Nottingham Forest’s new midfield target has ‘learned’ from a Premier League great who Sir Alex Ferguson loved

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Nottingham Forest are being extensively linked with a new central midfielder, with one of the available options boasting a stellar footballing education.

With Danilo looking likely to leave Forest, there will be a gap left in the midfield rotation that will need to be filled ahead of the UEFA Conference League campaign.

The discussed options look to have youth on their side, with Forest being offered Yunus Musah from AC Milan, who still has plenty of room for growth at just 22 years old.

Closer to home, Forest have been linked with an English talent starring in the EFL, who has honed his craft under one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United stalwarts.

Nottingham Forest-linked Hayden Hackney learned under Michael Carrick

Forest are keeping an eye on Hayden Hackney, who starred alongside Elliot Anderson in this summer’s U21 European Championship success for England.

23-year-old Hackney has already made over 100 appearances for Middlesbrough in the Championship, where he was able to learn under five-time Premier League winner, Michael Carrick.

Speaking about Carrick, Hackney has been full of praise, taking time out of an in-depth interview with the club to hail his former boss’s influence.

He said: “I’ve learned loads from him [Carrick]. A lot of things you wouldn’t even think are big, but when you’re in a game, it helps you so much. It’s been perfect for me, really, given he was a midfielder. The little pointers and tips.

Given that the great Sir Alex Ferguson named Carrick as the “best central midfielder in English football” when speaking to BT Sport in 2014, it’s hard to think of a better person for Hackney to learn from in his early years of football.

This influence has clearly paid off, with Hackney’s stats from last season’s Championship campaign highlighting his remarkable passing ability.

Hayden Hackney displays an incredible passing ability

Hackney would be, like his international teammate Anderson, an influx of forward positivity in the Forest midfield, with his passing ability clearly influenced by the coaching of Carrick.

Last season, Hackney contributed eight goals for a Middlesbrough side that disappointingly missed out on the Championship playoffs, in a system not dissimilar to Nuno Espírito Santo.

Albeit in a lower division, Hackney also outshines any of Forest’s midfield options in progressing the ball, completing 10.44 progressive passes per game, as well as progressing the ball himself 2.80 times per game.

His education under Carrick has left Hackney ready for the step up to the Premier League, potentially under Espírito Santo in the Forest squad.