Today has brought confirmation of Isaac Hayden’s season-long loan move to Belgian side Standard Liege but former Newcastle United star Phillipe Albert is not convinced by the move.
Phillipe Albert is the most famous Belgian to ever don the black and white stripes of Newcastle. The towering defender had a knack for getting forward and grabbing a spectacular goal. The most famous of which being the delightful chip over the head of Peter Schmeichel to put the icing on the cake of a 5-0 win over Manchester United.
Now with former Arsenal man Isaac Hayden heading to Albert’s homeland for a season with Standard Liege, the Belgian pundit and fruit and veg seller, yes really, has had his say on the move.
Phillipe Albert has major concerns over Isaac Hayden’s move
“Hayden? It will take him two or three months to get back to his level following his injury,” Albert tells La Tribune.
“Standard needs players who know the league and are good straight away.”
Not exactly the welcome Hayden would have been hoping for from one Magpie to another, but Albert is right to have reservations about Hayden’s injury record.
The 28-year-old spent last season on loan at Norwich City but only made 14 appearances after missing the first three months of the season with a knee issue and then then another three months in the new year with a recurrence of said problem.
That injury record is likely a big reason behind why Newcastle have been actively trying to offload Hayden all summer.
Newcastle will have to go through this all again with Hayden next year
A recipient of one of Mike Ashley‘s mega-contracts, Hayden still has three years on his Newcastle deal which is making life exceptionally hard for the club to shift him on which is why another loan move has been agreed.
The deal does not contain an option to buy so it’s highly likely Newcastle will face the same problem again next summer.
That being said, we wish Isaac Hayden the best of luck and hope this can get his career back on track because we all know there’s a player in there behind that dodgy knee.
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