Isaac Hayden has admitted in his latest interview with the Shields Gazette that he had Premier League offers last summer, but turned them down to sign for Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle United.
The midfielder has been a crucial part of our promotion push this season, proving to be one of the buys of the summer.
Signing from Arsenal for just £2.5m last summer, Hayden has exceeded expectations and continues to develop into a very capable central midfielder, possessing a promising blend of technical ability, tough tackling and athleticism.
The 22 year-old, who was on loan at Hull last season, has spoken out about his reasons for joining Newcastle last summer:
“It was a club of great ambition and with the manager we have got, I knew from the start the aim was to get into the Premier League.”
“I have not played in the Premier League, so for me, that’s the ultimate goal, to be a regular Premier League player.”
“If you ask any young player, they would want to be in the Premier League.”
“For me, it would be fantastic to get back there and actually get a proper chance of being a Premier League player because obviously at Arsenal, it didn’t happen.”
Hayden then went on to reveal he had offers from elsewhere last summer, with TWO Premier League clubs (one being Hull) keen on the midfielder:
“Yes, I did, I did have a couple of Premier League offers.”
“But, for me, I didn’t want to go straight from a Premier League club of the stature of Arsenal to then try to get in at a Premier League club again.”
“I needed the chance to actually improve as a player to get to the level of being a Premier League player, because you don’t want to go from Premier League to Premier League and then be in the same position and not play because you don’t improve.”
“For me, this was the best club for me and that was the most important thing.”
Finally, Hayden talks about his development under Rafa Benitez:
“For me, personally, he has improved me as a player.”
“Would I be the same player if I wasn’t here? I don’t think I would be. Tactically, technically, every aspect of my game has improved. That’s also down to having game time as well.”
“To get the manager’s trust is not easy, especially as a young player and especially in a team that is fighting to win promotion.”
“It’s OK if you are my age playing in a team with nothing to play for. But to get that trust from him is important for me. I can only thank him for that. Hopefully, I’ve repaid him.”
Hayden shows great maturity not only on the pitch, but in what he says. He is a player I have real faith in and one who is clearly at Newcastle for all the right reasons.
Let’s hope the all action midfielder can help us get the job done tonight and with that, achieve his Premier League dream.
