Hayden Hackney interview: What Carrick taught him, first thoughts on Moyes and making the ‘step up’

It was during Michael Carrick’s time as Middlesbrough manager from 2022-2025 that Hayden Hackney really started to come into his own.

For a promising talent like the Redcar-born midfielder, Carrick’s mentorship proved invaluable. The former England international and future permanent Manchester United manager helped teach him the intricacies of their shared position, kick-starting a process that saw Hackney finally achieve his dream of becoming a Premier League player this summer.

“I can’t thank him enough, really,” says Hackney, who joined Everton from his boyhood club last month in an initial £16.5million ($22m) deal, in an exclusive interview with The Athletic.

“We would do unit work and he was always with the midfielders. It was just different things that I would never have thought of: positioning, knowing when to jump and stuff.

“As a kid, I was taught to take your first touch out of your feet. He was saying take it into your feet and you can pass it straight forward without the other midfielders being ready for it.

“He brought out (the idea) to pass forward as much as possible and not be worried about giving it away because if you keep doing that, the pass that you make that the forward breaks the lines (with) will be the one that opens something up or creates the goal. He almost doubled down on that, which I’ve put into my game.”

Michael Carrick with Hayden Hackney in 2022 (Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)

Speaking from Everton’s Black Forest pre-season training base in Germany, Hackney also credits current Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg for helping him reach the next level.

“He was very good at allowing the players to do what they were best at,” the 24-year-old explains. “And putting everyone in the position, for example, for me to be able to pass forward or to run with the ball, get into the box to score a goal, or be in the right position for the counter-press.”

Hackney was named Championship player of the season and was destined for a move the minute Middlesbrough missed out on promotion in May’s play-off final against Hull City at Wembley. That Premier League transfer eventually came at the start of July, following protracted talks between Middlesbrough and Everton.

Leaving his hometown side was clearly a wrench, but he feels he is in the best place to continue his development.

Hackney attracted widespread interest from Premier League clubs this summer, holding discussions with around eight potential suitors. But Everton were always his preference.

“There was a little bit of something (in terms of interest) last summer,” he says. “Nothing really happened and then more or less straight after the season, there was something again.

“I know everyone would say it but it really was my first choice and I did want to come here. I’m just so glad that it happened.”

Everton manager David Moyes’ record with players signed from the Championship was a big draw. Under the Scot, Phil Jagielka, Leighton Baines, Joleon Lescott and Jarrod Bowen (during Moyes’ time at West Ham United) were all taken from the second tier and became England internationals.

Hackney also sought advice from his former England Under-21s team-mate and Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite before joining, while he sees similarities with the club he left behind.

“It was speaking to the manager, Jarrad and stuff like that,” he says. “He (Moyes) has been really good with me. I know what he wants from me in the games and training. And he’s got a past record with Championship players, so it’s drawn me in even more. Jarrad only had good things to say.

“Obviously it’s a massive club and I also think it’s what I’m used to. It’s got similar things to Middlesbrough. The people — everyone’s friendly, everyone speaks. It was the next step for me.”

Hayden Hackney and Middlesbrough were beaten in May’s Championship play-off final at Wembley (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Hackney has quickly settled in at Everton.

His downtime in camp was largely spent playing golf with a group that included Branthwaite and Scotland right-back Nathan Patterson, while he also praises de facto captain James Tarkowski for “making me feel welcome on the first day”.

“All the lads did, to be honest,” says Hackney. “It was very easy to settle in.”

The pre-season games so far have shown his versatility.

Against Stoke City and Hamburg, Hackney often dropped deep to take the ball off the defence and “overload” the opposition, as he puts it. But there have also been times when he has surged forward impressively and broken the opposition lines, another trait from his time at Middlesbrough.

On the midfield roles he can play, he says: “I can do them all. I would personally say No 8 is my best position where I can do a bit of everything, but I can play 6 and probably 10 as well.

“That (ball carrying) is one of my biggest strengths. Mixing up the play as well, passing forward and running with the ball as well to break a line. Someone (an opposition player) having to come to me creates more space for the higher players.”

Hayden Hackney says ball-carrying is ‘one of my biggest strengths’ (Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images)

Moyes has tasked him with coming forward from a deep position and “trying to get in behind the opposition midfield as we move higher up the pitch, so then I can make those forward passes”, which Hackney thinks “will come” in time.

Hackney is confident in his ability. But there is an acceptance there is a jump from the Championship, and that competition in his new team’s midfield will be fierce.

On the day we speak, Denmark international Christian Norgaard has joined from Arsenal in a £7million deal, further reinforcing Moyes’ options.

“That is what I want, because every day in training you’re going up against each other,” says Hackney. “It’s a good test, probably just as good as in a game, and healthy competition.

“It is a step up. There’s some unbelievable players. Even in training, if you lose the ball, you’re probably not going to get it back for a while. Or if someone gives the ball away, it’ll probably end up in a goal. That’s probably the difference.

“It will take some time, but that’s not an excuse. I want to play as much as I can and to chip in with as many goals and assists as I can as well to help the team.

“I feel like I’m ready to make the step up.”