Billionaire’s tackle ended my Arsenal Premier League dream – then he took my place in the team
Arsenal academy graduate Isaac Hayden was on the cusp of making his Premier League debut for the Gunners before a crunching tackle from Mathieu Flamini ended his hopes
Isaac Hayden had his Premier League debut with Arsenal postponed after being accidentally injured in a training session. The tackle was made by Mathieu Flamini, one of football’s richest former professionals.
Hayden joined the Gunners’ youth academy aged just 13 and looked set for a breakthrough when injuries to key midfielders appeared to pave the way for his first team inclusion. Flamini, then playing his second spell at Arsenal, was also competing for the spot.
Sadly, things took a turn for the worse during a practice session. Remembering the incident, Hayden told The Guardian in 2017: “I remember coming out with the ball, I passed it and then Flamini has come in and caught me on the inside of my ankle, above the bone, and the ankle has just turned. It had clicked. I actually heard two clicks.”
This unfortunate incident led to an ankle injury that kept Hayden off the pitch for about ten months. As a result, he missed his chance to play for Arsenal’s first team, and Flamini claimed his position in the starting line-up.
In a chat with Mirror Football back in 2017, Hayden added: “It was just unfortunate, but it was definitely a case of a young pro versus an experienced pro and him saying: ‘Look, I’m still here.’ And this is my position and if you want to take it, you’re going to have to earn it, sort of thing, fight for it. Which I was more than happy to do.
“But with that injury, it was impossible. Obviously, the Arsenal window, I knew, had slammed shut. Because Coquelin had come back. He’d formed that amazing partnership with Cazorla. And when Ramsey, Wilshere, all of them come back, I’ve got no chance.”
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Hayden hadn’t exactly been in the football limelight until a loan spell with Hull City after being on the fringes of the Arsenal first team led to his transfer to Newcastle, where he’s relished playing football since.
Numerous loans mark his last few football seasons, but he was an essential part of the Newcastle United team for six seasons and appeared over 150 times for the Magpies before eventually transferring to Norwich City and Queen’s Park Rangers – which is currently where he plays his football.
In contrast, Flamini’s career took a completely different path. That day, he was brought into the squad to replace Hayden and went on to continue playing for Arsenal before moving to Crystal Palace in 2016. After a year at Selhurst Park, Flamini then made his way to Getafe in Spain before finally retiring.
Mathieu Flamini isn’t just famous for his football skills. He’s also one of the richest former players in the world. He put a lot of money into his business, GF Biochemicals, which makes levulinic acid which can be used instead of oil.
Flamini told Sifted why he started his company: “As a child, I had two passions: football and sustainability. I grew up in Marseilles near the sea and was aware of the environmental questions around ocean plastics and chemical pollution from a very young age.”
Now, Flamini is the boss of his company and has lots of money, even more than the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Football has good and bad times, and that’s shown by Isaac Hayden and Mathieu Flamini. They both played in midfield and their lives could have been very different if not for an accident during training.
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