Norwich City seal first summer signing as Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden joins on loan

Norwich City have made their first signing of the summer, with midfielder Isaac Hayden joining on a season-long loan from Premier League side Newcastle United.

The 27-year-old has good pedigree in the Championship, having won promotion from the second tier twice with Hull City and Newcastle.

As part of the agreement, Norwich will have an obligation to make the deal permanent should certain performance-related criteria be met.

Hayden, who was born in Essex, started his career at Arsenal and became a regular for Newcastle in the Premier League.

However, he missed the second-half of last season through injury and was subsequently left out of Newcastle's squad to make space for new signings.

"This is a fantastic club. Everything is well run, it has got a good infrastructure and the stadium and the fan base is great," Hayden said.

“I am here to try to help the team get back to the Premier League. The facilities at the training ground are great and changed significantly from when I have visited before. I’ve also looked at our squad and I want to add to that and help get us promoted straight away."

Hayden is also the first new signing under head coach Dean Smith, with the Canaries choosing not to do any business last January.

“We’re really pleased to have the deal for Isaac sorted so early. We know of his ability and he’s a player I’ve been tracking for a number of years," said Smith.

“He brings a lot of experience of both the Premier League and Championship. We know he is a really good personality and character and that will add to our group."