Isaac Hayden made his return to the Newcastle first-team against West Ham on Saturday, after his three match suspension following his red card at Leicester.

Because of the international break in the middle of his ban, it seemed like an eternity since he played, with there being five weeks between his last two Newcastle starts.

But you would never know he had been away, as his performance levels were right back where they left off, and he dominated the midfield battle, overshadowing England star Declan Rice in the process, as we wrote in a previous article.

(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

With the form Hayden has shown in 2019, the former Arsenal midfielder must surely be getting close to an England call-up himself, as he seems to go from strength to strength every week.

Hayden’s form suggests he is as good as some England midfielders

(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Certainly he has looked as good as, if not better, than many of the current crop of midfield options Gareth Southgate has chopped and changed with in recent international games.

Many fans around the country may think the kind of display he gave on Saturday against Rice is a one-off, but football fans who regularly watch Newcastle can let them know that those types of performance are the norm for Hayden.

(Photo by Matt Watson/Southampton FC via Getty Images)

All the talk since last season has been about how close Sean Longstaff was to Southgate’s squad, but it is Hayden that looks the more likely to get a phone call from the England manager.

One Newcastle fan asked how much Hayden might currently be worth, if Rice is reportedly valued at £80 million?

Many Newcastle fans were unequivocal in their belief that he is not worth anything near that figure, and quick to suggest the West Ham player is over-hyped by some of the media.

Here are a few of the replies:

 
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