RED TURNING TO GREEN FOR HAYDEN
RAFA SAYS SENT-OFF MIDFIELDER CAN BE KEY MAN AGAIN
ISAAC Hayden has finally regained his focus and can now positively influence Newcastle United’s season, believes Rafa Benitez.
However, the Magpies’ manager admits he is unsure whether the 23-year-old - who handed in a transfer request during the summer - now wants to remain on Tyneside long term.
The midfielder’s personal situation - his young daughter is with her mother in Wales - led Hayden to ask Benitez if he could depart St James’ Park before the start of the campaign.
Although Benitez has afforded Hayden a flexible training schedule and every opportunity to visit his young family, the United manager was unwilling to sell the former England under-21 international during the summer. Clearly Hayden’s personal problems affected his game too and, after he was sent off for a dangerous tackle after coming on as a substitute against Cardiff City back in August, the midfielder has rarely appeared since. Hayden made 59 league appearances for Newcastle during his first two seasons on Tyneside after joining from Arsenal during the summer of 2016 but has played just three times this term and has sometimes even been omitted from matchday squads all together. Newcastle have appeared short of options in defensivemidfield so far this campaign, only Mo Diame able to operate as an out-and-out destructive force in the engine room in Hayden’s absence. However, although Hayden is behind Diame, Jonjo Shelvey and Ki Sung-yueng in the midfield pecking order, Benitez believes the 23-year-old is now in the right frame of mind to have a positive influence on Newcastle’s season.
On Saturday, Hayden made only his third appearance of the season and his first in almost two months as he came on during the second half of the 2-1 victory over Bournemouth at St James’ Park.
Given the fact the 14th-placed Magpies have a hectic festive fixture list coming up next month, the schemer’s return to form has come at the perfect time.
Benitez, when asked about Hayden’s lack of football so far this season and his current mental state, said: “He is fine. At the start of the season it was all a bit confused but he is OK.
“He played against Cardiff and was sent off, which I was not expecting.
“After that, with Diame and Shelvey playing well and Ki having the Premier League experience, too, it has been difficult for him.
“Because of the balance of the bench we have decisions to make all the time about whether we have two midfielders among the substitutes but he is fine.
“He was an important player for us over the past two seasons but, because at the beginning of the season everything was a little bit wrong, he needed to settle down.
“You could see against Cardiff - I am not blaming him - but he was not focused and I was not expecting it.
“He was sent off because for me
If he continues to train like he has the last two weeks then he will have chances to play Benitez on Hayden
he was very excited and wanted to impress. It was wrong for him but, if he continues to train like he has the last two weeks, then he will have chances to play.”
It is understood one of the reasons why Benitez was so reluctant to consider selling Hayden during the summer was he was unconvinced United would be able to sign an adequate replacement who boasted Premier League experience. Such concerns may prevent Hayden from departing in January, too - even given his lack of first-team football this season - should the Chelmsford-born midfielder push for an exit again.
Benitez was coy when asked whether Hayden had withdrawn his request to leave.
However, he insisted it was immaterial for the next two months anyway, given the midfielder is unable to move until January at the very earliest due to the fact we are currently outside one of the two permitted Premier League trading periods. “I was speaking to him and he is fine,” Benitez said when he was pushed as to whether Hayden has changed his mind and now wants to stay on Tyneside.
“At the moment he wants to be here, I think so, but we will see in the future.
“It does not matter, anyway, because he is here until January at the very least - and he has to keep going.”