‘People underestimate how difficult that is’: Newcastle United loanee on Portsmouth injury fightback as former Arsenal and QPR man leaves Fratton

And the Newcastle midfielder expressed satisfaction, after being able to recover from summer surgery to play a significant role in keeping his loan team in the second tier.

Hayden’s had to deal with ongoing knee issues in his career, but it was a shoulder issue which led to the 30-year-old going under the knife last summer after a loan stay helping keep QPR in the division.

Then a lack of playing time over the first half of the season slowed the former Arsenal man’s return, with the Essex man acknowledging its impact on his early Pompey form.

The stats underlined Hayden’s influence on results, however, as seven wins and two draws were returned from the 12 games he started for John Mousinho’s side

And he feels that he built momentum, with his displays coming to a crescendo on his return to the side for the season’s climax after a spell on the bench.

Hayden said: ‘I feel I did a pretty good job.

‘I think 12 starts, seven wins and two draws - I don’t think you can ask for too much more than that.

‘You can’t do much more than that, last year I came into a club in a similar position so I kind of knew what to expect. That’s why the club brought me in and I feel I’ve done my job.

‘It’s a bit difficult. When you come in with six months not playing, coming off the back of a shoulder surgery last summer.

‘Then it was not having a pre-season and playing two games until January, but when you get brought into a club in this position they want you to hit the ground running.

‘I think people sometimes underestimate how difficult that is. I’ve got all the tricks in the world, but sometimes physically there’s only so much you can do.

‘Physically I worked hard in training, when I was at Newcastle and not getting a kick. It probably took me six or seven games to get going, but probably ever since the Luton game when I went away for internationals I got going and I felt comfortable.’

Newcastle man: Pompey work ethic’s there

Hayden told The News on Wednesday he doesn’t expect a return next season, as he enters the final year of his £50,000-a-week deal at Newcastle.

The combative presence feels he’s contributed to the honest endeavor which kept Pompey up this term, which offers a source of satisfaction to the former Norwich City loanee.

Hayden added: ‘It’s been good.

‘We could have done it a bit earlier than we did, but we managed to get ourselves safe with two games to go.

‘So it was nice to be able to play with no pressure, but it was really important for the club to stay in the division - now hopefully next season they can now build.

‘I don’t think spending big money in the Championship actually earns you anything, you have to earn it and work for it.

‘As a group, certainly since I came in, the work ethic has been there. Sometimes the quality and delivery of performances hasn’t been, but overall nine wins over the second half of the season considering in the first half it was five wins in 23 is a brilliant second half. Hopefully the club can now push on from that.’

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