Middlesbrough told by Tony Mowbray which player will help them forget Hayden Hackney | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers boss Tony Mowbray has backed Aidan Morris to help Middlesbrough move on from Hayden Hackney following his summer move.

Middlesbrough were tasked with replacing the Championship's standout midfielder this summer, with Hayden Hackney completing a move to Everton.

The Boro academy graduate became a hugely influential figure at the Riverside, growing into a talismanic role before being named the Championship Player of the Season at the end of last term.

Kim Hellberg's side would miss out on promotion in the most heartbreaking of fashions in May, with Hull City netting a late winner at Wembley.

As a result, it was always likely that Hackney would be playing Premier League football elsewhere.

As they strive for promotion this time around, former Middlesbrough manager and current Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray believes the Teessiders already have someone in their ranks capable of making the step-up: Aidan Morris.

Tony Mowbray backs Aidan Morris to make Middlesbrough forget Hayden Hackney

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Mowbray comes up against his former club on Saturday, with Blackburn welcoming Middlesbrough to Ewood Park for his first home game since returning to Rovers.

Having starred at the back and as boss in the North East, Mowbray remains a close observer of the club and attended as Hellberg's side opened their league campaign with a 2-1 win against Lincoln City.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's meeting, he was in high praise of midfielder Aidan Morris, who is in contention to return from injury.

As quoted by The Northern Echo, Mowbray said: "Morris will make the supporters at Middlesbrough quickly forget about Hayden Hackney," describing the USA international as an "exceptionally talented footballer."

The Blackburn boss was also full of praise for Hackney, who moved on to pastures new earlier this summer, with Premier League outfit Everton securing his signature.

What Tony Mobray said about Hayden Hackney following Everton move

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After coming through the Middlesbrough academy, Hackney went on to make 154 senior appearances for the Teessiders, continuing to grow until becoming one of, if not the Championship's best.

As Boro reached the play-off final last season, he started 38 league matches, scoring five goals and providing seven assists.

But a groin issue meant that he missed the final eight games of the season before returning from the bench at Wembley, leaving fans wondering what may have been if not for the layoff.

When discussing the midfielder, Mowbray said: "There's no doubt Hayden Hackney is a wonderful footballer, if not the best footballer in the division when he's doing his time with Middlesbrough."

On Boro as a whole, the former boss hopes that his side can throw some punches.

"I think the next game [against Middlesbrough] is probably against the best footballing team in the division.

"It's a really tough game at home where you'd like to play a team where you'd ask me, and I'd go, listen, you'd be really, really disappointed if you can't beat these, blah, blah, blah. But we're playing Middlesbrough, I said, in my opinion, probably the best footballing team in the division."

After overcoming Lincoln in their opening match of the term, Boro are looking to carry on their impressive start to the season, especially after some of the promotion favourites, Wolves and West Ham, dropped points.

Aidan Morris has huge shoes to fill at Middlesbrough

Alongside Hackney's departure, which requires someone to step up, expectations at the Riverside have also risen this term.

After a period outside the promotion race, Boro were back in contention last term after the strong start under Rob Edwards was carried by Hellberg.

This time, the expectation from the off is that Middlesbrough are not just in the fight for promotion, but are calling themselves a Premier League side in 12 months.

The same can be said for the squad as a whole, but for Morris, he will have to do more than step into the talismanic role Mowbray tips him for, given that he will have to perform to those standards in a side carrying promotion expectations.

For the first time in a while, Middlesbrough simply have to win promotion.