Hayden Rhys Hackney (born 26 June 2002) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL Championship club Middlesbrough.
[3] Having been part of the Middlesbrough team that reached the under-18 Premier League Cup final in 2019,[6] he signed his first professional contract with the club on 26 June 2019, his 17th birthday.
[9] 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.
[15] 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.
[19] Hackney won the Middlesbrough Young Player of the Year Award for the 2022–23 season,[22] having made 38 appearances and scoring 3 goals.
[25] 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.