Vastly experienced, dominant centre-back who joined the Pitmen in July 2026 after a spell at Carlisle United

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Croydon-born but raised through the Wolves youth system, Hayden became a professional at Molineux in the summer of 2015, spending a month out on loan at League Two side Newport County early on in the 2015-2016 season and also having a two-month loan spell at Hemel Hempstead Town soon after

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After a year in the Wolves U21 side, Hayden was loaned out to Bromley in January 2017, but failed to make an appearance and returned to Molinuex just a week after the loan had started after he had picked up an injury in a behind-closed-doors game. After a couple of EFL Trophy appearances for Wolves. Hayden was loaned out to AFC Telford United for the first half of the 2017-2018 season, where he was mainly used as a substitute

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After returning to Molineux, Hayden was loaned back out to Southern Premier League side Stourbridge for the remainder of the 2017-2018 season. He returned to the Amblecote at the start of the 2018-2019 season on a long-term loan, where he was an ever-present in the Stour defence. The initial deal ran until January 2019 but was further extended until the end of the season at its conclusion

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Hayden's long-term deal with Wolves came to an end in the summer of 2019, with the defender moving north to join League Two side Carlisle United on an initial one-year deal after a successful trial spell. His excellent form in the 2019-2020 season earned him a contract extension in 2020, as the Cumbrians finished eighteenth and then tenth in the League Two table. Hayden also developed a reputation for scoring important and timely goals from set-pieces, weighing in with eight goals in his two seasons at Brunton Park

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His form for Carlisle attracted admirers from elsewhere, with Wrexham electing to bring the centre-back to the Racecourse Ground in the summer of 2021 for an undisclosed fee. His three seasons at Wrexham coincided with the Red Dragons' rise back through the leagues, winning the National League title in 2022-2023 and then finishing second in League Two the following year, earning promotion back to League One. Hayden was a huge part of the Wrexham rise, playing nearly 100 games in his three seasons there and scoring twenty times, earning himself a cult following amongst the supporters

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At the end of his spell at Wrexham, Hayden chose to return to familiar surroundings in the summer of 2024 as he re-joined Carlisle on a two-year contract. United were in the midst of something of a crisis, having been relegated to League Two in the summer and struggling to put a competitive team together. This led to them dropping straight through and back into non-league football, finishing twenty-third in the League Two table. Hayden's second season at Brunton Park was to prove a frustrating one, as injuries and politics off the field limited his game time, with Carlisle finishing third in the National League table but being beaten by Boreham Wood in the play-off semi-final

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In May 2026, Carlisle confirmed that Hayden would be leaving the club at the end of his contract, opening the door for the Pitmen to bring the defender back to the Midlands ahead of their National League North campaign

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