Forgotten Newcastle United loanee turns heads with vital Championship goal against league leaders Leicester

Newcastle United supporters may not be able to remember the last time they thought of midfielder Jeff Hendrick, but the forgotten Magpies man is still on the books at St James' Park and returned from obscurity with a potentially season-defining goal for Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday night.

The 31-year-old hasn't made an appearance for Newcastle United since a cameo in a 4-0 loss to Manchester City in December 2021. Since then, Hendrick spent a short loan spell at QPR and then the entirety of last season at Reading as they were relegated from the Championship.

This summer, Eddie Howe confirmed that Hendrick wasn't in his plans for the upcoming campaign. When asked about the former Burnley man, as well as Isaac Hayden, the manager said: "I had those conversations with the players last year about training away from the group, only so I could control the numbers I was working with. I don't anticipate that changing, to be honest.

"They've done very well and been great servants to the football club and we certainly respect them. But sometimes you need a clear break and focus on the players who will play a part in the season."

However, Newcastle United couldn't find a club willing to take Hendrick on a permanent deal and the player was once again sent out on loan, this time to newly promoted Championship side Sheffield Wednesday. It means that the star is still a Magpies player and will return to St James' Park at the end of the season, with Football Manager 24 estimating that the Tyneside club are still forking out £50,000 a week for his wages.

Hendrick has been in and out of the Owls side this season as the club struggles in the second division, doing little to keep his name in the mind of Newcastle United fans, even with the club enduring an injury crisis. That all changed last night when the Irishman produced a game-changing cameo against league leaders Leicester City.

Hendrick scored a dramatic injury-time leveller for Sheffield Wednesday in the 93rd minute to claw back a point for his side. The midfielder slammed in an equaliser to pick up a seventh point of the campaign for Danny Rohl's team.

Not only is the point vital for the struggling Yorkshire side, but Hendrick's goal helped end a run of three defeats on the bounce and boost morale as the flying Foxes dropped points for only the fourth time in 18 matches.

Hendrick will hope the goal can kickstart his and the club's season. Speaking when he joined Sheffield Wednesday this summer, the Magpies man said: “It took a couple of days in all but [for the deal to be completed] for me I think it’s going to be a great decision. Talking to the manager and hearing about his philosophy and the way he wants to play was really exciting. He knows the game well and I felt it was something that I wanted to join."