Ex-Arsenal youngster welcomes being 'home' at Norwich City after 'fantastic' Newcastle United spell

The 27-year-old became Newcastle’s first summer departure earlier this week as he joined The Canaries, who have an obligation to make the loan move permanent subject to ‘performance-related criteria’ during the 2022-23 Championship campaign.

Hayden made 171 appearances for Newcastle over six years but was left out of Eddie Howe’s 25-man squad for the second half of the 2021-22 season after picking up a serious knee injury.

And after falling down the midfield pecking order at Newcastle, Hayden is looking to test himself in the Championship once again.

Both Hayden and Norwich boast an impressive record in the English second tier. The Arsenal academy graduate helped Newcastle win the division in his first season at the club while The Canaries have been crowned league champions in each of the last two seasons they have competed at this level.

“I've certainly grown during my time at Newcastle, fantastic memories, fantastic six-years but it's time to move on and have a fresh challenge which I'm looking forward to doing [at Norwich],” Hayden said.

“Hopefully I can help the club go straight back to the Premier League where this club belongs.”

In 2019, Hayden publicly stated his desire to leave Newcastle due to his family circumstances at the time.

Despite this, he remained a fan favourite at St James’s Park and eventually opted to stay at Newcastle, signing a six-year deal.

While Hayden welcomes being closer to home at Norwich, he insisted that the move was ‘purely football based’.

“Newcastle is a long, long way from home whereas this is a lot closer,” he told the Norwich club website. “But that wasn't really a factor in the move, it was a purely football based move.

"It was a great opportunity that came around quite quickly and I wanted to get it done especially before pre-season.

"It's nice to come back home and I'll fully immerse myself in the area and make sure I learn more about it and get used to it.”

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