Another relegation battle looks on the cards for Jeff Hendrick

Jeff Hendrick has endured a torrid time at Newcastle since joining the club in 2020. After four years at Burnley, the Dublin-born midfielder moved to Tyneside on a free transfer, ignoring interest from Roma and AC Milan.

His time at St James’ Park started brightly, with the Irish international scoring on his Premier League debut in a 2-0 win over West Ham.

But a red card in February 2022 signalled a change in fortunes for him and he struggled to get back into the team. He’s subsequently been loaned out to three separate EFL clubs since January 2022.

QPR and Reading

Hendrick’s first loan spell away from Newcastle was a largely forgettable three and a half months at QPR. He joined the West Londoners on deadline day but performed poorly throughout his time at Loftus Road. The club chose not to take up their option to buy and he returned to Newcastle.

In July 2022, he was loaned to Reading where he played alongside international teammate Shane Long. After impressing in pre-season, he was even being dubbed the ‘Irish Zidane’ by some fans owing to his technical ability on the ball.

Under manager Paul Ince, Reading won four of their first six games and hopes were high among fans that the team might push for promotion to the Premier League. But four defeats from five matches in October saw most Championship betting markets give the club more chance of being relegated.

Things didn’t get much better for them, although Hendrick’s performances were much improved from his QPR days. In the end, he scored four goals in 45 appearances and was playing for a team that was not able to recover from that poor run in October.

From January until the end of the season, Reading only managed two wins. They picked up just six points from their last 13 games and were relegated. Despite this run of form, the club would have avoided relegation had they not been docked six points for a cumulative breach of profitability and sustainability regulations.

Sheffield Wednesday

Hendrick returned to Newcastle following relegation with Reading and was informed by manager Eddie Howe that he had no future at the club. On 1st September 2023, he joined Sheffield Wednesday on a one-year loan deal. The Owls had just been promoted to the Championship in a dramatic League One playoff final.

Despite promotion, Wednesday parted ways with manager Darren Moore in the summer, replacing him with Spaniard Xisco Muñoz. Hendrick’s experience, passing and tactical awareness will be vital if Sheffield Wednesday are to survive in the division.

With no wins and seven defeats in their first nine games, and with Muñoz since removed as manager, the club’s start to the season has left them facing an uphill battle to survive. But Jeff Hendrick will know this doesn’t necessarily define their season. In 2013/14, he was part of a Derby County squad that won just three of their opening nine games but only lost two of their last twelve.

Jeff Hendrick will be desperate at this point to find a club he can call home. But to do that he'll have to prove himself and fight against relegation once again.