Alexander Isak received a hostile reception from Newcastle United supporters as he returned to St. James' Park with Liverpool on Sunday
Alexander Isak of Liverpool looks on during a pre-season friendly match
Liverpool striker Alexander Isak received an icy reception from Newcastle supporters(Image: Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
Liverpool striker Alexander Isak received an icy reception from Newcastle United supporters upon his return to St. James' Park.
The Reds kick off their Premier League campaign against the Magpies on Sunday, with Andoni Iraola taking charge of his first competitive fixture as head coach. For Isak, it's a return to his former club, which he left last summer in a record-breaking £125 million ($169 million) move.
Liverpool arrived in Newcastle on Sunday afternoon, but in a clip shared on social media, Isak was greeted by chants of 'rat' from opposition supporters as the players made their way into the stadium. Isak leads the line for Liverpool, with Rio Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo either side of him.
The hostile reception stems from the transfer saga that dominated headlines 12 months ago, in which Isak went on strike in order to force through a move to Anfield. A deal was eventually struck between the two clubs on deadline day, with the fee paid setting a new British transfer record.
Despite the significant sum of money involved, there was a sense of betrayal among those at Newcastle and its supporters, especially in light of the lengths the Swede went to in order to get his move. Isak avoided facing his former club last season as the Reds had already faced Newcastle away before the player's move was secured, while the clash at Anfield came a little over a month after the striker suffered a broken leg against Tottenham.
Sunday's meeting at St. James' Park therefore represents Isak's first official meeting with Newcastle, and supporters have already started making their feelings known. Clips emerged on social media earlier in the weekend showing the Liverpool players arriving at their team hotel, with a small number of supporters standing outside booing and shouting.
That intensified on Sunday when the players arrived at the stadium, with Isak subjected to chants of 'rat' as they made their way off the coach. On both occasions, Isak appeared unfazed with his headphones in.
Isak will be hoping for a far more productive season with Liverpool after his debut campaign was hampered by fitness and injury problems. Although he was injury-free when he arrived at Anfield on deadline day, the lack of a preseason meant he took a while to settle and get up to speed.
Then, disaster struck when he finally looked to be getting up and running. Moments after scoring against Tottenham before Christmas in 2025, a tackle from Micky van de Ven resulted in the striker suffering a leg fracture that kept him sidelined for a total of 106 days.
In total, he scored four goals and registered one assist in his 22 appearances across all competitions. This term, Iraola will be relying on him heavily given Hugo Ekitike is currently sidelined with an Achilles injury.
Isak has, however, enjoyed a promising preseason with goals in Liverpool's final two friendlies against Monaco and Como. He's also developing a promising on-field relationship with Florian Wirtz, with the two expected to spearhead the Reds' attack for years to come.