Isak's Liverpool are the opponents when Newcastle kick off their 2026/27 Premier League season
Dan Burn of Newcastle United and Liverpool's Alexander Isak
Newcastle United's Dan Burn is set to come up against former team-mate Alexander Isak
Newcastle United captain Dan Burn admits a 'lot of things happened' with the manner of Alexander Isak's departure from the club and insists the fans 'don't need motivating' ahead of his return to St James' Park.
Isak effectively went on strike last summer before leaving the Magpies to join Liverpool for a British record £125million transfer fee and the manner of his exit went down horrendously with Newcastle fans.
United had already played Liverpool at home last season before he completed his move on transfer deadline day meaning that almost a year on, Sunday represents the Swedish international's first time returning to his former club when Newcastle take on Liverpool in the opening match of the 2026/27 Premier League season.
Get Chronicle Premium now for just £1HERE– exclusive news and features, our NUFC and Academy notebooks, plus an ad-lite experience
He is expected to receive a hostile reception at a stadium where he had been adored for three seasons but Burn says it would be foolish for Newcastle just to concentrate on Isak and not the many other threats Andoni Iraola's side pose.
"I think there's obviously a lot of things happened with the Alex transfer and I think the fans don't need motivating for that," Burn told reporters after last weekend's draw with Strasbourg.
Alexander Isak and Dan Burn
Dan Burn has made his feelings clear on Isak(Image: Getty Images)
"But I think if you're only concentrating on Alex we're making a mistake. I think Liverpool are a very good team, a team that we've not managed to beat in the league yet. That we want to change.
"But it's a very exciting game at the start of the season, as I said, they're always the best games against Liverpool at home, so, yeah, I'm looking forward to it."
Newcastle head coach Matthias Jaissle was also asked about the impact Isak's return could have on the crowd on Sunday and he replied: "I like him a lot, he is pure quality as a player.
"I don't know him as a human being but our lads will just focus on themselves, this is the most important thing. I think our fans will focus on our lads, engaging with them, supporting them, that will be the most important thing."
Where will Newcastle finish this season?
Here at ChronicleLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Newcastle United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest NUFC news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
Article continues below
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Everything is Black and White podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.