The Middlesbrough player had an unexpected role in Tommy Conway completing his transfer.
Boro had a quiet July when it came to incomings at the Riverside Stadium but things have now picked up on the transfer front.
Ahead of their meeting with Swansea City last week, Middlesbrough signed Micah Hamilton from Manchester City for £3.5m.
Hamilton is yet to make his first start for the club but could feature for Michael Carrick this weekend.
Middlesbrough face Derby County in a 12:30pm BST kick-off on Saturday at Pride Park.
And much like last week, the Teessiders confirmed a new signing less than 24 hours prior to their upcoming fixture.
Tommy Conway has joined Middlesbrough from Bristol City for a fee of £4.5, making him their most expensive signing so far this summer.
Middlesbrough star was key to Tommy Conway signing for club
Conway found the net 10 times in 39 Championship matches last season, a great record considering he was playing for a midtable club who have not been at their best for several years.
With his arrival, the Teessiders now have two very high-quality centre-forwards to pick from during the 2024/25 campaign.
Burnley and Hull City were interested in Conway but Middlesbrough won that transfer race.
And now, speaking to MFC.co.uk, the 22-year-old has revealed the surprising role Hayden Hackney played in him joining Middlesbrough.
He said: “I think you can see a track record of what the gaffer has done with young players and I know Hayden [Hackney] especially well from our time in Scotland.
“So I spoke to him multiple times about the club and about the area as well and he really sold it to me. From people I’ve spoken to, they have only had good things to say about the club.”
Hayden Hackney and Tommy Conway partnership could be crucial for Middlesbrough
New signings can often take some time to adapt to their latest club, especially when they are not given a pre-season to get up to speed.
With the Championship season underway, this is likely to be the case with Conway and he is not expected to start against Derby.
However, the connection he and Hackney have already developed from their time with Scotland should hopefully help the strike settle in much quicker.
As well as helping Conway off the field, Hackney should be able to improve the former Bristol City man on the pitch.
Hackney’s box-to-box role at Boro means he is often playing a key role in the attacking phase of play and having already worked with Conway, he should know exactly how the striker likes to receive the ball and the types of runs he makes.