Isaac Hayden came through Arsenal’s academy and made his senior debut alongside current Gunners boss Mikel Arteta under manager Arsene Wenger.
The former Newcastle star spent the 2025/26 campaign at QPR in the Championship and remains closely connected to the club he grew up supporting.
Hayden will be in London on the day of the Champions League final, where his Jamaica side face Nigeria in the Unity Cup final at The Valley in Charlton.
The match at The Valley is scheduled to kick off at 7:30pm, meaning a potential direct clash if the Arsenal vs PSG final goes to extra time.
Supporters inside the ground will be able to follow the European final on the big screen after the 2:30pm third-place match concludes.
“I’m a big Arsenal fan so hopefully they do it against Paris, it will be a tough, tough game but I’m hoping they can do it,” Hayden told Mirror Football.
Hayden is uncertain whether Jamaica’s younger squad members will even want to watch the Arsenal match, noting generational differences in how footballers engage with the game.
“They don’t watch as much football, so we’ll see if they want to watch it or not,” he said of his younger international teammates.
Hayden shared a fond memory of his Arsenal debut, a 1-1 cup draw and penalty shootout win at West Brom in which Thomas Eisfeld scored the Gunners’ goal in regular time.
“I played at West Brom away, it feels like it’s a million miles away to where I am now,” Hayden said, reflecting on the occasion with clear nostalgia.
“I was an 18 year old kid and I had [Per] Mertesacker and [Thomas] Vermaelen behind me and I had Mikel next to me so it was a great day,” he added.
Hayden also praised Arteta’s development as a manager, crediting patience and time as key factors in Arsenal’s historic run to the final.
“Mikel is a fantastic manager and he’s been given the time to get the team gelled and get them winning,” Hayden said, speaking warmly about his former midfield partner.
Hayden switched his international allegiance from England to Jamaica in 2024 and featured in the side that missed World Cup qualification following defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in an inter-continental play-off.
The Unity Cup final sees Jamaica facing Nigeria, who may present a tougher test than last year’s corresponding fixture, which ended 2-2 before Jamaica lost on penalties.
Jamaica’s squad for the tournament has been notably youthful, with Hayden among just two players aged over 23 to start their opening match against India, which ended in a 2-0 victory.
Goals from Walsall’s Courtney Clarke, earning his international debut, and Charlton’s Kaheim Dixon secured that win for the Reggae Boyz in the early stages of the competition.
“There’s not really a lot of experience. This is the youngest Jamaican national team for years in terms of playing a game like this,” Hayden acknowledged candidly.
“It’s a bit difficult but it’s a good experience for the young players, especially in a different cycle now after missing out on the World Cup,” he added.
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