Carrick Rangers midfielder Hayden Hackney has achieved his dream of becoming a Premier League player, joining Everton from his boyhood club in an initial £16.5million deal. The 24-year-old credits Michael Carrick, his former manager at Middlesbrough, for teaching him the intricacies of the game. Hackney, who was named Championship player of the season, says Carrick's mentorship was invaluable during his time at Middlesbrough from 2022-2025. The former England international helped him develop his skills, particularly in positioning and passing forward. Hackney also credits current Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg for helping him reach the next level. He 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. He sees similarities with the club he left behind, with Everton manager David Moyes having a record of taking Championship players to the Premier League. Hackney also sought advice from his former England Under-21s team-mate and Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite before joining. He is currently with Everton at their Black Forest pre-season training base in Germany. League standing: 5th in Premiership, 3 pts, 1W-0D-0L from 1 games, recent form W. Goals this season: 1 scored, 0 conceded (+1 goal difference). Next fixture: vs Portadown (away, 2026-12-19) (9th in the table).