England U21 star targets double success but refuses to rule out switch to rival nation after first goal

HAYDEN HACKNEY is desperate for double joy with Middlesbrough and England – but refuses to rule out a Scottish switch.

The 22-year-old midfielder, set to face Oxford United today, has become one of the hottest commodities in the Championship due to his displays for his hometown club.

Hackney carried that form onto the international stage and scored his first goal for England U21s in this week’s 4-2 victory over Portugal.

He looks certain to be part of Lee Carsley’s squad that will try to defend the U21 European Championship crown in June.

The star previously won two caps for Scotland U21s, who he qualifies for through his mother, before switching his allegiance to the Three Lions in 2023.

Scotland have not given up hope of persuading him to represent them at the senior level, and Hackney is not shutting that door, although for now he is concentrating on a promotion push and potential Euro joy.

When quizzed on his international future, Hackney said: “I haven't really thought about it, to be honest. I'm quite relaxed about it. Whatever happens, happens.

“There will be a time where I'll have to make a decision.

“I've been focused on Middlesbrough really. So I haven't really had much time to think about it.”;

Hackney is the latest youngster at Boro to start attracting attention from elsewhere following past successes such as Morgan Rogers and Djed Spence.

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Portuguese giants Porto had a £9million deadline day offer rejected by the Championship club and a host of Premier League sides are monitoring his progress.

Though he is shutting out all of that noise and focusing on achieving his dream of getting his boyhood club back into the Premier League after an eight-year absence.

Hackney, who recently took to the stage alongside teammate Tommy Conway and boss Michael Carrick at a local social club in the first of the club's On The Road events, said: “That is the ultimate dream.

“To take Boro to the Premier League, that would be everything that I wished for as a kid. And then to play with Boro in the Premier League would be unbelievable.”;

And former season ticket holder Hackney, who has surpassed 100 Boro appearances, has already shown he can cut it against the big boys.

Last January he captained the club for the first time in the FA Cup against Aston Villa before scoring the winner in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg win over Chelsea four days later.

On those experiences, he added: “That Chelsea game was a special night. I think my family and all my friends came back to mine that night but once they'd left I couldn't sleep. That was a great night.

“That Villa game, I remember the armband was on my peg. But then the captain normally hands out the tickets before the game for the players but I didn't get that job, so then I was like, ‘oh, is this in the wrong place or not?'.

“He (Carrick) didn't really say anything. After he'd done his team talk before we went out, he just pulled me and said, ‘don't change anything, don't be a different person, just be yourself and enjoy the moment'.”;

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