![\"Middlesbrough's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_West-Bromwich-Albion-v-Middlesbrough-Sky-Bet-Championship-The-Hawthorns.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHayden Hackney continues to star for Middlesbrough<\/p>\n
Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney celebrates(Image: PA)<\/p>\n
Hayden Hackney continues to star in Middlesbrough\u2019s promotion push, but Kim Hellberg says it\u2019s his mentality and character that have impressed him as much as anything else.<\/p>\n
Hackney was once again a driving force behind Boro’s<\/a> latest victory, as he played a huge role in all three Boro<\/a> goals in their dramatic victory at West Brom.<\/p>\n The midfielder, who turned down a \u00a320 million summer move to promotion rivals Ipswich Town, continues to shine for Boro – and that continues to see him linked with a move away from Boro.<\/p>\n For now, the 23-year-old continues to focus on the task of getting Boro back to the Premier League<\/a>, with the club desperate to keep him at the Riverside until the end of the season at least.<\/p>\n FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK!<\/strong> Keep up with all the Middlesbrough FC latest via the Gazette’s dedicated Facebook page<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n And quizzed on Hackney after the West Brom game and if he felt fortunate to have the former England U21 international available to select, Boro\u2019s boss highlighted how there was so much more to Hackney than just his \u2018unbelievable\u2019 ability on the pitch.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very happy to have him,\u201d Hellberg said. \u201cI think he’s unbelievable. The most impressive thing with him is how hard he works to improve, how hard he works to make other people in the club and in the team improve.<\/p>\n \u201cHe’s such a good leader. He’s an unbelievable athlete and a quality player. But the person\u2026 being like that, I think that says everything about him. He’s unbelievable.”<\/p>\n Hackney has continued to captain Boro under Hellberg, even as more experienced players like Luke Ayling and Dael Fry have returned to the fold. Asked recently if that was a permanent decision, Hellberg said he\u2019d just stuck to Rob Edwards\u2019 summer decision to not name an official captain, and instead share the responsibility among the squad.<\/p>\n ————<\/strong><\/p>\n Here at TeessideLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Middlesbrough FC<\/a> coverage and analysis.<\/strong><\/p>\n Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest Boro news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here<\/a> to subscribe.<\/strong><\/p>\n Your information will be hidden, you’ll only ever receive messages from the Teesside Live sports team, and you can leave any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘Exit group’. If you\u2019re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n