Pallister is backing Hackney to lift Boro up

GARY Pallister is hoping Middlesbrough can keep hold of Hayden Hackney until at least the end of the season, admitting he found it ‘odd’ that no Premier League side pushed hard to sign him in the summer.

- By CRAIG JOHNS

Boro had reluctantly accepted a £20 million offer from Championship rivals Ipswich Town for the midfielder. But he turned that move down, with a Premier League move ultimately the only thing he felt worth considering if he were to leave boyhood club Boro.

However, in the end, no serious offers came from the top flight, and the 23-year-old has instead got his head down, worked hard and helped Boro make a really promising start to the new season.