ENGLISH-BORN midfielder Isaac Hayden says his recent experience with Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz reaffirmed his desire to play football at club level again.

Last Friday the 29-year-old joined English Championship club Portsmouth United, on loan from Premier League side Newcastle, for the remainder of the season.

Hayden hasn’t played for Newcastle this season. His last club appearance was last May during his loan spell at Queens Park Rangers (QPR) in the championship.

Despite his lack of minutes at club level the former England youth international was given his first call-up by Reggae Boyz Head Coach Steve McClaren for the Concacaf Nations League quarter-final, two-legged tie against the United States last November. He played both games as Jamaica went down 2-5 on aggregate.

Hayden says he’s eager to help Portsmouth avoid relegation from the championship, after playing valuable minutes for the Reggae Boyz.

“I’ve been so desperate to play, so desperate to help contribute to something meaningful. I got that little bit of a taste when I went away with Jamaica and we were pushing for a win in the quarter-finals. [That] didn’t end up happening, but just being part of something again and being part of a group pushing in the same direction to achieve a goal was nice,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to that now. As I said, I’m just here, you know, to play as many minutes as possible; give as much experience, as much know-how and knowledge as I can to the group and the staff; and do my best for the club,” Hayden added.

Though making his debut last November, Hayden had been courted by Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) for close to five years but was hesistant due to his desire to play for England.

However, Hayden believes he’s made the right choice and is confident he can help the team qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“It was an amazing experience. It’s something that’s kind of been in the background for a long time. [I] possibly would have done it a bit sooner but the problem was a couple of bad injuries in a row — which set me back 18 months, two years — so [2023] was just important that I got a stable year of playing, getting 30 games under my belt, which was good,” said Hayden.

“Obviously last year I hoped it would have panned out different at the start of the season [but] it wasn’t meant to be. But, considering where my body was at, it was good to finally get my international honours and play for Jamaica, which was an amazing experience. The group of players there were fantastic, the coaching staff are great, and the project and what we’re trying to achieve at international level is exciting.”

Hayden could make his debut for Portsmouth on Wednesday when they take on Blackburn Rovers in the championship.

The midfielder’s next international assignment could be in March when Jamaica take on St Vincent and the Grenadines in the qualifiers for the Concacaf Gold Cup.