Isaac Hayden has admitted that this season was not what he wanted ahead of his return to Newcastle United.
Eddie Howe is set to welcome Hayden back to Newcastle this summer, with his loan move to Norwich City not ending with a permanent move.
The Canaries would have been obligated to sign the midfielder permanently if they achieved promotion. That did not happen, with David Wagner’s side finishing the season in 13th place. They ended the campaign with a 1-0 defeat to relegated Blackpool, which was a fitting end to a really disappointing return to the Championship.
Norwich have been a yo-yo club in recent years, but struggled to mount a maintained promotion charge this time round. They did have an outside shot at qualifying for the playoffs in the final weeks of the season, but they end the 2022/23 campaign in the bottom half of the Championship.
Their final game of the season means it is the end of Hayden’s loan spell at Carrow Road, and he has now delivered a message to supporters after what has proven to be a difficult year in East Anglia.
Isaac Hayden wishes Norwich all the best for the future
Following the defeat to Blackpool in the final game of the season, Hayden has took to his official Instagram account to send a message to the club and his teammates ahead of his return to Tyneside.
He wrote: “Thank you Norwich City for welcoming me for this season. It was not what we wanted collectively or individually, but that is football and it does not rain forever, the sun will shine again for this great club. I hope this young talented squad get the time and support they need to flourish in the future. Thanks to all team mates and staff for treating me so well. Good luck for the future.”
No future for Hayden at Newcastle
It was an injury hit year that did not go to plan for Hayden. He only made 14 appearances during his loan spell, with two knee problems limiting his minutes down south.
With no promotion, he will now return to Newcastle this summer, but another move away beckons for the 28-year-old. It has already been reported that the Magpies plan to get rid of Hayden, which comes as no surprise.
His message to Norwich suggests that he definitely won’t be going back there. It sounds like a very definitive goodbye from the former Arsenal man. But hopefully he can get a move to another Championship club, where he will hope to stay fit and show how good a player he is.
Hayden never let Newcastle down, but the standards have been raised since Eddie Howe took over. That means that there is no role for the Rafa Benitez signing at St James’ Park – especially with Champions League football potentially on the horizon.
He will be on the move again this summer, but a Norwich return appears to be out of the question.
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