THE goalmouth is packed and the scramble is chaotic until the ball arrives at the feet of Adam Forshaw. A touch is taken and the finish then applied, a low drive into the bottom corner followed by a mad dash to the corner flag where he's quickly joined by Adam Clayton, David Nugent and plenty of others in red.

The wild celebrations that followed Forshaw's last gasp winner against Reading nine years ago told of the importance of one of several dramatic late goals that helped to fire Aitor Karanka's Middlesbrough to the Premier League.

And when Forshaw celebrated at the corner flag, there yards away jumping for joy and watching on starry eyed was a 13-year-old Boro ball boy.

His name was Hayden Hackney.

"I remember he did a belly slide at my corner," says Hackney, looking back.

"I'm pretty sure it was Nathan Wood next to me. The next day, I remember telling everyone at school that in was in my corner. It's an iconic goal, isn't it."

Says a current iconic Boro figure. Nine years on from that goal and Hackney has played more than 100 first team games for the club - his club - and wore the captain's armband. He's still only 22.

Before he played at the Riverside, he watched - a season ticket holder in the South Stand. His favourite players? Grant Leadbitter and Stewart Downing. The former is now one of his coaches and he's well on track to becoming Boro's most successful academy graduate since the latter.

"I used to love going to the games when I was a kid," he says.

"My dad would always take me before I was old enough to go with my mates.

"My mam and dad have always been so supportive. They used to bring me here (to Rockliffe) every night. We'd come straight from school, I'd have tea in the car.

"They absolutely love it. My granddad loves it as well.

"My dad definitely tells me straight. It's very rare he says 'you did well there'. He's always like, 'yeah, you did all right, but you could have done this and that'.

"But my grandma and granddad, they're just full of praise. Even if I have a really bad game, they're just like, 'oh yeah, you did really well there'."

More than two years have passed since Hackney burst onto the Boro first team scene and while he quickly adjusted on the pitch, he also had to adapt to changes off it.

"I remember being recognised in Tesco for the first time," he laughs.

"It was at the time when I was breaking through and I didn't really expect it. I didn't really know how to take it because I'm more of a shy guy, to be honest. So it was quite tough at the start but I've got used to it.

"And it's nice. Like I said, I was once one of those fans asking players for autographs and pictures."

This week, Hackney took to the stage alongside teammate Tommy Conway and head coach Michael Carrick at a packed out Beechwood, Easterside & District Social Club.

It was the first of the club's On The Road events and went down well with fans, who got to see a different side of Boro's boss and two star players. A relaxed Carrick had light-hearted digs at his players.

When Hackney revealed he'd love to watch a game in the away end like Jonny Howson did at Hull, Carrick snapped back with a smile: "I can soon sort that."

There was some enjoyable glimpses at life behind the scenes, including Hackney and Conway telling of their surprise when Finn Azaz unleashed some dance moves they didn't know he had in his locker at the players' Christmas party. And Dan Barlaser is very much the boss of the dressing room pool table.

"We all really enjoyed it," said Hackney, speaking at Rockliffe the following day.

"Obviously I know how important that connection with the supporters is because I am one of the fans."

How different things are now for Hackney compared to three years ago, when he was on loan at Scunthorpe United, who were bottom of League Two at the time and would end up being relegated out of the Football League.

"That was tough," he says.

"It was a real eye opener, if I'm being honest. Just everything that you take for granted. You have everything here then for the first time you're having to cook your own meals, do your own housework, wash the pots. It was an eye opener for everything in life, really.

"The first week I was a bit all over the place. It was a real test on and off the pitch but I did my best. It was a life lesson.

"And obviously the football part was a massive eye opener as well. Everything not being to my feet, having to head it, having to defend more, be more aggressive, use my body better to protect the ball. But yeah, it was a really good experience for me."

That experience paved the way for his Boro breakthrough and some of the highs that followed, with nothing beating an incredible four days last January when he captained the club for the first time in the FA Cup against Aston Villa and then scored the winner in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg win over Chelsea.

"That Chelsea game was a special night," he said.

"I think my family and all my friends came back to mine that night but once they'd left I couldn't sleep. That was a great night.

"That Villa game, I remember the armband was on my peg. But then the captain normally hands out the tickets before the game for the players but I didn't get that job, so then I was like, 'oh, is this in the wrong place or not?'.

"He (Carrick) didn't really say anything. After he'd done his team talk before we went out, he just pulled me and said, 'don't change anything, don't be a different person, just be yourself and enjoy the moment'."

That's what Hackney intends to keep doing.