Jacob Murphy has been 'flying' in pre-season for Newcastle United and will give Steve Bruce a 'big headache' if he can keep it up, according to Isaac Hayden.
The winger spent last season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday and finished the campaign strongly with four goals in the Owls' final five games of the season.
Whereas returning loanees like Achraf Lazaar and Rolando Aarons have trained away from the main group this summer, Bruce and his staff have been keen to take another look at Murphy.
Murphy caught the eye with a second-half cameo from the bench in the 2-1 in against Barnsley on Saturday and after winning a penalty for his side, the confident 25-year-old stepped up to convert the spot-kick.
After the game, Steve Agnew, Newcastle's assistant manager, revealed Murphy had 'taken the manager's eye' and he was 'sure he would be around it this season'.
Hayden, who has been at Newcastle ever since Murphy completed his £12m move from Norwich in 2017, has also been impressed by what he has seen from his team-mate.
"We've shown a few good attacking plays and attacking movements and the combinations have been quite good," he told NUFC TV.
"I think the players have come back in good shape. Jacob, who went on loan last year at Sheffield Wednesday, has come back and he is flying almost in training and in games.
"That's a credit to him going away and playing the games he did last season and coming back ready to take his chance, which I think he's doing at the minute. If he can continue like that, it gives the manager a big headache for next season."
