Alexander Isak
Isak with Sweden in 2019
Personal information
Full name Alexander Isak[1]
Date of birth (1999-09-21) 21 September 1999 (age 24)
Place of birth Solna, Sweden
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Newcastle United
Number 14
Youth career
2005–2015 AIK
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016 AIK 24 (10)
2017–2019 Borussia Dortmund II 12 (5)
2017–2019 Borussia Dortmund 5 (0)
2019 → Willem II (loan) 16 (13)
2019–2022 Real Sociedad 105 (33)
2022– Newcastle United 38 (20)
International career‡
2015–2016 Sweden U17 19 (6)
2016–2017 Sweden U19 6 (2)
2016–2018 Sweden U21 7 (0)
2017– Sweden 42 (10)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:07, 13 January 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:08, 12 September 2023 (UTC)

Alexander Isak (Swedish: [alɛkˈsanːdɛr ˈiːsak]; born 21 September 1999) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Newcastle United and the Sweden national team.

Starting off his professional career with AIK in 2016, Isak represented Borussia Dortmund and Willem II before signing with Real Sociedad in 2019. In 2022, he signed with Newcastle United for a club record fee.

A full Swedish international since 2017, Isak has won 40 caps for his national team, and represented the side at UEFA Euro 2020. He is the youngest ever goalscorer for both AIK and the Swedish national team. [3]

Early life

Isak was born to Eritrean parents and raised in Solna Municipality, in central Stockholm County.[4][3] He started playing for the youth team of one of the largest clubs in the area, the Allsvenskan team he supports, AIK, at age six.[5]

Club career

Breakthrough at AIK

Isak made his first-team debut for AIK on 28 February 2016, appearing as a substitute in the 75th minute of the Swedish Cup away match against fourth-tier side Tenhults IF. At age 16, Isak scored a goal in the 6–0 victory.[6]

On 7 April 2016, AIK head coach Andreas Alm included Isak in the starting lineup on matchday 2 of the Allsvenskan in an away fixture against Östersunds FK, alongside fellow young striker Carlos Strandberg. He secured the victory for his side, scoring the second goal in a 2–0 win, thus becoming the youngest scorer for AIK in Allsvenskan history at the age of 16 years and 199 days.[7]

On 25 April, Isak scored his first goal at AIK's home ground, Friends Arena, opening the score in a 2–1 victory against IF Elfsborg.[8]

Isak training with AIK 2016

On 3 May 2016, Isak signed his first professional contract through the end of the 2018 season, having impressed in his first few games, and establishing himself as a first-team regular.[6] Between matchdays 8 and 9, head coach Alm was sacked, but Isak was confirmed in the lineup by new manager Rikard Norling.[9]

On 21 September 2016, Isak's 17th birthday, he scored two critical goals in AIK's 3–0 derby win over arch-rivals Djurgårdens IF. He was later described by teammate Chinedu Obasi as "Sweden's new Zlatan Ibrahimović".[10]

Borussia Dortmund

Isak training with Borussia Dortmund in 2017

On 23 January 2017, Isak signed for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund on a long-term contract, lasting until the summer of 2022.[11] The transfer fee was undisclosed, but reports suggested that it was set at €9 million, which would be the highest transfer fee ever paid for an Allsvenskan player at that time.[12] Before signing with Dortmund, Isak reportedly turned down a move to Real Madrid.[13]

Isak made his first appearance for the club in a 3–0 cup win over Sportfreunde Lotte on 14 March 2017.[14] Isak won his first medal with the club when Dortmund won the 2016–17 DFB-Pokal, only appearing once in the tournament, and not being in the squad for the final.[15][16]

He scored his first competitive goal for Dortmund in a 2017–18 DFB-Pokal second round win against 1. FC Magdeburg on 24 October 2017, scoring the second goal in a 5–0 win.[17]

Loan to Willem II

After making no appearances in the 2018–19 Bundesliga season for Borussia Dortmund, Isak was loaned to Dutch Eredivisie club Willem II.[18] On 28 February 2019, he scored the equaliser and the winning penalty against AZ Alkmaar in the semi-finals of the KNVB Cup, helping Willem II reach the Dutch cup final for the first time since 2005. On 30 March 2019, he became the first player ever to score three penalties in an Eredivisie match, in a 3–2 win against Fortuna Sittard.[19] On 14 April 2019, Isak became the first foreign-born player in the Eredivisie to score 12 goals in his first 12 league games.[20]

Real Sociedad

2019–20 season

On 12 June 2019, Isak signed a five-year deal with Real Sociedad, joining the La Liga club on 1 July 2019, in which he scored his first goal in his first game. He strongly continued the pre-season, scoring four goals in five games.[21] Isak scored his first competitive goal for Real Sociedad in a 3–1 La Liga win against RCD Espanyol on 22 September 2019.[22] On 6 February, Isak scored two goals and made one assist in the Copa del Rey quarter-final against Real Madrid.[23] On 9 February, he scored the winning goal in the Basque derby against Athletic Bilbao.[24]

On 3 April 2021, Isak won his first silverware with the club when he started and played in 89 minutes of the 2020 Copa del Rey Final in a 1–0 win against Athletic Bilbao, helping Real Sociedad win the 2019–20 Copa del Rey.[25][26]

2020–21 season

He scored his first hat-trick for the club on 21 February 2021 in a 4–0 league win against Deportivo Alavés, becoming the first Swedish player to score a La Liga hat-trick since Henry "Garvis" Carlsson did the same for Atletico Madrid in 1949.[27][28]

2021–22 season

Isak scored 10 goals in all competitions that season, where Real Sociedad ultimately finished 6th in La Liga.[29]

