Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has waxed lyrical about Alexander Isak, in conversation with the Magpies media team.
The 23-year-old is going from strength to strength after a rocky start to life at St James’ Park.
Isak joined Newcastle to much fanfare last summer in a £63million switch from Real Sociedad.
However, a hamstring injury back in September forced him out of action until the New Year.
He has made just 14 appearances for Newcastle so far, including seven starts (Transfermarkt).
Now, Isak has looked really bright over the past few weeks and is pushing to become a regular starter.
Eddie Howe named him in the starting XI against Wolves and he repaid the manager’s faith with a great display.
He grabbed Newcastle’s opener with a brilliant header and caused the opposition backline some serious problems.
‘Very good’
Up next for the Magpies is Friday night’s Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest.
Howe was eager to sing Isak’s praises ahead of the match, hailing his impact last time out.
The Newcastle boss also lauded the Swede’s talent, attitude, and versatility.
“As I said before he got the concussion, he was in really, really good form in training,” said Howe.
“I was desperate to see him execute that on the pitch, and I felt he did that against Wolves.
“I thought he was outstanding in every respect. Physically he was very very good, technically very good.
“And his goal… I still enjoy watching that even now, a week after. Hopefully it’s the start of a really good run for him.
“I think he’s a different player to anyone we have in the squad.
“He has really good versatility to his game. I think he could do a bit of everything, which is a great asset for us to have in our frontline.
“I think he brings a different dimension, but every player has their own strengths and uniqueness which makes the team slightly different.”
Kicking on
Isak was one of the most highly sought-after young strikers in world football, and Newcastle won the race for him.
Admittedly, hasn’t had the rub of the green in recent months.
Luckily, his injury issues seem to be past him and he’s finally getting up to speed and showing what he can do.
Hopefully Isak can help Newcastle finish the season strongly. Champions League qualification is still up for grabs.
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