CHUBA Akpom beamed with pride after writing his name into Middlesbrough's history books and said: "This is the happiest I've ever been in my career".

Akpom became Boro's first player since Bernie Slaven in 1989/90 to hit 20 league goals in a season, with the striker taking his tally for the campaign to 21 with a double in Saturday's 5-0 hammering of Reading, a day, says the Championship's top scorer, that he'll remember for the rest of his life.

After ending Boro's long wait for a 20-goal striker, Akpom was embraced by Slaven pitchside at ful-time.

Akpom said: "We were having a laugh. He's a top guy. He was saying it's been a long wait and he's glad that I broke the record.

"He said he loves the way I play. To be fair, when I was on maybe 15 goals, he was always messaging me and pushing me and motivating me.

"It was a special day, a day I'll remember for the rest of my life. Twenty league goals is a big achievement for myself and the club,

"There are top strikers who've been here, some who I look up to like Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink, so to be the one who gets 20, it's fantastic. I haven't processed it, honestly.

"Everyone is talking to me about it but I haven’t had chance to sit down and process it because I’m so motivated and I feel like there’s no limit right now.

"Maybe at the end of the season I can look back and say ‘wow, Chubs, you had an amazing season’, but right now it’s just ‘when is the next game’. It’s hard to explain."

It's been the most incredible season for Akpom, who again admitted he returned to Boro in the summer after a loan spell in Greece expecting to leave the club, but has instead turned into the Championship's most lethal marksman on Teesside.

"I knew wherever I went I'd be hungry, but I didn't expect it to be at Middlesbrough," admits Akpom as he looks back to the summer.

"That's kind of a bonus because it's a top club and a team that's fighting for something. I'm just so happy to be part of it.

"It's the happiest I've been in my career, for sure. Off the pitch, on the pitch, going into training, my teammates are fantastic guys. I just feel myself.

"I don't feel like there's any extra weight on my shoulders. I feel confident and feel like I can express myself, move around the pitch, get on the ball. I've never felt like that in my career to be honest."

READ MORE:

Akpom could have had a hat-trick on Saturday when Boro won a second penalty when they were 4-0 up, but the striker was happy to let substitute Marcus Forss take it.

He explained: "It’s a team game at the end of the day. Of course strikers need to be selfish but I’m all about the team and my main target is to get promoted with the team. That means everyone being part of it and all forwards chipping in. The more forwards score, the better for the team.

"I’ve never been selfish and I’m not going to cause commotion on the pitch when we’re 4-0 up and start grabbing the ball and saying this and that.

"Marcus didn’t start. He wanted to come on and score. I’d be the same. It’s all about being a team player."