In football, control of the midfield holds paramount importance to emerge triumphant. A midfield hard to bypass is a team harder to defeat. In order to reign over the opposition and assert control, teams tend to employ varied profiles of midfielders. This offers managers the opportunity to deploy the appropriate profile after accessing the game state. Luxuries of having multiple options often deplete for teams with lower spending budgets.
Rarely, however, these teams hit the jackpot and find midfielders who can fit into any role across the vastness of the middle of a football pitch. One such emerging profile is of Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney.
MIDDLESBROUGH’S HAYDEN HACKNEY PLAYER PROFILE:
Name: Hayden Hackney
Position: Midfielder (Central/ Deep lying playmaker)
Age: 21
Preferred Foot: Right
Current Club: Middlesbrough
HACK(NEY)ING THE MIDFIELD:
Middlesbrough recent run to the semifinal of the EFL Cup may have ended in defeat to Chelsea, but Hackney’s goal and assist over the two legs certainly etched his name into the books of all scouts of top tier football.
Adept at playing accurate diagonals from his half, Hayden Hackney was often the only spark of creativity bothering the high line of Chelsea. His wide range of passes pushed Pochettino’s men into uncomfortable situations but due to the gulf in quality of the players receiving the passes and the defenders, his lethal passes were repeatedly nullified. While most would curl up and give in, Hackney was further encouraged to attack.
In the Championship, the youngster has been confined to a deeper role but against Chelsea, the 21-year-old continually attacked the opposition’s box when the team embarked on counter attacks. On one such counter, Middlesbrough’s 7 perfectly timed his run into the box and created the space for himself to score the easiest of tap ins. The academy graduate’s performances across the two legs may not have been enough to the secure a place in the final but he certainly caught the attention of the fans of the Boro and cash strapped clubs in Europe. Let’s take a closer look at the sensation.
BREAKING OUT OF THE BORO: HAYDEN HACKNEY IN POSSESSION
POSITIONING + MOVEMENT:
As the sun disappears over the horizon in Gotham, fear grips savages for Batman can arrive anywhere, anytime. While Hayden Hackney might not possess the brute strength of Batman, he certainly is everywhere. A cursory look at his heatmap for 23/24 in the championship is enough to appreciate his importance to Middlesbrough’s progression of the ball. Mostly functioning as a deep lying playmaker, the 21-year-old tends to rely on his dribbling ability to bring the ball forward in the opposition’s half. While he isn’t the fastest, his agility and spatial awareness aid him in progressing the ball with relative ease. When the play transitions into the opposition’s half, Hackney tends to stick around in the middle channels on either the right or left side. Last season, the youngster often looked to move towards goal as the ball progressed but now seems to have settled into a deeper role. He has also looked comfortable playing in a double pivot at times. The youngster is slowly mastering the art of adapting to various roles across the midfield.
PASSING + CREATIVITY:
The greatest asset in a midfielder’s armory is passing. In Hayden Hackney’s armory lie an assortment of passing skills and ranges. Deployed in a deeper role, the no 7 has become proficient at playing the Toni Kroos-esque long ball in behind the defense. The 21-year-old averages 6.26 long passes each game in the Championship showcasing his intent to continually break down defenses from deep within his own territory. When he moves further across enemy lines, Middlesbrough rely on his ability to produce line breaking passes to create chances in the final third. Currently, he averages a staggering 8.63 progressive passes p90 in the Championship placing him in the 99th percentile of the category. He also averages an impressive 1.29 passes into the penalty area per game. Till now, his passing has resulted in 3.62 SCA p90 and a further 0.23 GCA p90.
When Hayden Hackney can’t find a teammate in space, the midfielder relies on his ability to dribble to progress the ball. His technical ability on the ball has often stood out and earned him shoutouts for the resemblances he bears to Frenkie De Jong’s ability to progress the ball from his area via dribbling. Scanning his surroundings and the area he wishes to progress through, Hackney attracts pressure before receiving the ball and uses his broad physique to push past quickly. This season, he has averaged a formidable 2.27 progressive carries p90 in the Championship and another 1.70 into the final third.
THE DIRTY WORK: HACKNEY’S CHORES OUT OF POSSESSION
The unbecoming of many deep lying playmakers is often the burden of defensive duties. Many struggle to have the same impact defensively as they do in the offence. Luckily for Middlesbrough, Hackney has progressively become better in defense under England’s legendary midfielder Michael Carrick. Unfettered by the rough approach of the teams in the Championship, Hayden charges into challenges like a bull to win the ball. This season, he has averaged 2.40 tackles p90. Unlike a bull however, the North Yorkshire resident possess the ability to read the game well. Positioning himself well and anticipating play perfectly, under Carrick, Hayden has learnt the art of intercepting and blocking. Averaging 1.52 blocks p90, Hayden has shown his mettle.
The work rate of a midfielder often determines his indispensability to the team. As the season has progressed, Hayden’s determination to the work harder with every passing game has made him invaluable to the team. The 21-year-old has averaged an impressive 7.82 ball recoveries p90 in the Championship. Even in the dying embers of the game, one can see Hackney run around the pitch with the same intensity of minute one. A real work horse in the heart of Middlesbrough.
THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU: A MOVE AWAY FROM THE BORO?
Having spent his entire life as a die-hard Boro fan, it was an emotional moment for Hackney as he captained the side for the first time against Aston Villa at home in the FA Cup. However, life outside beckons. A talent as refreshing as Hayden comes along rarely. As clubs across Europe ready themselves to issue a check to Middlesbrough in the summer, it is evident that exciting times await Europe. Remember the name, Hayden Hackney.
