The Redcar-born 22-year-old was the big winner at Boro’s annual end-of-season awards on Tuesday evening, taking home the Player of the Season award as well as the Players’ Player of the Season honour.
The prizes reflect the extent to which he has shone throughout a mixed season for Boro, starting all bar three of the club’s Championship matches, scoring five goals and claiming three assists.
Having suffered a frustrating season last term, when a serious knee injury sidelined him for much of the second half of the campaign, Hackney has bounced back impressively this term to reinforce his status as one of the most exciting players in the Football League.
Michael Carrick has enjoyed working with him, and as someone who knows a fair bit about playing as a central midfielder himself, the Boro boss is delighted with the way in which Hackney’s career is developing.
“He’s been good,” said Carrick, ahead of tomorrow’s play-off decider at Coventry’s CBS Arena. “I think he’s been pretty consistent as well.
“He had a really good first season, then a bit more of a stop-start second season because of injuries. He was maybe trying to find his form a bit then, but I think he’s shown his quality over a long period of time this season.
“It’s the natural next phase of his career, really, after those first couple of years. He’s shown what he’s all about, and he’s obviously a big player for us. He’s had a big impact and he deserves the awards.”
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Unsurprisingly, Hackney’s continued progress has led to increased speculation about his future beyond the end of the season.
Regardless of what division Boro are playing in next season, they are likely to receive formal offers for Hackney this summer, having rebuffed approaches for their homegrown star, who is now an established member of the England Under-21s side, on a regular basis in the last couple of years.
The Teessiders rejected a £10m bid from Porto in the January transfer window, with the Portuguese press suggesting the club will renew their interest in the close season. Given how much is at stake tomorrow, though, Carrick does not want to focus on the future.
“Let’s concentrate on Saturday,” said the Boro boss, when asked about Hackney’s long-term future. “It’s all about this weekend. Saturday is a massive game, nothing else matters.”
