Hayden was born in Chelmsford, Essex and played for Southend United until he was 13 years old,[3][4] when he moved to London to join Arsenal's Academy.

[3][4] Hayden made his full debut for Arsenal in the third round of the League Cup in September 2013 against West Bromwich Albion.

[12] Following promotion Hayden secured a place in the Newcastle team under the management of Rafael Benítez as a defensive midfielder.

[13] After suffering a long-term injury in December 2021, Hayden was not named in the Newcastle United 25-man Premier League squad for the second half of the 2021–22 season.

[14][15] On 14 March 2022, Hayden was fined £19,000 by The Football Association after complaining on Twitter about referee David Coote's performance following Newcastle's 1–0 defeat at Chelsea.

[18] On 5 September 2023, Hayden joined Belgian Pro League club Standard Liège on a season-long loan deal.

[19][20] On 1 February 2024, Hayden joined Championship side Queens Park Rangers on a loan deal until the end of the season.