Hackney Sets Fitness Target After Everton Debut vs Stoke 2026

Key Points

• Hayden Hackney made his Everton debut in the 1-0 pre-season defeat to Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium on Tuesday evening.
• The £16.5million summer signing from Middlesbrough played the first 45 minutes in a deep central midfield role alongside Harrison Armstrong.
• Hackney said he “really enjoyed” getting back on the pitch but admitted his match fitness is not yet at full level following a groin injury at the end of his Middlesbrough spell.
• He outlined a target of building up his minutes progressively aiming for 60 minutes and then a full 90 ahead of the Premier League season in three-and-a-half weeks.
• The 24-year-old praised the welcome from teammates and said understanding with his new Everton colleagues will improve over time as they build competitive minutes together.
• Everton manager David Moyes gave Hackney his first start as part of a pre-season schedule that includes fixtures in England, Scotland and Germany before the campaign begins.

Everton FC (Liverpool standard) July 29, 2026 – uk/local/everton/">Everton’s pre-season preparations continued with a 1-0 defeat to Championship side Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium, a match that marked the competitive debut of summer midfield signing Hayden Hackney. The 24-year-old, who joined Everton from Middlesbrough in a £16.5million deal, started in a deep central midfield role alongside Harrison Armstrong for the first half before being replaced at the break by Tim Iroegbunam. While the result was underwhelming for David Moyes’ side, the focus for Hackney was on reintegrating into match action after a groin injury disrupted the end of his time at Middlesbrough.

What did Hayden Hackney say after his Everton debut?

As reported by the Liverpool Echo’s coverage of Hackney’s post-match comments to Everton TV, the midfielder said:

“I really enjoyed it. I haven’t played in a while so I’m getting back up to match fitness, I really enjoyed getting back out there”.

He added that he felt good physically but acknowledged his match sharpness is still building:

“Obviously my match fitness is not there yet but that’ll come over time, my body feels good”.

Hackney also highlighted the integration process with his new teammates:

“I’m new to the team, we haven’t actually played any competitive minutes together, so it was nice to get used to that and I’m sure [our understanding] will improve over time”.

How did Hackney perform in Everton’s midfield at Stoke?

According to the Liverpool Echo’s player ratings, Hackney earned a 6/10 for a “tidy start on his Everton debut” in which he “made some nice passes early on which will have settled his nerves”. The report noted that he “combined well with his new team-mates” but described his integration as “gradual”, adding that he was the only Everton player substituted at half-time. Independent match analysis from fan-led coverage echoed that assessment, describing Hackney as “a hard working performance in the middle with lots of running and a willingness to find a pass” and calling it “a good first impression”. Tactical observations from the same report suggested Hackney showed “quality” and was “a fighter who can find a pass and slice open a defence at will”, with promising links alongside Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

What is Hackney’s fitness target before the Premier League starts?

Hackney outlined a clear progression plan for his match minutes as Everton continue their pre-season schedule, which includes upcoming fixtures in Germany and a final friendly against Newcastle in Edinburgh before the league campaign. Speaking to Everton TV, he said:

“I’ve got to keep building the minutes up, hopefully 60 and then the full 90 and go from there”.

The 24-year-old insisted he is working towards being ready for the start of the Premier League season in three-and-a-half weeks, despite the recent groin issue that limited him towards the end of last season at Middlesbrough.

How has Hackney settled into life at Everton so far?

Hackney described his early days at Everton as smooth, crediting the squad’s welcome for making the transition straightforward. “All the lads have welcomed me. It’s been pretty easy to be honest. I’ve really enjoyed my time so far and I can’t wait to see what the future holds,” he told Everton TV, as cited by the Liverpool Echo. His integration into training had been flagged earlier in July, with official club updates noting that the summer signing had been “successfully integrated into squad training” during pre-season preparations at Finch Farm and on the Scotland training camp.

What was the context of Everton’s defeat to Stoke City?

Everton’s 1-0 loss came in their third pre-season friendly, with Stoke naming two entirely different teams for each half and 19-year-old substitute Gabriel Kelly scoring the only goal on the hour mark with a long-range strike. Despite a sizeable contingent of away supporters, the Blues were unable to register a shot on target in the second half, with first-half chances including a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall effort tipped over the bar and a Beto header deflected wide. Manager David Moyes used the match to hand Hackney his debut while also trialling players in different roles, including Tyler Dibling at right-back and Merlin Rohl pushing forward from right midfield.

Background of the development

Hayden Hackney joined Everton from Middlesbrough in a £16.5million transfer during the 2026 summer window, arriving as one of David Moyes’ first major signings of the preseason. He had previously been a key figure in Middlesbrough’s midfield before a groin injury towards the end of the 2025-26 campaign disrupted his final months at the club. Everton’s pre-season schedule was designed to build fitness gradually, beginning with a 4-0 win over Dundee in Scotland, followed by fixtures against Bolton and Stoke before a training camp and friendlies in Germany and Edinburgh. Official updates in mid-July confirmed Hackney had been integrated into squad training as planned, with the Stoke match providing his first competitive minutes in an Everton shirt.

Prediction: How this development can affect Everton supporters and the squad

For Everton supporters, Hackney’s steady debut and clear fitness roadmap suggest a measured approach to integrating a significant summer investment rather than rushing him into full action. If his match fitness reaches the targeted 60-to-90-minute range before the Premier League opener, supporters can expect a more reliable midfield presence in the early weeks of the season, potentially stabilising a side that has undergone midfield changes in recent windows. For the squad, Hackney’s willingness to play deep, combined with his passing range noted in early reports, could offer Moyes more control in build-up play and reduce reliance on long transitions. However, the gradual integration also means early-season fixtures may still see rotation in midfield as Hackney’s sharpness is fine-tuned, which could affect team consistency in the opening matches. For fans monitoring pre-season progress, the key indicator will be whether Hackney features for longer spells in the remaining friendlies against Stuttgart and Newcastle, signalling readiness for a starting role when the league campaign begins.