Jeff Hendrick has stressed that he 'wasn't just going to sit around' at Newcastle United after the Ireland international joined QPR on loan until the end of the season.
Hendrick, who made just one late substitute appearance under Eddie Howe, looked set to be left out of Newcastle's 25-man squad following the arrival of midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon.
Howe was keen to be 'fair' and give such players the chance to secure a loan on deadline day and Hendrick and team-mate Freddie Woodman have both dropped down to the Championship to get some game time at QPR and Bournemouth respectively.
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Although Hendrick has a young family in the North East, the 30-year-old had no plans to stay on as an unregistered player and jumped at the chance to aid QPR's promotion push.
“Anyone who knows me will know I will be disappointed with the game time I have got this season so I wanted to get out, get games and enjoy my football," he said.
“I wasn’t just going to sit around. A big thing for me is to push myself and enjoy my football.”
Although Elliot Anderson, Matty Longstaff and Joe White have also gone out on loan, the youngsters would not have taken up a space in Howe's 25-man squad regardless.
As a result, following the departures of Hendrick and Woodman, a further three senior players currently in Newcastle's squad will have to be left out as five spaces are needed for new signings Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes, Matt Targett and Dan Burn.
It remains to be seen who exactly will be omitted, but ChronicleLive understands clubs will submit their squads for the remainder of the season in the next couple of days and the Premier League will be publishing these in full by the end of the week.
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