Manchester United legend hails 'fantastic' Boro history-maker Chuba Akpom

Chuba Akpom is linked with a move to the Premier League

SUPER EAGLES Manchester United legend hails 'fantastic' Boro history-maker Chuba Akpom

Izuchukwu Akawor 09:45 - 05.03.2023

The Super Eagles hopeful scored his second brace in three matches for Boro and was eulogised by a Manchester United star.

Former Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has hailed Nigerian forward Chuba Akpom following his latest match-winning performance for Boro.

Akpom was at his imperious best as he wrote his name in Boro history books with a brace against Reading in the Championship on Saturday.

var widgetLoaderConfig = widgetLoaderConfig || { CDN_URL: 'https://widgets.sportal365.com', APP_LINK: 'desktop', API_URL: 'https://africa.football.api.sportal365.com/', API_KEY: '2f852b4de2f3a5cf3188e74b33087bb4:2c18422f8e826a7d11aeed52edb2449e', LANG: 'en', REQUEST_INTERVAL: 30, ENABLE_BET_SLIP: false, AUTHOR: false, THEME: "light", TOURNAMENT_ORDER: "pulse_nigeria", LINK_OPTIONS_V2: { 'player' : { 'url': '/football/player/{playerId}' }, 'team' : { 'url': '/football/{teamId}' }, 'tournament': { 'url': '/football/competition/{tournamentId}' }, 'match': { 'url' : '/football/match/{matchId}', 'sort': { 'criteria': 'alphabetically', 'direction': 'asc' } }, 'configuration': { 'newWindow': false }, 'standings_tournament': { 'url': '/football/competition/{tournamentId}/standings' } } }; if (!document.querySelector('script[src="https://widgets.sportal365.com/loader.bundle.min.js"]')) { window.setTimeout(function () { let scriptCss = document.createElement('link'); scriptCss.href = 'https://www.pulsesports.co.ke/css/sport-widgets.css?v=1668785443'; scriptCss.rel = 'stylesheet'; scriptCss.type = 'text/css'; document.body.appendChild(scriptCss); let scriptTag = document.createElement('script'); scriptTag.src = 'https://widgets.sportal365.com/loader.bundle.min.js'; scriptTag.defer = true; scriptTag.onload = function () { window.setTimeout(function () { new SMPWidgetsLoader(widgetLoaderConfig); }, 200); }; document.head.appendChild(scriptTag); }, 0); } else { new SMPWidgetsLoader(widgetLoaderConfig); }

The Super Eagles hopeful netted a goal in either half as Boro demolished Reading at home to continue their push for promotion.

Akpom’s goals made him the first player since Bernie Slaven in the 1989/90 season to score 20 goals for Boro in the league.

Chuba Akpom is having his most productive season.

Carrick praises Akpom for Boro feat

Akpom scored his second brace in three matches to help Boro return to winning ways after their defeat last time.

The goals were the 20th and 21st of the season for the former Arsenal striker which saw him become the first Boro player in 33 years to score 20 or more league goals for the club.

Carrick was full of praise for Akpom

Akpom’s latest performance has been described as “terrific” and “fantastic” by his manager, Carrick, who praised the forward after the game.

"It's a terrific achievement," said Carrick per the Northern Echo. "It's not easy to score that many goals. He's scored all different type of goals for us since I've been here."

Akpom is the first Boro player to reach the 20-goal mark in 33 years.

"I thought his performance was fantastic. He gets credit for his goals but his performance all-round was terrific. And because we have threats in different areas, he ends up getting a bit more space. To score that many goals, hopefully he can carry on and set a new target for himself."

Akpom gives up second Boro hat-trick 

Meanwhile, having scored a brace in the game, Akpom could have added to his tally on the day when Boro won a penalty late on in the game.

var widgetLoaderConfig = widgetLoaderConfig || { CDN_URL: 'https://widgets.sportal365.com', APP_LINK: 'desktop', API_URL: 'https://africa.football.api.sportal365.com/', API_KEY: '2f852b4de2f3a5cf3188e74b33087bb4:2c18422f8e826a7d11aeed52edb2449e', LANG: 'en', REQUEST_INTERVAL: 30, ENABLE_BET_SLIP: false, AUTHOR: false, THEME: "light", TOURNAMENT_ORDER: "pulse_nigeria", LINK_OPTIONS_V2: { 'player' : { 'url': '/football/player/{playerId}' }, 'team' : { 'url': '/football/{teamId}' }, 'tournament': { 'url': '/football/competition/{tournamentId}' }, 'match': { 'url' : '/football/match/{matchId}', 'sort': { 'criteria': 'alphabetically', 'direction': 'asc' } }, 'configuration': { 'newWindow': false }, 'standings_tournament': { 'url': '/football/competition/{tournamentId}/standings' } } }; if (!document.querySelector('script[src="https://widgets.sportal365.com/loader.bundle.min.js"]')) { window.setTimeout(function () { let scriptCss = document.createElement('link'); scriptCss.href = 'https://www.pulsesports.co.ke/css/sport-widgets.css?v=1668785443'; scriptCss.rel = 'stylesheet'; scriptCss.type = 'text/css'; document.body.appendChild(scriptCss); let scriptTag = document.createElement('script'); scriptTag.src = 'https://widgets.sportal365.com/loader.bundle.min.js'; scriptTag.defer = true; scriptTag.onload = function () { window.setTimeout(function () { new SMPWidgetsLoader(widgetLoaderConfig); }, 200); }; document.head.appendChild(scriptTag); }, 0); } else { new SMPWidgetsLoader(widgetLoaderConfig); }

However, he passed on the chance to get his second hat-trick of the campaign to his teammate, Marcus Forss, a gesture that Boro boss Carrick says shows how much of a team player Akpom is.

"It's just being a team player, credit to him for that. Not many would have done that, but he understands it's about the squad, all the boys being in a good frame of mind," Carrick added.

Chuba Akpom is the Skybet Championship top scorer this season.

"His first penalty was a good one and it would have been easy for him to grab it but he understands how grateful Marcus was to have a chance to score."

Tags: