From Wembley heartbreak to a landmark night
Hayden Hackney had every reason to be smiling in the media area at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium. Fewer than 20 minutes earlier, the midfielder had helped Everton reach the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, scoring his first goal for the club in a victory over Newcastle United.
For a player whose footballing identity was formed in Middlesbrough, the occasion carried an added significance. Hackney expects his first Everton goal against Newcastle to bring a wave of messages from Teesside, where his progress has been followed closely since his days with Boro. The 24-year-old remains closely associated with the club he supported as a boy and represented at the highest level.
His emotions have changed sharply since the end of last season. Five months ago, Hackney was in tears on the Wembley pitch after Middlesbrough lost the Championship play-off final to Hull City. That defeat denied Boro promotion and brought a painful conclusion to a campaign in which Hackney had been recognised as the EFL's best player.
A farewell that came in difficult circumstances
The midfielder's frustration was made worse by the circumstances surrounding his absence. An injury sustained last March kept him out of the decisive run-in, forcing him to watch from the stands while Middlesbrough pursued promotion. He returned only when manager Kim Hellberg sent him on from the bench during the second half of the play-off final.
The response from the Middlesbrough supporters at Wembley became one of the defining moments of the evening for Hackney. As he prepared to enter the match, the noise from the Boro end was described as deafening. The reception offered recognition not only for his contribution during the season but also for the connection between a local player and the supporters who had watched his rise.
“That was an amazing moment,” Hackney told the Northern Echo.
The Wembley appearance was not the goodbye he would have chosen. With Middlesbrough falling short in the promotion contest, his return from injury came during a defeat, rather than in the celebratory atmosphere that would have accompanied success. Earlier this month, however, he was given an opportunity to return to the Riverside for the club's Legacy Game.
A final Riverside connection
Hackney could not play during that appearance, but he was introduced to the supporters. The event gave him and the fans a chance to acknowledge their relationship in more settled circumstances. It also allowed the midfielder to say goodbye properly after his final competitive appearance for Boro had ended in the disappointment at Wembley.
- Age: 24
- Former club: Middlesbrough
- Current club: Everton
- Latest milestone: First Everton goal, against Newcastle United
- Next Carabao Cup opponent: League Two side Fleetwood
His Everton progress now offers a contrasting chapter. The cup win has placed his new side in the last eight and set up a tie against Fleetwood, while Hackney's goal provides a personal landmark after the difficult end to his Middlesbrough career. Yet the scenes that appear to carry the greatest emotional weight are still rooted in Teesside: the roar at Wembley and the welcome he received when he returned to the Riverside.
For Middlesbrough supporters, Hackney's move away has therefore not erased the connection built during his time at the club. His first Everton goal may have come in a different stadium and wearing different colours, but the midfielder knows it will be shared and discussed back home. The memory of the Boro fans' response, he says, is one that will stay with him for the rest of his career.
