But should we be taking a gamble with a player who has made just 38 league starts in three years because of injury?
The former West Ham and Portsmouth centre-half is seeking to resurrect his career after more than a year out of the game with a serious foot injury.
Blackwell told the Yorkshire Evening Post: "Hayden really caught the eye of all the coaching staff and the rest of the players in Norway but I want him to go through a quick succession of games to see how his foot copes with the demands.
"Therefore he'll play in our friendly at Darlington tomorrow night and with five games in six days or so there will be plenty of opportunity to put a gauge on his potential."