2019/20 Newcastle United Player Review: Isaac Hayden

While his game isn’t always fun to watch, Isaac Hayden is a key player in the Newcastle United engine room.

Jonjo Shelvey turned in his best season so far for Newcastle United, especially in the attack. A large component to allowing him to get forward was the fact that Isaac Hayden was there next to him to do the dirty, defensive work in the midfield.

2019/20 EPL stats: 29 appearances, one goal, two assists, 114 recoveries, 55 tackles

Expert Breakdown

Durim Halimi: Isaac Hayden is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League in his position. In terms of his form, the Arsenal academy product was the most consistent player in the squad last season.

In terms of production, Hayden was only directly involved in three goals, but his work rate and defensive effort is unmatched. Hayden’s ability to disrupt opposing counter-attacks and recover the ball has given Jonjo Shelvey more freedom to serve as a playmaker higher up the pitch.

Hayden deserves nothing but praise for his overall game, but it would be nice to see him get more involved offensively. He is not technically gifted, but he can threaten keepers from distance.

Carson A. Merk: Isaac Hayden is probably one of the most under-appreciated players on Newcastle United’s roster. He’s been pretty darn good the last couple of seasons and outside of a careless red card here and there, he seems locked in mentally, too.

He is a great cog in the middle of the park as he goes in for tackles, works to cut out passes, and helps flip the ball from defense to offense. It’s not always fun to watch, but it’s a massively important role.

Hayden only has one year left on his deal and I think it would be wise for Newcastle United to extend him, if he’s willing. In the past, he indicated the desire to make a move away from the club, but his stance on that seemed to change a bit recently.

He’s only 25 years old and tying him down to pair with Jonjo Shelvey for the foreseeable future would be a big boost.