Alexander Isak, a star for Newcastle United, is perhaps the best center-forward the Tyneside club has had in a very long time—possibly going all the way back to Alan Shearer’s heyday.
The £63 million club record acquisition was made last summer to lead the Eddie Howe-led revolution, and despite a season marred by injuries, the Swede still made an impression with ten Premier League goals in just 17 starts.
Newcastle is on the verge of making a comeback after a long absence from the forefront. The club finally made the Champions League last year after a two-decade absence thanks to a fourth-place result.
Isak is indeed the frontman designated with the role of goalscoring, and after continuing his fruitful performances from last season with five goals from his opening eight matches across all competitions this term, the “outstanding talent” – as said by Howe – has grown comfortably into his skin.
Shearer was the last striker to truly boast first-class credentials for the St. James’ Park side; the likes of Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse were both remarkable on their day but failed to sustain their prowess with the requisite regularity.
How good was Alan Shearer?
Shearer’s the man that every Magpie aspires to be growing up, a lionized figure and to this day the club’s most prolific striker in history, having scored 206 goals from 405 matches, five more than late striker Jackie Milburn.
In fact, the 53-year-old is actually the Premier League’s all-time record goalscorer, with his 260 goals a towering record standing tall and proud above the profusion of attacking talent that has graced English shores over the years
Shearer’s record has been preserved for even longer thanks to the £100 million transfer of England captain and record scorer Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in the summer. Whether the 30-year-old returns to claim the title is still up in the air, though, having scored 213 goals for Tottenham Hotspur.