MAKING HAYES
Newport’s LinkedIn striker back to haunt Tottenham again ... just like big brother Martin used to do for Arsenal 30 years ago
ON the social media matrix, Facebook is for contacting people you used to know, Twitter is for reaching people you’d like to know... and brothers are for torturing Tottenham.
Newport County striker Paul Hayes is the FA Cup specialist who resurrected his career by advertising his availability on networking site LinkedIn four months ago.
Hayes scored twice for Wycombe as the Chairboys gave Spurs an almighty fright in the fourth round last season before going down to an undeserved 97th-minute winner.
And now, after being spotted by Newport boss Michael Flynn on LinkedIn, he is back to haunt Mauricio Pochettino at Rodney Parade this evening.
Hayes has his heart set on a giant-killing encore after he began the season training with Hemel Hempstead Town in English football’s sixth tier.
His brother Martin (above) was Arsenal’s top scorer 31 years ago with 24 goals, playing in the Gunners’ holy trinity of three wins in eight weeks at White Hart Lane in 1987.
They couldn’t... could they?
If Newport, slayers of badge-bodgers Leeds United in the third round, shock Tottenham in a South Wales booby-trap of threadbare pitch and cramped dressing room, it will be their greatest night since Len Ashurst’s side reached the European Cup Winners Cup quarter-finals in 1981.
And Hayes will have the power of social media to thank for his curtain call at 34.
At Wycombe he was on the front line with the ‘Beast’, Adebayo Akinfenwa, who famously alerted managers that he was a free agent after scoring at Wembley and inviting them to “hit me up on WhatsApp.”
After parting amicably with Wycombe last summer, it was Hayes’s turn to test the power of social media – and it worked a treat. “Social media could be the way forward for players looking to stay in the game and put their names out there,” he said.
“For me and Bayo, who have a few miles on the clock between us, it’s obviously helped to get our message across – which proves it’s never too late to get to grips with apps and gadgets.
“In days gone by, you would get a move through agents making phone-calls to managers or sending them videos, but everyone’s on social media now.
“When the gaffer saw my post on LinkedIn, he got in touch with me to find out my situation. It was all new to me in terms of finding a move but it got me a deal at Newport and I’m all for it.
“The PFA circulate the names of players released but social media has such a worldwide reach now and the reality has hit home that there are different ways of being picked up.
“What happened to me is clear proof that, if you put yourself out there, you will get noticed.”
Hayes was devastated when Wycombe were pipped 4-3 at White Hart Lane, after leading 3-2 with eight minutes left, 12 months ago.
He had tucked away a penalty (celebrating, below) and buried a volley to put them 2-0 up, only to be heartbroken at the death, especially when hurting Spurs runs in the family.
“A lot of people don’t realise Martin is my brother because he is 17 years older than me, but he had a great record against Tottenham,” grinned Hayes. “The FA Cup has been good to me because down the years I’ve scored for Scunthorpe against Chelsea and Manchester City, and last year I got those two for Wycombe at White Hart Lane. My first goal in the Cup was back in 2003 so it would be nice to add another one to the collection.”