ISAAC Hayden said there was “only going to be one club” he was going to join after his return to Queens park Rangers following his release by Newcastle United in the summer.
The 30-year-old defensive midfielder or centre-back spent four months at Loftus Road at the end of the 2023-24 campaign on loan from the Magpies, playing seventeen games.
QPR have also signed 26-year-old defender Rhys Norrington-Davies on a season-long loan from Sheffield United and brought back Koki Saito on a permanent deal from Belgian side Lommel.
Japanese winger Saito, 24, made 42 appearances in all competitions on loan with QPR last season, scoring three goals.
Hayden made 171 appearances for Newcastle and scored seven goals after joining from Arsenal in 2016.
He made his international debut for Jamaica last year and has seven caps for former Newcastle and R’s boss Steve McLaren’s side.
“It’s fantastic,” Hayden said on the club’s website. “It was special to have the conversation with [CEO] Christian [Nourry] and the head coach [Julien Stephan] in terms of them wanting me back at the club.
“I had a few options to go abroad, but it was one of those where if I was going to stay in the Championship, it was only going to be one club and I’m just glad to get it done.”
Hayden played seventeen games on loan at Championship rivals Portsmouth last season.
Hayden added: “Last year when I was at Portsmouth, it was quite difficult to play against the guys – I felt like I was lining up on the wrong team!
“It was a special four months that I had at the club and you get a feeling sometimes of a place that is kind of like home. And it was just one of those situations where, for me, it was a no-brainer to come back.
“I feel like I can add a lot of value, not just on the pitch, but off the pitch as well and help drive the group forward.”
“This year especially for me is a big one,” Hayden continued.
“With Jamaica we’ve got the potential for a World Cup at the end of the season, six massive games to try and qualify. But obviously for me to play for them, I need to be playing football at a good level.
“I want to try and play as much as possible. Everyone thinks you hit the big 3-0 and it’s downhill from there. But I do feel like I’ve got so much more in me.”
Hayden is popular among QPR fans. He said: “I want to say thank you so much for the support. It means the world to me to feel wanted and to feel valued.
“I think they know that what they’re going to get from me, 110 per cent, giving everything for the shirt on and off the pitch.”
The move is a boost for QPR after their 7-1 defeat at Coventry City last weekend. The side are 22nd in the table with one point from three games.
QPR host Charlton Athletic this Saturday at 12.30pm.