Newcastle United

2022–23 season

On 26 August 2022, Isak signed for Premier League club Newcastle United on a six-year contract which runs until June 2028 worth £6,240,000 per year (or £120,000 per week),[30] for an undisclosed fee, reported to be more than $70 million, which would be a club transfer record.[31][32] On 31 August, he scored a goal on his debut and was named man of the match in a 2–1 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield.[33]

Following a 1–1 draw with Bournemouth, where he scored a penalty, Isak was sidelined for 16 competitive matches due to a hamstring injury, he returned to the squad to play the first half in the FA Cup third round tie to Sheffield Wednesday.[34] On 15 January 2023, he scored his first goal after the injury in the 89th minute in a 1–0 victory over Fulham.[35] Isak scored his first brace for Newcastle on 17 March in a 2–1 away victory against Nottingham Forest, the second goal being a penalty in stoppage time to win the game.[36]

On 23 April, he scored another brace within two minutes in a 6–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.[37] Five days later, he dribbled past three Everton defenders to cross the ball, with a deflection off James Tarkowski, to Jacob Murphy who scored the last goal in a 4–1 away victory, which urged his manager Eddie Howe to discuss comparisons between him and Thierry Henry.[38]

2023–24 season

On 12 August 2023, Isak scored a brace in a 5–1 win over Aston Villa in the first match of the season.[39] On 27 September, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Manchester City in the EFL Cup, to be his club's first win against the latter in the last 11 meetings.[40]

On 25 November, Isak scored a goal in a 4–1 win over Chelsea, following his recovery from a groin injury.[41] Three days later, he scored his first Champions League goal to grant his club a 1–0 away lead against Paris Saint-Germain, in a match which ended in a 1–1 draw following a penalty scored by the latter in the stoppage time.[42]

International career

Isak played for youth Swedish national teams in the U-16 to U-21 categories.[43] He was called up to the Sweden national team for the friendly matches against Ivory Coast on 8 January 2017 and Slovakia on 12 January. He made his debut against the Ivory Coast, coming on for Per Frick in the 62nd minute of a 1–2 loss. He started the second game against Slovakia, scoring the first goal in a 6–0 win in the 19th minute, becoming the youngest goalscorer ever in the history of the Sweden national team.[44]

On 23 March 2019, Isak made his first competitive appearance for Sweden, when he replaced Robin Quaison in the 88th minute in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying game against Romania, which Sweden won 2–1.[45]

Isak scored his first competitive goal for Sweden on 7 June 2019, when Sweden beat Malta in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying game at Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.[46] Isak scored the last goal in a 3–0 win.[47]

Isak was called up for a major tournament for the first time when he was included in Sweden's 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020.[48]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 13 January 2024[49][50]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
AIK 2016 Allsvenskan 24 10 2 3 — 3[c] 0 — 29 13
Borussia Dortmund II 2016–17 Regionalliga West 1 0 — — — — 1 0
2018–19 Regionalliga West 11 5 — — — — 11 5
Total 12 5 — — — — 12 5
Borussia Dortmund 2016–17 Bundesliga 0 0 1 0 — 0 0 0 0 1 0
2017–18 Bundesliga 5 0 3 1 — 4[d] 0 0 0 12 1
Total 5 0 4 1 — 4 0 0 0 13 1
Willem II (loan) 2018–19 Eredivisie 16 13 2 1 — — — 18 14
Real Sociedad 2019–20 La Liga 37 9 8[e] 7 — — — 45 16
2020–21 La Liga 34 17 1 0 — 8[c] 0 1[f] 0 44 17
2021–22 La Liga 32 6 3 1 — 6[c] 3 — 41 10
2022–23 La Liga 2 1 0 0 — 0 0 — 2 1
Total 105 33 12 8 — 14 3 1 0 132 44
Newcastle United 2022–23 Premier League 22 10 1 0 4 0 — — 27 10
2023–24 Premier League 16 10 1 2 1 1 5[g] 1 — 23 14
Total 38 20 2 2 5 1 5 1 — 50 24
Career total 200 81 22 15 5 1 26 4 1 0 254 101
  1. ^ Includes Svenska Cupen, DFB-Pokal, KNVB Cup, Copa del Rey, FA Cup
  2. ^ Includes EFL Cup
  3. ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. ^ One appearance in UEFA Champions League, three appearances in UEFA Europa League
  5. ^ Includes appearance in 2020 Copa del Rey final (played in 2021)
  6. ^ Appearance in Supercopa de España
  7. ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League

International

As of match played 12 September 2023[51]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Sweden 2017 2 1
2018 0 0
2019 10 3
2020 6 1
2021 14 4
2022 5 0
2023 5 1
Total 42 10
As of match played 12 September 2023
Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first.[51]
List of international goals scored by Alexander Isak
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 12 January 2017 Armed Forces Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates  Slovakia 1–0 6–0 Friendly
2 7 June 2019 Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden  Malta 3–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
3 5 September 2019 Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands  Faroe Islands 1–0 4–0 UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
4 2–0
5 8 October 2020 VEB Arena, Moscow, Russia  Russia 1–0 2–1 Friendly
6 28 March 2021 Fadil Vokrri Stadium, Pristina, Kosovo  Kosovo 2–0 3–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
7 2 September 2021 Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden  Spain 1–1 2–1 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
8 9 October 2021 Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden  Kosovo 2–0 3–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
9 12 October 2021 Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden  Greece 2–0 2–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
10 9 September 2023 Lilleküla Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia  Estonia 3–0 5–0 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying

Honours

Borussia Dortmund

Real Sociedad

Newcastle United

Individual

References

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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alexander Isak.
Newcastle United F.C. – current squad
Sweden squad – UEFA Euro 2020
Copa del Rey top scorers
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