.
The Boro academy product’s future has been the subject of ongoing speculation over the last 12 months after his performances throughout that time triggered interest from a number of Premier League clubs. Nottingham Forest were believed to have made an unsuccessful bid for his services during the final days of the January transfer window and the likes of Manchester United, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United were all named as potential suitors throughout this summer.
Everton boss David Moyes.placeholder image
Everton boss David Moyes. | Getty Images.
However, it is Everton that have won the race for the midfielder’s services after they saw an offer worth an initial £16m accepted by Boro earlier this week. Hackney tied up his move to the Hill-Dickinson Stadium on Thursday morning and he quickly revealed how former Sunderland and Manchester United manager Moyes played an integral role in persuading him to join the Toffees.
He told the club’s official website: "I'm delighted to be here. As soon as I spoke to the manager, as soon as I knew Everton were interested, to be honest, it was always going to be Everton. It’s such a big club, with the new stadium and the direction it’s going in. I just wanted to be part of that. The manager's track record of bringing players from the Championship to the Premier League was a massive part of my decision as well. Hopefully I can be the next one to do it successfully for Everton. It feels like a good fit for me, for sure. I think it's a given that you work hard, you run, you make tackles. I'll be doing that.
"I think fans can expect a bit of everything from me – attacking and defensively. I think I can carry the ball well, arrive late in the box, and hopefully score some goals. I think there's plenty more to come from me. Obviously, I haven't played in the Premier League yet, so once I get used to that I think I can kick on from there.”
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