Newcastle midfielder Isaac Hayden has explained how a conversation with manager Rafa Benitez has helped him to refocus after being rotated for the last two league matches.
Hayden felt he had put too much pressure on himself to perform, and as the Magpies have a wealth of talent at their disposal, he felt he was trying too hard to impress in order to keep his place in the side. He told the club’s official website:
“The manager spoke to me about (that) and he just helped me understand what he wanted from me, what he wanted from my game, and I think that helped me.”
“I’ve come back now after the England under-21s debut and I feel fresh and I feel ready to go for the next section of games. There’s a lot of games in the Championship as we all know. The manager likes to rotate and he likes to keep players fresh.”
Hayden will have to regain his spot by displacing Jack Colback who started victories against Norwich City and Rotherham United in the last two league matche. It very much looks like the pair will be in a one on one contest for a starting position all season. With such competition for places right across the pitch, you can be sure that no player who plays this season will feel complacent about their involvement in the side.
