Forgotten Newcastle United star could be handed shock international lifeline - last appearance in 2021

Hayden hasn’t featured for Newcastle United since December 2021 and has spent time at Norwich City, Standard Liege and QPR on-loan over the last couple of seasons. He currently remains contracted to Newcastle United, but was not included in the club’s 25-man Premier League squad which was submitted last month.

That means that Hayden’s only gametime will come with the youth teams, with the midfielder featuring in the Under-21’s opening National League Cup match against Halifax Town earlier this month. The 29-year-old, however, is set to be handed an opportunity to play at international level.

According to TeamTalk, Hayden is set to be called-up by Steve McClaren to represent Jamaica during the November international break. Hayden is eligible to play for Jamaica through his father.

During his time at Arsenal, Hayden won three caps for England Under-21’s but has never featured for the senior team, meaning he is still able to play for Jamaica. The paperwork for Hayden’s international allegiance switch is set to be completed before the next set of international games.

McClaren was named as Jamaica’s new manager in July, leaving his role at Manchester United where he worked alongside Erik ten Hag. The Reggae Boyz are unbeaten under McClaren’s stewardship and have ambitions to qualify for the 2026 World Cup that will be played in the USA, Mexico and Canada. 

Jamaica’s last, and so far only, appearance at a World Cup came in 1998. They finished 3rd in a group containing Argentina, Croatia and Japan, defeating the latter 2-1 for their only win.