Middlesbrough have “unbelievable” Hayden Hackney replacement in the works thanks to Plymouth Argyle involvement | OneFootball

Law McCabe has been backed to become a star at the Riverside Stadium.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Middlesbrough midfielder Law McCabe has been labelled “unbelievable” and lined up as a potential future Hayden Hackney replacement after his Plymouth Argyle loan spell.

McCabe has been with Boro, his hometown team, since the Under-9 level and is described by the club as a “technical midfielder”.

He signed a four-year contract last year, a strong show of faith in his abilities, and has headed out on loan this season to Plymouth Argyle for greater exposure to first-team minutes.

When we asked our Boro fan pundit, Liam Day, who he believes the club’s next big thing is, it didn’t take long to come up with McCabe’s name.

Law McCabe backed to be Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney replacement

Speaking to Football League World, Liam said: “The next big thing at our club is Law McCabe, I’d have to say.

“He’s got a lot of hype around him, obviously. It's the easy answer, the obvious answer, but it is the answer.

“He looks the right player on the ball, and we’ve sent him out on loan to Plymouth [Argyle], I'm a really big fan of that move.

“He'll get game time there. League One's a good league to learn and develop your playing style, it’s physical.

“It's exactly what he needed, really. He wasn't going to break into the first team. We've got too many midfield options, but when he has played, he usually looks like one of the better players on the pitch.

“He looks so composed on the ball, just needs that extra bit of pace, and he'll be an unbelievable player.

“So yeah, I'm really excited to see how he develops this season. Hopefully he does well and gets plenty of game time at Plymouth, because I do think that he's going to be quite a big player for us, especially when Hayden Hackney leaves.”

Plymouth Argyle is a good move for Law McCabe

Dropping down in to League One, with a club that has recently been in the Championship, is a great move for the young midfielder.

Working under manager Tom Cleverley, himself recently of the second tier, is an added bonus, but the slightly lower standard of opposition should give McCabe more access to minutes.

As Liam mentions, the chances of McCabe getting in the Boro team ahead of the likes of Hackney and Aidan Morris is slim to nothing, but in the long run, Plymouth should offer more opportunities.

He has been restricted to a league cameo and a League Cup performance so far, having spent the September international break away on England duty, which even saw him drafted in to train with Thomas Tuchel's senior squad.

But as he adjusts to his new surroundings, chances should come his way.

Middlesbrough would love McCabe to reach Hackney’s level

As Liam alludes to, Hackney’s future likely lies beyond Boro.

It’s a wonder they have managed to hold him beyond this summer, with West Ham and Everton both sniffing around, but deadline day has been and gone with Hackney still at the Riverside.

Still only 23, however, and with another strong start to this Championship season, Middlesbrough will not be able to hold off interest forever.

If they manage to land a significant fee, and have McCabe ready to bed in as his replacement, then any proceeds could be reinvested into other areas of the squad.