Matthew Hoppe took to Instagram to say farewell and express his gratitude to 'special' Middlesbrough after completing his first move since his Teesside exit.

Hoppe agreed to mutually terminate his contract at Boro earlier in the month after a difficult time at Boro since signing from RCD Mallorca in 2022. The former Schalke striker struggled to make an impact on Teesside, making only six sub appearances throughout his time at the Riverside.

With Hoppe a free agent and able to explore new avenues following his Boro exit, he signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Danish Superliga side Sonderjyske Fodbold. And after completing the move, the 23-year-old took to Instagram with his first post on the social media site for over a year in order to send a message to ‘special’ Boro.

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Hoppe wrote: “As my time with Middlesbrough comes to a close, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude. Although things did not go as planned, I’m incredibly thankful for the unwavering support from my teammates, the staff, and, most importantly, the fans throughout this journey. Middlesbrough is a special place, and I wish the club all the best for the future. I’m excited for the new opportunities ahead!”

Hoppe, who became the first US player to score a Bundesliga hat-trick and the third youngest, aged just 19, while playing for Schalke, will be hoping his move to Sonderjyske can help get his career back on track. At his peak, he was a USA international who won the Gold Cup and he'll be hoping to get himself into the thoughts of Mauricio Pochettino too.