Newcastle midfielder Isaac Hayden should be on the island Thursday to sort out his passport as he switches allegiance from England to Jamaica Our Today has learnt.

The 29-year-old who represented England at all Youth levels from Under 16 through to Under 21, wants to represent the Reggae Boyz. He was born in England to an English mother and Jamaican father. 

Hayden is a product of Arsenal’s youth academy and is a versatile defensive midfielder who can play as a centre-back or full-back. The Newcastle player is currently on loan to Queens Park Rangers.

When Our Today contacted Jamaica Football Federation President Michael Ricketts yesterday as he welcomed Concacaf President Victor Montagliani to the island at the Pegasus Hotel, he could not confirm Hayden’s arrival but did say a lot of English-born players are still showing interest in playing for Jamaica. 

“I won’t say his name, but one player is coming in tomorrow [Thursday] to have his papers sorted out. He comes and goes to PICA [Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency] on Thursday and leaves on Saturday. He is certainly a player of some quality,” revealed Ricketts. “Then there are some others whose process is a little slower than we would have liked and I remained optimistic and very hopeful that we will strengthen certain areas on the field to ensure again that we get good results.”

Meanwhile, English media outlet Teamtalk reported that Hayden has agreed to switch international allegiances to Jamaica and could link up with Mason Greenwood soon as Jamaica tries to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

“McClaren has been looking to boost his squad with a number of English-born talents and Essex-born Hayden is set to become the latest new face added to the Jamaica ranks,” reported Teamtalk. “We also revealed last month that McClaren has also successfully managed to persuade former Manchester United star Mason Greenwood to change allegiances to the Caribbean nation, though confirmation that his paperwork has gone through has yet to be announced.”