Isaac Hayden names the Newcastle United player who completely blew him away in training

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Isaac Hayden knew he was in trouble at Newcastle United as soon as the big money signings started to arrive.

The midfielder was part of the Newcastle United squad that Eddie Howe inherited, having been brought to the club by Rafa Benitez in 2016.

He was part of various survival missions under Benitez and Steve Bruce, before working under the current Newcastle United manager after PIF bought the club.

Their first transfer window saw Newcastle United splash the cash, with the likes of Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes and Dan Burn arriving at St James’ Park.

In the eyes of Isaac Hayden, Bruno Guimaraes was the one who stood out.

Bruno Guimaraes stunned Isaac Hayden in Newcastle United training

On the back of Hayden’s Newcastle United departure, the 30-year-old has reflected on his Toon career during an interview with the Athletic.

He has spoken about his first impressions of Bruno, having come up against him in training during the second half of the 2021/22 season.

“I watch a lot of European games, so I knew about Bruno’s pedigree; Brazil international, £40million fee,” he said.

“When I got back into training [after injury], I thought, ‘Right, let’s see what he’s got’. I train at 100%, but not all players like that.

“I whacked him. He didn’t say anything, didn’t react. Gets up, carries on. Next thing I know, I’ve got the ball and bang. It was him. Still says nothing. It wasn’t bad-tempered. It wasn’t as if we didn’t get along. So I do it again. Bang. He does it back. Bang. He held his arm out to pick me up and smiled.

“It’s weird to say out loud but it was one of those moments where I thought, ‘He’s got it all’. Everyone knows he’s got great skill and he’s durable, but he’s got heart. He’s got steel.

“And so another thought came straight into my head: ‘I’m in a spot of bother here’.

“I was coming off the back of five and a half months of not playing and considering where they wanted to go. Of course the manager couldn’t promise me games. And then I looked at what was ahead of me. I wasn’t going to get a look in.”

• Who is Bruno Guimaraes? Meet Newcastle’s brilliant Brazilian lighting up the Premier League

Bruno Guimaraes helped raise the standard at Newcastle United

As Hayden alludes to, it was immediately apparent that Bruno had what was required to thrive in the Premier League in a Newcastle United shirt.

He had the skill and passing ability you would expect from a Brazilian, but he also had the temperament to run a midfield in the top flight of English football.

Bruno quickly raised standards on Tyneside. He forced the players around him to get better. One of those was Sean Longstaff, who really benefitted from having the former Lyon man next to him.

Unfortunately for Hayden, there was so much quality ahead of him and so much ambition from the club that he was never going to get a chance.

That proved to be the case, with Hayden’s last Toon appearance coming on the 19th December 2021.

While he looks for a new club as a free agent, Bruno prepares to captain Newcastle United into the Champions League. That epitomises the level that Bruno has got the Magpies to.

Hayden’s first impression of him could not have been more accurate.