Our number one was in place – but we still needed a deputy for the 2023-4 League One campaign. And so in came Krisztián Hegyi; signing for us on loan from Premier League side West Ham United. The agreement with the Hammers meant that we’d have the use of the Hungarian’s services for the whole season. But we expected him to play second fiddle to Taye Ashby-Hammond. And that’s more or less what he ended up doing; playing just six times during a spell that ended in January 2024. We presume the Hammers wanted him playing more.
The cosmopolitan nature of Boro’ in modern times means that, alas, Hegyi didn’t have the honour of being the first-ever Hungarian to step out in our colours. Zoltan Liptak had got there a good few years ahead of him with regards to that. The goalkeeper, however, is on track for some serious international honours for his motherland. Having represented the Magyar at youth level, he earned his first call-up to the senior team in March 2023. On more than one occasion too, he would be unavailable for Boro’ selection due to international duty.
Krisztián Hegyi: Before Boro’
The stopper was certainly in demand at the time he joined the Hammers’ academy in 2019; attracting a healthy number of offers from across Europe. The 2022-3 season saw him become a regular in the Hammers’ U21 side; occasionally donning the skipper’s armband too. And there were high hopes at the London Stadium that Hegyi had a big future ahead of him; goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero quoted as saying “he has all the tools needed to play at the highest level”. Boro’ would be the first testing ground proper for that.