Newcastle United man aims cheeky dig at Sunderland with Stadium of Light attendance jibe

Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden couldn't resist a cheeky dig at Sunderland as he featured at the Stadium of Light for Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

The 28-year-old joined QPR during the January transfer window after spending the first-half of the campaign on loan at Standard Liege. He made 10 appearances for the Belgian club, one short of the total he's already made for QPR.

Hayden is in the middle of a Championship relegation battle with the Hoops, whose point on Wearside kept out them outside of the drop zone ahead of the remaining eight games.

The midfielder was among those to speak to the media after the game and his interview has quickly caught the attention of Newcastle fans, who felt Hayden delivered a couple of subtle digs.

Asked if playing against Sunderland provided extra motivation because of his Magpies' roots, Hayden replied: "No, not really to be honest. I've never played here. There are always a bit far away from Newcastle in terms of leagues so I never really got to play here."

And for the second jibe, Hayden appeared to poke fun at Sunderland's attendance figures. He said: "It's a good stadium and to be fair they packed it out today, which they don't always do. Good atmosphere, nice game to play in but I'm disappointed we didn't get the three points today."

The former Arsenal man remains on Newcastle's books, despite not making an appearance since December 2021. Prior to that however, Hayden 171 appearances in four-and-a-half-years and was part of the squad was won the Championship in 2016-17.

After being frozen out by Eddie Howe, Hayden has spent the last two seasons on loan at Norwich City, Standard Liege and QPR, though it seems he hasn't forget his loyalties to Newcastle. Hayden is under contract at St James' Park until 2026.