Steve McClaren drops Newcastle United January transfer hint as player 'needs a club'

Jamaica boss Steve McClaren has admitted that Isaac Hayden 'needs a club' in January as the Newcastle United midfielder looks to 'get back' to the level he was at.

Hayden has not played for Newcastle's first team in nearly three years following loan spells at Norwich City, Standard Liege and QPR. Hayden was linked with another temporary move away last summer, but the Jamaica international remains on the club's books and still has a year-and-a-half left on his contract.

Hayden continues to train away from Newcastle's first team and the midfielder turned out for the club's under-21s side in their National League Cup win at Halifax last month. Just a few weeks later, Hayden made his senior international debut for Jamaica against the U.S and McClaren said the 29-year-old is 'at that stage in his career where he needs to kick on'.

READ MORE: Lawyer who defeated Man City in court informs Newcastle of relegation verdict on 115 charges

READ MORE: Newcastle United's exciting Spanish youngster Mo Sedibeh sends message to Eddie Howe

"He realises that he's in the reserves at Newcastle," the former Magpies head coach told reporters. "He needs a club in January. This is as much about the March window, the summer window and the next World Cup window as it is this window.

"Whether he contributes, whether he plays or he doesn't, it's as much getting him integrated into the Jamaican way of working. He's really enthusiastic about that.

"Every player needs a cause. Every player needs motivation and his motivation is to get back playing at the level he was playing three or four years ago when he first went to Newcastle. That's his only thing. To be able to commit to Jamaica and, hopefully, in January, to be able to commit to another club, will only make him better and we're helping him with that."