Don Goodman provided a glowing appraisal of Everton new boy Hayden Hackney, a player he has tracked as part of his work with Sky Sports
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Don Goodman says Everton have signed a “real player” in Hayden Hackney.
The former striker, now Sky Sports’ Football League expert, has followed the Hackney’s progress closely while covering Middlesbrough’s efforts to win promotion out of the Championship.
And he believes the 24-year-old, who the Blues signed last week for an initial £16.5m, have a player the supporters will love and who David Moyes could turn into a star.
Goodman, whose playing career spanned clubs including Bradford City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion, as well as a stint in Japan with Sanfrecce Hiroshima, thinks Hackney was rightly named player of the year in the second tier last season after a campaign in which he drove Middlesbrough’s promotion ambitions from midfield.
He said: “He was the best player in the Championship, and I think Everton have got a real player on their hands. Honestly, I rate him really, really highly.
"I have no doubt he's going to be a success in the Premier League, in the same way that others like Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, and Adam Wharton have.
"I'm not saying he's automatically going to reach those exact world-class heights, but these are young players of a similar age to him who made that jump to the Premier League and have absolutely shone."
Hackney cited the prospect of working under Moyes as being a key factor in his decision to move to Everton at a time when other clubs were tracking him.
The Blues boss has a stellar record at developing players from the Championship - from Joleon Lescott and Phil Jagielka to Jarrod Bowen - and Goodman believes he should help Hackney step up.
Goodman told sports betting site talkSPORT Bet: "In David Moyes, I don't think he could have a better manager. He is someone who will drive massively high standards and place big demands on him, and I think Hackney will meet those demands.
"Everton fans are going to love watching the way he plays football because you don't get many central midfielders who drop the shoulder and take players on anymore.
"He can beat two or three players while dribbling and open things right up. Every time he gets the ball, he looks to pass it forward and hurt the opponent, which I love.
"For me, football has gone way too safe nowadays with far too much sideways and backwards passing. You won't get that from him-he looks to hurt you and penetrate lines.
"I'm incredibly excited to see how he does, but I have no doubt whatsoever that he belongs in the Premier League.”