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Newcastle United fans were not happy to see Alexander Isak as the former Magpies striker made his return to St James' Park with Liverpool.
Isak spent three seasons at Newcastle, becoming a fan favourite as he bagged 62 goals in 109 appearances across all competitions, but the Sweden international is now viewed as a villain after forcing a move to Liverpool last summer.
Isak receives brutal reception
Isak refused to train or play for Newcastle and accused the club of breaking promises before he eventually completed a £125 switch to Anfield.
As a result, the 26-year-old did not get a warm reception when he returned to Newcastle for the first time since the move.
When the Liverpool squad arrived at St James' Park ahead of their opening Premier League game, Isak was greeted with a chorus of boos and chants of “rat” by the Newcastle supporters.
Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle was asked about Isak's return ahead of the game and said: “I like him a lot; he has pure quality as a player. I don't know him as a human being but our lads will just focus on themselves.
Alexander Isak gets a warm welcome back to St James’ Park. “Rat rat rat.” #NUFC pic.twitter.com/SFjhJs9rtw
— George Caulkin (@GeorgeCaulkin) August 23, 2026
“This is the most important thing. And I also think our fans will focus on our lads, engaging with them, supporting them, that will be the most important thing.”
Isak did not impress during his debut campaign for Liverpool, managing just four goals in 22 games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in December.
However, new Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola is confident Isak will get back to his best soon, stating: “Alex is going to be a very important player for us this season. Right now, he is in a very good place.
“He has been training every day, has not missed a session and has been adding more and more minutes every friendly game.
He played a very good World Cup in terms of availability – fitness level – and I want to keep him there as much as we can. We know his level and, if we can keep him there, he will score goals and give us a lot of things.”
FGG says: An unsurprising reaction
It is no surprise that Newcastle fans vented their fury towards Isak on his return to St James' Park given the controversial nature of his departure.
However, it is good to see the striker back fit ahead of what will be a huge season for him, with Isak needing to step up majorly following the departure of Mohamed Salah.