ISAAC HAYDEN has appreciated the response he has had since asking to leave Newcastle United, and hopes he is repaying everyone with the level of performances he is turning in on the Premier League stage.

The 23-year-old midfielder scored his second top-flight goal for the Magpies during Monday night’s 1-1 draw at Wolves, when a controversial late Willy Boly header prevented Rafa Benitez’s side from claiming an important three points.

Hayden was hugely impressive in the middle of the pitch again alongside the similarly effective Sean Longstaff and the pair have built up a strong understanding in the absence of Ki Sung-Yeung, Jonjo Shelvey and Mo Diame.

The standard of Hayden’s displays have been more noteworthy because they have arrived at a time when he is unsettled and his request to leave for personal reasons last summer remains on the table.

But Benitez, who has not wanted him to go until he has brought in a replacement, has turned to him to perform at the highest level and he has started the last eight league matches, and impressed more often than not.

"I feel the positive vibes,” said Hayden. “Everyone will have opinions about certain things, but I'm one of those people who wears their heart on their sleeve. I'm always honest, I'm never going to hold back or hold emotions in.

“If some people don't like it, they don't like it. If they like it, then fair enough. I don't think anyone can look at the performances and effort in the past few games and think that I've not been committed or I haven't given everything for the cause.

“I've tried my best in every game. Some games I'm going to play badly; some games I'll be good. The minimum is the effort, and I don't think I've lacked that.”

Even though Hayden has wanted to return closer to his southern roots, he does admit that being such a key member of the first team at Newcastle in recent months has helped him.

He said: "It wasn't really that difficult for me in January because I was playing games of football. I just enjoy playing games of football, and it doesn't matter who you're playing for, you just want to play.

“It makes it so much easier to get through the period because you're just focusing on training or playing, so it didn't really bother me that month, especially as soon as you cross the white line.

“It was maybe more difficult off the pitch with things flying around, conversations being had between the manager and other people, and the club and other clubs. But when you play, as soon as you're out there, it's all about playing. You forget about everything else.”

Hayden was part of the Newcastle contingent that flew out to Spain after the draw at Wolves, and they will spend the rest of the week training double sessions before Saturday’s friendly with CSKA Moscow.

As well as a change of scenery for the squad it also represents an opportunity – because of a free FA Cup weekend – for new signings Miguel Almiron and Antonio Barreca to get to know their new team-mates.

"I think it'll be good to go away,” said Hayden. “It's good for the new lads because they've only just joined, so they haven't had too much time to bed in.

“It'll be good to spend more time with them, even away from football as a group because you don't really get to do that much in England where you just train and go home.

“In Spain, everyone will be in the same vicinity, even the staff, and we have a great camaraderie, so I think it'll be a great trip."

It would have been an even more enjoyable trip if Newcastle had gone into it on the back of a victory at Wolves, where Hayden’s second half opener looked to have sealed a third win from four games.

But Boly’s header, which was allowed despite his arms being around goalkeeper Martin Dubravka when Adama Traore’s delivery dropped at the back post, in the fifth minute of added time hurt Newcastle.

Hayden said: "It's frustrating really. We'd done so well for so long in the game. I think it's a foul, but even if it isn't a foul, we played 94 minutes and 50-something seconds.

“By the laws of the game, I'm not sure how long you add on, but even for a sub I don't think it's that long. To keep playing and playing and playing and give them more opportunities to score; I don't know, it's just frustrating."

Wolves have been the surprise package of the Premier League this season and sit just outside the top six. Newcastle have lost and drawn against them this season, and were hit with a late sucker-punch in both.

Hayden said: "If I'm being brutally honest, I'm struggling to see why they're seventh. Realistically we've given them two good games this season, one at home and one away, and I think we've done well in both games.

“We've come out of them both thinking that we deserved a lot more from them. But the table doesn't lie; they've obviously done well against other good teams and they must deserve to be where they are. It's just disappointing really.

"We said before the game that we needed to think about the Wolves game last time when they nicked a result in the last minute, and they've gone and done it again. It's frustrating but it's one of those things.

“We've played them twice, played really well, but for some reason that last ounce of concentration wasn't there. You can't fault the performance and the effort. They're seventh and, even if we've played well against them, the table doesn't lie.”