Harley Hunt recently made his senior debut for Middlesbrough, here is everything you need to know about the youngster.
Middlesbrough have been praised in recent years for their commitment to developing young talent.
Whether it be Hayden Hackney, Morgan Rogers or Djed Spence, the Riverside has recently become a breeding ground for some of the country’s most exciting talent.
The latest name who could potentially join that list is youngster Harley Hunt, who recently made his senior Boro debut against Harrogate Town in pre-season.
So with that being said, here is everything you need to know about the Boro star.
Harley Hunt age and nationality
Harley Hunt is currently 16-years-old at the time of writing, having been born on August 3rd, 2007.
He is English but is still yet to feature for any of the England youth sides.
How tall is Harley Hunt?
Harley Hunt stands at 6ft 3 inches tall (1.91m), which makes him a very imposing figure despite his young age.
Harley Hunt position
Hunt primarily plays as a centre-back, regularly using his size and strength to out-battle opposition strikers.
Harley Hunt career so far
The defender first came to prominance playing in a Swindon Town youth side that famously reached the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup last season, beating the likes of Mancester United and Sunderland along the way.
Following his success in the youth ranks, Hunt was promoted to the Swindon first-team aged just 16 – making three appearances in League Two at the back of end of the 23/24 season.
Harley Hunt Middlesbrough transfer
Middlesbrough reportedly fought off interest from Premier League sides such as Aston Villa and Southampton to secure the defenders signature.
Due to Hunt’s young age, the defender was unable to be contracted to Swindon, so Boro agreed on a compensation package with the League Two side worth around £500k – according to the Daily Mail.
That deal however has the potential to rise to over £1 million based on performance-related add-ons.
What have the experts said about Harley Hunt?
Speaking to Teesside Live, Swindon-based journalist Joe Acklam gave his verdict on the young defender:
“Harley Hunt is a very impressive young defender. At just 16, he made a strong impression during his three first-team appearances at the end of last season.
“He is already six-foot-three and very comfortable on the ball, he does not have a crazy long passing range, but he keeps it moving and is progressive with his passing. He came straight in and looked comfortable with the physicality of League Two, and he was especially impressive against Grimsby Town when he was practically impossible to get past and made some wonderful strong tackles.
“I jokingly compared him to [Barcelona defender] Pau Cubarsi during that game. But the way he played was genuinely more impressive than most of Swindon’s defenders looked all season. There are obviously things to work on, but in a difficult situation at Swindon, he looked very assured.”
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