Kim Hellberg has responded to Nottingham Forest’s late-January window effort to sign Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough.

On deadline day earlier this week, the Reds made a bid for the midfielder, which was turned down.

The Teesside club had no desire to cash in on the 23-year-old, who still has 18 months left on his present contract.

The club is aiming for promotion to the Premier League this season, having not played in the top tier since 2017.

Hackney has been a key member of the team, appearing in all 30 league games this season and scoring four goals and five assists.

Kim Hellberg responds to the Hayden Hackney transfer exit links.

Hellberg has stated that he is confident in Hackney’s future, despite late interest from Premier League clubs.

He feels the midfielder’s priorities are to help the squad achieve their goals for this season, including promotion to the top flight.Hellberg told The Northern Echo, “I felt quite comfortable with him being here, since all the discussions, he wants to be here.””You can see that he wants to be here, achieve his goals, and play here for the moment.”I never worried about him leaving. I believed in him, so I wasn’t worried about that one.”

Hellberg emphasized Hackney’s significance to the club, citing not only his weekly performances on the pitch but also his leadership in training and the locker room.”I feel lucky to have him,” he continued.I’m proud of how he has performed but also how he is as a person.

“We talked about it several times.

“He’s been excellent and he’s been helping me a lot in terms of being that type of captain, being that type of person, still being top on the game and on the pitch, but also being like he is outside of the pitch.””That’s as good a player as a coach.”He constantly pushes the training environment forward and assists everyone in the group.

“Of course I feel lucky to have that type of person and player.”

Middlesbrough have won their last five Championship games in a row, bringing them level with leaders Coventry City.

Hull City is four points ahead of Ipswich Town, who are three points behind but have a game in hand.

Hellberg was named as head coach in November, following the abrupt departure of Rob Edwards, who joined Wolves only months after arriving at the Riverside.

Middlesbrough’s next game is against Sheffield United on February 9 at 8.01pm.

Keeping Hayden Hackney was a no-brainer option for Middlesbrough

Selling Hackney on deadline day would have demanded a record-breaking price for Middlesbrough.

The 23-year-old has been a standout player in the Championship this season, and his contributions have proved critical to the club’s promotion push.

There is no doubt that he is ready for the Premier League, but Boro should hope he joins them later this year.

However, if the team fails to earn promotion this season, a summer sale is quite likely due to the little time remaining on his contract.