Though they were coasting against Barnsley, the Magpies looked like they would be missing out on the title with Brighton & Hove Albion leading Aston Villa.
But, just seconds after Dwight Gayle rounded off the scoring at St. James’ Park, word came through that Jack Grealish had equalised for Villa at the death.
Confirmation of the final scoreline in the Second City arrived a few minutes later, the catalyst for wild celebrations among United players, staff members and supporters alike.
Hayden felt that Villa’s late intervention was the slice of luck the Magpies had deserved over the course of the season, and spoke of his joy at having clinched the crown before a full house at a raucous St. James’.
“It’s difficult to put it into words so soon after it’s happened, but obviously it’s a fantastic achievement,” he told nufc.co.uk. “If I’m being honest, I think we got a little bit lucky – Brighton let us off the hook a little bit to let us in.
“But, football has a funny way of repaying you. I think we’ve had a few harsh decisions go against us, especially in some games. We’ve put a lot of hard work in and I do think we’ve deserved it this season overall. Sometimes, you don’t always get what you deserve, but today we did, so happy days.
“It was football in a nutshell. Things happen – they can go your way, they might not. Today, they went our way, and it’s a fantastic day, especially for the fans. It’s good to have the last game at home, and to win it like we did was fabulous, and I’m sure the Geordie faithful will be celebrating tonight.”
Having started as a centre-half, Hayden was withdrawn less than 15 minutes into the clash after suffering a head injury, though he did attempt to carry on playing at first.
The 22-year-old – who has made 38 appearances over the course of his first season on Tyneside – gave the lowdown on his own, eventful, afternoon, and paid tribute to his teammates for a professional display.
“Clarky (Ciaran Clark) was injured, and the manager trusted me to play at centre-half. I got the shout, and I was just happy to play at all – I always want to play and do my best, whichever position it is,” he said. “Barnsley played a corner in, Rob (Elliot) has come out to call it and Mitro (Aleksandar Mitrovic) has headed it, but as I’ve come in, their player has shoved me in the back, and I’ve collided with Rob.
“I wanted to carry on, but things were blurry, and there was no point risking it in those circumstances. Dummy (Paul Dummett) moved across to the centre and Sadio came in at left-back, and it was perfectly fine.
“The performance was very good. You kind of expect that when you’re not playing with any anxiety or pressure. It wasn’t in our hands today, and we just had to go out and do our job, and we did it very well. Fair play to Barnsley, they didn’t just pack it in – they gave it a right go.
“The season’s done now, we can have a rest, and go again next season.”
