OPINION
If someone had asked you two months ago whether Isaac Hayden would still have been a Newcastle United player come the end of January, you would have probably said no. If someone had then asked you if he would be one of the Magpies’ key regulars come the end of January, you would have laughed in their face.
Hayden has made no secret of his desire to leave Tyneside, and for a long time he looked nailed on to do so, but circumstance has thrust him into the limelight, and he has flourished in recent weeks.
With Jonjo Shelvey and Mo Diame injured, and with Ki Sung-yueng picking up a knock while away on international duty at the Asian Cup, it has fallen to the 23-year-old, alongside young teammate Sean Longstaff, to provide the heartbeat of the Magpies’ midfield, and both have done admirably.
After a rough patch of form, Newcastle have started to look like a side genuinely capable of pulling away from the drop zone, and Hayden has played a large part in that transformation.
The former Arsenal man has admitted that he hasn’t been happy at St. James’ Park, saying to the club’s official website: “This has been a difficult period. I’ve not really known whether I was going to be staying here for the second part of the season or whether I was going to be going, but – as I’ve said – as soon as you cross that white line, everything else doesn’t matter.”
But on the strength of his recent performances, the Toon Army must do everything they can to convince him to stay.
Sometimes a player has his heart set on a transfer for personal reasons, but if there is anything the club can do to accommodate Hayden more effectively, and to make him feel content enough to extend his stay in the north east past the end of the season, then they must surely try to do so.
The way he’s playing at the moment, keeping him could save the club millions.