Newcastle midfielder Isaac Hayden dreaming of England call-up but recognises the challenge

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Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden would love a call-up to the England national team but recognises that it will be a difficult task, The Shields Gazette reports.

Hayden has started the season in impressive form but was not included in Gareth Southgate’s squad. England have Euro 2020 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Kosovo and Hayden has been thinking about a potential call-up.

But the 24-year-old recognises that England only pick one or two holding midfielders. With Jordan Henderson and Declan Rice in Southgate’s squad, Hayden faces a challenge to break into the side.

Hayden told The Shields Gazette: “I think the issue is that with the way that England play, they tend to go with a lot more attacking, ‘flairy’ type of players in that area. They rarely restrain themselves – from what I see looking in from the outside, Gareth only really has one or two players who can play in that more (defensive) position.”

TBR’s view

The Newcastle midfielder is a tough-tackling midfielder who has proven himself in the Premier League over the past two seasons. He is fast becoming a Newcastle favourite and he is surely on Southgate’s radar.

As he recognised, though, it will be tough to get in ahead of Henderson or Rice. Both are performing consistently and already set in Southgate’s squad. If Hayden does get his chance, he has to make it count.