Senior football writer for The Athletic, George Caulkin, recently discussed Newcastle United’s defensive midfielder Isaac Hayden, and his hope that the club offers the 25-year-old a new contract.
Since joining Newcastle from Arsenal for a fee of £2.61million back in 2016, Hayden has gone on to make 126 appearances for the Magpies, scoring five goals and providing 10 assists.
This season, the former England U21 international has missed just five of Newcastle’s Premier League games, scoring one goal and providing two assists along the way.
And, speaking recently on The Athletic’s Pod On The Tyne podcast, George Caulkin heaped praise on the 25-year-old, highlighting his importance to the Newcastle side, as well as stating his hope that Hayden is offered a new contract at the club.
He said: “He has come on so much in the last 18 months, two years. He’s a defensive midfield player, he’s not going to go up the pitch and do amazing dribbling and score a goal, but he provides Jonjo Shelvey’s legs for him, which is important in the team, and he offers more than that, when he’s playing well, you see that sort of Arsenal background in him: he’s comfortable on the ball, and he knows what to do with it, and he rarely wastes it, even if he’s not doing something sort of spectacular with it.
“I love him as a footballer, and I think he’s been very underrated and the fact that he’s a smashing fellow on top of that – who has his own story of finding things very difficult here – but also being very appreciative of the club and kind of falling in love with it in a way, too. And I’m just I’m really pleased he’s still here.
“He has only got a year left on his contract, and I know we’ve all been thinking a lot about people like Matty Longstaff and those others who are going out of contract. I don’t know [if they are], but I hope that the club – in spite of the strange circumstances – are thinking about him, too.”
TIF Thoughts…
Having been such a regular starter for Newcastle throughout this season, it would certainly be surprising if the club were not to offer him an extension to his contract, which expires next summer.
Is Hayden someone you want to see stay at St James' Park?
Yes, he is constantly improving
No, move him on
However, with Newcastle’s future being so up in the air due to their ongoing takeover bid, it remains to be seen whether Steve Bruce will, in fact, be the manager at Newcastle next season, and, as such, we would suggest that decisions on players’ contracts may be left until the Premier League have made their decision regarding the club’s proposed takeover.