The ecstasy of a Championship title on the final day, the torture of agonising relegation fights, requests to leave the north east, opting to stay after all, managerial departures and seismic ownership changes. Isaac Hayden has seen it all during his six-year stint at Newcastle United.
Next season the 27-year-old will be tasked with leading Dean Smith's Norwich City back to the top flight; a challenge he is already relishing. His Magpies exit was expected this summer but has still affected fans who have always had a soft spot for the honest midfielder.
Newcastle are on the cusp of an unprecedented new era with this summer expected to be the busiest and most exciting in recent memory. For Hayden, it feels like the right time to move on and experience a new challenge.
READ MORE: Matt Targett's first words after sealing permanent Newcastle United transfer
"I've had fantastic memories at the club," he told Chronicle Live. "Ups and downs throughout it obviously but overall it was a fantastic six years. I've made memories that will last a lifetime for me but it was definitely time in my career to take a different path.
"Football is all about timing and it's time for me to move on and experience a new challenge. The opportunity to go to a club like Norwich with a great structure and a sporting director that I know well in Stuart Webber, once I heard they were interested it was an easy deal to make."
Knee surgery in December meant Hayden spent most of the last six months on the sidelines and was unable to fight for one of Eddie Howe's three midfield spots in the second-half of the season. It was a different story under Steve Bruce and Rafa Benitez, however, when the former Arsenal youngster was an ever-present figure on Tyneside.
Despite regular minutes and backing from fans, Hayden's desire to leave the club back in 2019 was well-documented and looked inevitable. A cocktail of complications from footballing issues to family concerns saw him seek an exit.
"There were a few factors in 2019 to be honest with you," he continued. "One being the reaction of the fans in the final few games. I knew I had turned it around and was performing well. I knew I was making an impact. That's a big thing for me; when I feel like I'm making an impact or I'm contributing in a leadership role, then I feel like I'm adding value.
"But also another big factor was Rafa Benitez. I knew that he was probably going to go in the summer and he was like a father figure to me. Probably the closest I've been to any of the managers I had. He was a big factor in me joining the club and he improved me massively as a player and a person. But I had in the back of my mind that he was probably going to go at the end of the season due to the political issues between him and Mike [Ashley].
"The club also, with my age profile and experience, saw me as a valuable asset. That summer they pretty much priced me out of any sort of move that I could possibly make. There was interest from other Premier League clubs but the price tag was pretty unrealistic for a player of my level at the time. The prices they were quoting were never going to be met.
"I thought 'there's no point in me seeking an alternative club because it's not going to happen with the way the owners and board were acting so no problem, that's fine, I'll get on and I'm happy to progress here'. I was always focused and always committed to the football club because they gave me a contract and I was always going to honour that contract unless a deal could be struck that suited all parties."
This time around there will be no summer U-turn. Hayden will become a permanent Norwich City player next summer if 'performance-related' clauses are met during his temporary period away from Newcastle. As such, the midfielder wanted to share a farewell message with the supporters who have treated him so well in recent years.
"Sometimes you don't understand the impact you have on a community or a club until you leave," Hayden adds. "It was quite overwhelming the support I received this week, not only from the club internally, the lads, the staff but most importantly the fans that go to the games and support the club through thick and thin.
"There's been times where it hasn't been enjoyable. When it has felt like there's no hope. Believe me, the players at times have felt like that in moments where we felt we couldn't progress as a club and move forward. This ownership is only going to improve the club.
"As I and some of the lads discussed before the season ended, the club is going in a new direction. They're going to be spending money and obviously bringing in high quality players. That's all the players want; you want to get better players in that can help you and help to progress the club.
"The most important thing is the club and its progression. So if that means we contribute in a six-year manner or a two-year manner, and I'm speaking for myself here, I'm just happy to contribute in any way I can to move the club forward. When I joined, we were in the Championship and I'm leaving and we've had five years in the Premier League and we're established. That for me is a success. That's the way I look at it.
"I just want to say thank you for the support. It hasn't gone unnoticed by me or my family, just how supportive the fans have been. Not only in good times but in bad times too. It is something I will never forget. Newcastle will always be a massive part of my life and my daughter's life. She wasn't born there but she has spent most of her life there!"
Hayden leaves Newcastle this summer with 171 appearances, seven goals and thousands of supporters who will be eagerly watching how he gets on with the Canaries next season.
What is your message to Isaac? LOG IN and leave it below
