Middlesbrough
Hackney joined Middlesbrough's academy after being spotted playing for his local side Redcar Town. [3] [6] Having been part of the Middlesbrough team that reached the under-18 Premier League Cup final in 2019, [7] he signed his first professional contract with the club on 26 June 2019, his 17th birthday. [8] [9] Shortly after being named on the first-team bench for a match against Barnsley in November 2019, he was praised by Middlesbrough manager Jonathan Woodgate, with Woodgate claiming "Hayden Hackney deserves to be there because he's been outstanding for the Under-23s". [4]
Hackney made his senior debut for Middlesbrough on 9 January 2021, starting in a 2–1 FA Cup defeat away to Brentford. [10] He made his league debut for the club in the final match of the season as a substitute in a 3–0 defeat to Wycombe Wanderers. [2] [11] He signed a new two-year contract with the club later that month. [12]
On 31 August 2021, Hackney joined EFL League Two side Scunthorpe United on loan until January 2022. [13] After playing in the majority of games in the first half of the season, Hackney's loan was extended to last until the end of the season. [14] In the 15th minute of a 2–0 defeat to Exeter City, [15] Hackney was caught spitting at an opponent. [16] The referee did not see this at the time, but after the game, The Football Association confirmed that Hackney had admitted to spitting and was given a six-game suspension. [17] [18] He made 31 appearances as Scunthorpe were relegated to the National League. [19]
Hackney's game time at Middlesbrough was limited at the start of the 2022–23 season, but Hackney became a regular starter following the appointment of Michael Carrick as manager in October 2022. [20] [21] On 19 October, Hackney scored his first goal for Middlesbrough in a 4–1 win against Wigan Athletic. [22] On 8 December, he signed a contract extension until 2026. [20] Hackney won the Middlesbrough Young Player of the Year Award for the 2022–23 season, [23] having made 38 appearances and scoring 3 goals. [2] Hackney was also nominated for the Championship Young Player of the Season Award for the same season, [24] but lost out to Bristol City's Alex Scott. [25]
On 28 June 2023, Hackney signed a new contract for Middlesbrough, keeping him to the club until the summer of 2027. [26] Hackney captained the club for the first time in a 1–0 home defeat to Aston Villa in the FA Cup on 6 January 2024. [27] On 9 January, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Chelsea in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final. [28]
