Standard Liege CEO Pierre Locht has confirmed that it is “likely” that Isaac Hayden’s season long loan will be cut short this month, describing him as “inconsistent” during his time with the club.
It marks the second successive underwhelming loan for the midfielder, who struggled at Norwich last season before making 11 appearances in Belgium.
Hayden has struggled for minutes in a side ninth in the Belgian league and is expected to complete another loan move upon his return, with Sheffield United, Plymouth, Preston and Blackburn all linked in recent days.
“It’s likely that he won’t come back [to Belgium], yes,” Locht told La Dernière Heure. “We wanted a player who brought an immediate superior quality to the team.
“Isaac had a lot of experience in the Premier League. He’s a true number six, capable of settling the game, a stable element. But, in the image of the team, he had some good games but was then too inconsistent.”
Eddie Howe has also worked wonders in giving players a new lease of life, dusting off the proverbial cobwebs of managers past and recapturing the hearts of the Geordies. However, I can’t see Hayden coming back into the fold ahead of his return.
Hopefully he can find a new home soon, as a permanent move away from St James’ Park seems needed to get the 28-year-old’s career back on track.
