BBC pundit says ‘magnificent’ Newcastle player did something ‘outstanding’ on Saturday

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Newcastle United ace Isaac Hayden has been praised by BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks for his superb performance for the Magpies at the weekend.

Steve Bruce’s charges battled to a 3-2 win over Southampton on Saturday, despite having fallen to nine men.

Newcastle debutant Joe Willock, on loan from Arsenal, opened the scoring in the 18th minute.

Miguel Almiron then fired home a second to put Newcastle in control before a Takumi Minamino goal put Southampton back in the match.

Callum Wilson followed Javier Manquillo off with an injury, before Almiron grabbed his second of the game.

A James Ward-Prowse free kick then put Saints within a goal again, and when Jeff Hendrick was sent off and Fabian Schar carried off, the Magpies had to finish the game with nine men.

Newcastle hung on and got over the line for all three points, with Hayden playing a crucial role in the latter stages as he defended admirably and cleared his lines time and time again.

The 25-year-old’s efforts saw him named in Crooks’ Premier League Team of the Week.

“For me, Newcastle’s 3-2 win against Southampton on Saturday was the match of the day,” Crooks wrote on BBC Sport.

“The conditions became progressively worse but the quality of football under the circumstances was just tremendous.

“Newcastle played with 10 men for half-an-hour and nine men for 18 minutes – including seven minutes of stoppage time – but miraculously held on for three points.

“Isaac Hayden was magnificent in the last 20 minutes of this fixture. His clearance off the line from a Danny Ings sliced shot was outstanding. His ability to sense the danger and hold off the Saints bombardment was quite brilliant.”

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Hayden’s performance on Saturday was superb and earned him plaudits from Newcastle fans, some of whom reckon he’d be a superb captain for the Magpies.

It’s not surprising that he was given a contract extension until 2026, and given his fairly young age, there’s bound to be plenty more to come from the versatile enforcer.