How Portsmouth can offer career lifeline to forgotten Newcastle United man and ex-Premier League regular shackled by six-year contract

In the case of Hayden, a regular under Rafa Benitez and also his successor Steve Bruce, a six-year contract reflected their regard for his prodigious talents amid concerns he would quit St James' Park.

‘I'm delighted with Isaac too. He's a 25-year-old midfielder with his best years ahead of him,’ Bruce told Newcastle’s official website at the time.

‘I know it has been a little bit on-off in terms of his future, so I'm very pleased he has committed himself to the club.

‘We have had a very good week and a very good window with the players we have brought in, but the business we have done in terms of keeping players here has been very important too.’

However, persistent knee injuries, Eddie Howe’s appointment as head coach, and the ambition of Saudi Arabian owners PIF subsequently conspired to stall Hayden’s once-promising career.

The former Arsenal youngster hasn’t featured for Newcastle’s first-team since December 2021, while loans at Norwich, Standard Liege and QPR have totalled 41 matches.

Now aged 29 and still contracted with the Premier League club, Hayden is poised to complete a Pompey loan deal which can significantly benefit both parties.

John Mousinho requires a midfielder with Championship experience to bolster the Blues’ attempts to avoid an unthinkable instant relegation back to League One. While Hayden needs football again.

In his first St James’ Park season in 2016-17, he lined-up in 28 Championship matches as they pipped Brighton to the title to return to the Premier League under Benitez.

Following promotion, the Arsenal Academy graduate maintained his first-team involvement, establishing himself as a regular starter in the top flight and demonstrating the form which warranted that new six-year deal.

At the start of the 2021-22 Premier League campaign, Hayden started 10 of Newcastle’s opening 11 league matches - until Howe replaced Bruce as head coach in November 2021.

Instantly dropped to the bench for the next five matches, Hayden was recalled to the starting XI for a 3-1 defeat at Liverpool.

He then retained his place for a 4-0 home loss to Manchester City in December 2021, albeit substituted after 61 minutes - and has never played for Newcastle again.

The necessity for knee surgery that same month ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign and, as the club began to flourish under Howe and PIF, he was instead dispatched on loans away from the North East.

There was a season-long stay at Norwich consisting of just 14 matches as Hayden’s knee issues once again flared up, while last term he featured for both Standard Liege and QPR.

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With the latter, he is credited as playing a pivotal role in their successful fight against relegation, totalling 17 appearances after arriving late in the January 2024 window.

At the season’s end he returned to Newcastle and again found himself training away from the first-team, while he featured in the odd under-21s match, with a National League Cup outing at Halifax Town in October.

However, Hayden made his international debut for Jamaica in November after switching international allegiance from England, who he had represented at every age group the under-16s to the under-21s.

He played in two Reggae Boyz defeats against the USA, although encouragingly claimed an assist in the second encounter, a 4-2 loss, for Steve McClaren’s side.

Now the midfielder with 171 appearances and seven goals to his name is in the process of being thrown a lifeline by Pompey.

And Hayden remains contracted to Newcastle until the summer of 2026.