Hayden - Loan move could be beneficial

By Isaac Moore

Isaac Hayden says he is prepared to go out on loan this season in a bid to enhance his chances of making it at the highest level.

The 18-year-old has featured in all three of the academy’s pre-season games this month and played an important role in last season’s run to the NextGen Series semi-finals.

Hayden has seen the likes of Anthony Jeffrey benefit from a temporary spell away from the Club and feels it could also help him progress.

“We’ve had a talk about organising a loan move but it’s still early stages at the moment,” Hayden said. “We’ve only played a few pre-season games so it’s all about building up the fitness ready for competitive matches.

“It’s down to me at the end of the day, I’ve got to make sure my performances are good enough and then we will talk with the Club and any other interested clubs.

"It’s very common for a lot of young players to go on loan at a club like Arsenal so there have been plenty of players who have done it. It would be good to speak to those who have done it but it’s all about your mental attitude in trying to get into a team.

"A loan will bring me more experience even if I don’t break into the team straight away. Training with first-team players at another club will hopefully improve me."

Despite being deployed as a defender for the majority of last season, Hayden thinks his future lies in the centre of midfield.

“It’s where I prefer to play so hopefully I can build my career around being a midfielder," he said. "I had some good moments at the back last season but if I was to get a loan deal then playing in midfield will give me more options in the future.”