Alan Shearer (left) and Newcastle United striker Alexander Isakplaceholder image
Alan Shearer (left) and Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak | Getty Images
Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney are in agreement over Alexander Isak’s conduct at Newcastle United.
Isak, subject to interest from Premier League champions Liverpool, is currently training alone at Newcastle after rejecting the opportunity of reiterating into Eddie Howe’s squad.
The Sweden international missed the club’s pre-season tour of Asia and in that period flew to Spain to train at former club Real Sociedad.
Isak has spent the last fortnight arriving at the Magpies’ training ground at a separate time from his teammates. Head coach Howe has kept the door open for the 25-year-old to return to the group, but the player is showing no remorse.
Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney are in agreement over Alexander Isak’s conduct
Isak’s refusal to play forced Anthony Gordon to lead the line for yesterday’s goalless draw against Aston Villa.
The travelling Geordies showed their appreciation for their team’s efforts at full-time before venting their anger at Isak once the players and staff were heading towards the tunnel.
Newcastle fans are furious with Isak’s behaviour, having sang “one greedy b-----d” and “we don’t care about Isak, he don’t care about me, all we care about is NUFC”. Magpies’ legend Shearer shares the supporters’ frustrations after taking at the Swede on Match of the Day.
Shearer said: “There is a way to do it and Alex is not going about it in the right way at all. You have to feel sorry for the players and the manager. The players are busting a nut for the football club and the thousands of fans that have travelled all that way to Villa Park. They’re giving their all.
“Yet they’re looking at a player, wherever he is, refusing to play, despite having a three-year contract and on over £100,000-a-week whereas they’re [the fans] paying £60 or £70 for a ticket, £30 for petrol or a train ticket to get there and back.
“You can imagine the anger that they’re feeling that someone is taking the liberty of saying “I am refusing to play”. You just can’t do that when you’ve got a three-year contract.”
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Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, sat next to Shearer, agreed: “The Geordies are a passionate fanbase, it’s going to be hard for him to come back. But also for his teammates, I think as a teammate you expect your teammates to come and train every day to give everything on the training pitch and when you pull the shirt on the shirt on to go and play.
“The fact that he is refusing to come in and train is very difficult for him to come back.
“He’s just gone about it in the wrong way. Maybe he’s getting advised wrongly. But also for Liverpool, you have to wonder if that is the sort of player you want. Someone who is going to desert his teammates and walk away from a huge football club.
“It’s a good opportunity to go to Liverpool but it has to be done in the right way.”
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