Isaac Hayden last night took to social media to issue a statement, after he was left out of Newcastle United’s updated 25-man Premier League squad.
The midfielder is one of three players to have been overlooked to accommodate new faces.
He, Ciaran Clark and Jamal Lewis have all been left out by Eddie Howe, with the latter two both turning down chances to leave the club on loan.
Of course at the moment, Hayden is out injured for Newcastle.
The 26-year-old had knee surgery back in December, and is out for several weeks.
His injury was always going to make it difficult for him to get picked. Especially with Bruno Guimaraes arriving at the club from Lyon at the end of the January transfer window.
Hayden last night gave his reaction to the news last night via a pretty heart-on-sleeve statement.
He said: “I am bitterly disappointed to have not been included in the 25-man squad for the second half of this season due to injury. It’s been a tough 12 months for me, with injuries massively affecting my availability for the club.
“Now is a time for me to reflect. I’ll be working harder than ever before to come back stronger like I always do.
“I’ll be a supporter like everyone else and I’ll be supporting the lads and the staff as best I can for the rest of the season. We all want to see the club climb the table as much as possible and I am no exception.”
A classy response from Isaac Hayden, but Newcastle squad exclusion was sadly inevitable
Fans will have expected nothing less than for Hayden to react in such a classy way to something that is bound to be massively frustrating for him.
He is a brilliant character, and the situation is a real shame.
What is quite sad to think about is that Hayden could well have played his last game for Newcastle.
He won’t now get the chance to turn out for the Magpies again this season. Meaning he is unable to prove he’s worth keeping around.
Newcastle are bound to spend big this summer, and more big names may following Guimaraes through the door.
Hayden has been with Newcastle for six years. Given the current situation, it’s hard to envisage him continuing his stay for much longer.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
