'Will be emotional' - Hammarby ace on Kim Hellberg's imminent Middlesbrough switch

After a spectacular start to the season, Middlesbrough suddenly found themselves in a peculiar situation when manager Rob Edwards made it clear that he wanted to leave the club to fill the vacant position at Wolves, following the Midlands side’s dismissal of Vítor Pereira.

With Boro in the middle of an intense promotion push, the announcement raised understandable concern among supporters, who feared that the momentum built under Edwards might be disrupted at a crucial stage of the campaign.

Middlesbrough are currently only five points behind Frank Lampard’s Coventry City, on track to secure automatic Premier League promotion. Even though rumours about candidates such as Steven Gerrard surfaced last week, it has been widely reported that manager Kim Hellberg is the man tasked to fill the void left by Edwards, with Middlesbrough outcompeting Swansea City in the race for his signature.

With a verbal agreement in place and work permit application believed to have been submitted earlier this week, Boro appear increasingly confident in getting the 37-year-old onboard.

Hellberg’s time at Hammarby showcased his ability to deliver consistent success, having guided the Swedish club to consecutive second-place finishes. His impressive record, combined with a modern tactical approach and commitment to developing younger talent, has established him as one of Scandinavia’s most exciting coaches.

After achieving consecutive second place-finishes during his time in Allsvenskan, Hellberg has been cherished by both players and supporters. The club's captain Nahir Besara has been a standout performer under the young manager’s tenure, scoring 17 goals in 30 matches from an attacking midfield position last season.

In an interview with Fotbollskanalen, Besara talked about the connection they have formed during their time together. “We have become very close. Both me and him, but also our families” he also said, “It will be emotional when he leaves, if it comes to that.”

He continued to express his admiration for the 37-year-old manager. “He's fantastic. He’s by far the best I’ve seen, heard, and worked with. Of course it’s going to be tough, but we’ll see how it turns out. We’ll handle it.”

Despite this, he has not attempted to convince Hellberg to stay at the club. “Actually, no. I see him as a friend, not just as a football coach. If this is the best thing for his career, I’ll support him.”

Even though the midfielder would regret Hellberg's departure, Besara went on to say that there is no limit to the heights the Swedish manager can reach, even predicting a future in the English top division for Edward's replacement. “There’s no limit to how far he can go. And I actually think you need more luck as a coach than as a player. But he can go all the way. I think he’ll end up in the Premier League eventually.”

Middlesbrough are currently awaiting Hellberg’s work permit to be approved before he can be confirmed as the new helm and get to work at Rockliffe Park. Boro are also believed to be close to an agreement with Hammarby over Hellberg’s assistant coach David Selini, as the manager is very keen to reunite with his long-time collaborator.

While these hurdles are not likely to cause any issues, nothing has been announced yet, and it is therefore assumed that interim Adi Viveash will lead the team in the upcoming away fixture against Oxford United this Saturday.

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