OPINION
Midfielder Isaac Hayden has always been one of the more unsung heroes in this Newcastle United squad, but lately manager Rafael Benitez appears to finally be coming round to him.
The former Arsenal man has been superb since coming into the Magpies team around the turn of the year, and Benitez is now contemplating the club’s chances of keeping him despite his long-held desire to return south to be closer to his family.
“Maybe. We have to wait,” Benitez told The Chronicle when asked if Hayden could be persuaded to stay at St James’ Park. “If he’s doing well and happy, you never know. The main thing for anyone in your job is to do well. If he’s playing and doing well, he’s enjoying [it], he said.
“Hayden, when he wanted to go, he was not happy. After, when he started playing games, playing well, so you can see his face every day – he’s enjoying himself.
“At the beginning [of the season] it was not easy. We can have conversations about anything [at the end of the season] but you can see that he’s enjoying [playing]. It’s something that he will analyse at the end [of the season],” he finished.
While Benitez’s intentions are good and he does have a point about Hayden enjoying himself more now than he was at the start of the season, he has missed the fundamental point here.
The Chronicle reported in January that the midfielder still wanted to leave the club despite returning to the first team picture. His family issues remain just that: issues. He needs to sort them out and he seemingly cannot do that at Newcastle.
Ultimately, him playing regularly and enjoying his football does not change the fact that his family live hundreds of miles away. That remains the crux of the issue for Hayden and that’s never going to change until he gets a move to a club in the south of England.
So while Benitez is simply stating that he wants Hayden to stay because of how well he is playing and how much he is enjoying his football, the Spaniard has quite clearly missed the mark here.
His remarks were well intended but he has very much got it wrong as he is describing a scenario that is likely impossible.
