The Athletic’s George Caulkin has paid tribute to Isaac Hayden as the Newcastle United midfielder voiced his disappointment after being left out of the club’s 25-man Premier League squad.
Eddie Howe had to make a very tough decision on Thursday to leave three first-team players out of his squad following a flurry of new arrivals at St. James’ Park.
This tough choice saw him leave out Ciaran Clark, Jamal Lewis – who could still be loaned out to Turkey – and perhaps most surprising of all, Isaac Hayden, with the midfielder’s injury enough to see him left out.
Should Hayden have been dropped by Howe?
Yes!
No!
Hayden has been with the Magpies since 2016 when they won the Championship title under Rafael Benitez, having racked up 171 appearances across all competitions, making him a regular under most managers he’s worked under.
Hayden sent a message out on Twitter following the decision which said: ‘I’m bitterly disappointed to have not been included in the 25-man squad for the second half of the season due to injury,’ but he did send his well-wishes to the team, adding: ‘We all want to see the club climb the table as much as possible and I’m no exception.’
Journalist Caulkin felt this message was nothing short of what he expected from someone like Hayden as he tweeted: ‘Very sad to see you out of the squad but that’s a classy response as usual.’
TIF Thoughts on George Caulkin’s remarks about Isaac Hayden…
It will have likely been a very tough decision for Howe, because Hayden is a very accomplished midfielder who’s got a whole host of Premier League experience, but what is also very important and key to Hayden’s longevity on Tyneside is his ability and willingness to play in a number of positions.
Following the arrival of Bruno Guimaraes, it was always going to be an uphill battle for Hayden to keep his spot in the squad, with Joelinton, Joe Willock and Jonjo Shelvey all regulars under Howe, so the midfield area is very much bloated.
Newcastle fans will likely hope that this is not the end for Hayden given how long he’s been at the club and all the torrid Mike Ashley times he’s had to put up with, as he deserves a better send-off out of the club than this.
Caulkin’s message seems to reflect this, so it would not be a surprise if plenty of fans carry the same sentiment about Hayden.
In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops hugely exciting Newcastle claim