OPINION
Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden has made no secret of the fact that he wants to leave the club in order to be closer to his family.
However, boss Rafa Benitez will certainly be hoping that is not the case after his excellent display against Wolves on Monday.
Hayden unlocked a new lease of life after he netted the Magpies’ only goal of the game, and his confidence only went on leaps and bounds afterwards.
He has been a bit of a mixed bag this season, but this display has only heightened Benitez’ selection headache after the FA Cup break, as his combination with Sean Longstaff in the middle of the park was enough to get many fans drooling.
With Ki-sung Yueng coming back to fitness and Mo Diame having made a six minute cameo on Monday, Benitez has a rather tough choice about who gets a place and who does not.
Longstaff is obviously a no-brainer after a great performance, and Hayden has certainly made a great case for himself as well.
The likelihood of Hayden leaving in the summer is quite high, especially if Newcastle bring in a player to replace him – but instead of doing this, Newcastle should be convincing Hayden to stay at St James’ Park, as he has demonstrated that he can be vital to their success.
The club should pull out all of the stops to ensure that he remains as he is a player who can only improve the longer he stays with the club.
Yes, he is not the best midfielder in the world, but he is showing glimpses of what he is capable of, and that will only improve Benitez’ view of him.
The Spaniard must do everything he can to keep the first teamer – who has 16 appearances to his name this term – at the club in the summer after he turned heads on Monday.
