Issac has always dealt with the pressure of potential. When he was 16 years old, he became the youngest goalscorer in AIK's domestic league history, and quickly established himself as a top player across Europe. Comparisons with fellow legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic quickly followed, but the pair could not have been more contrasting.
Isak did not share Ibrahimovic's brash and arrogant personality. Born to Eritrean parents in Stockholm, he grew up humble and introverted, eventually developing into the type of player and person Newcastle wanted to build their project around.
He has often been likened to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry – brilliant with the ball at his feet, intelligent at circling through the middle and out wide, all with ease.
In 2017, Isak moved to Borussia Dortmund, a breeding ground for potential stars, but unlike Jadon Sancho, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland, life in Germany has not been a success. The coaches who worked with him recognized his ability, but the player's shyness prevented him from proving himself.
However, one meeting between Isak and Dortmund reserve team boss Jan Siewert helped him change his career. Over coffee, Siewert showed the young striker two side-by-side photos – one of the player sitting on the Dortmund bench, the other of him smiling after scoring for Sweden. Stuart asked Isaac what the difference was. trust. After opening up about missing him, Isaac began to feel more comfortable.
Although he found his feet on loan in the Netherlands with Willem II in 2019 – where he scored 13 goals in 16 Eredivisie appearances – he joined Real Sociedad to move to the next level.
Isaac did not have a star image, but his talent was never in doubt. Without forgetting where he came from or his values, he called the Spanish teacher at his school in Sweden to thank them for helping him understand the language, and they ended up recalling a class trip to Barcelona.
Once settled in San Sebastian, Isak scored 17 goals in his second season, and continued to impress at Euro 2020 with Sweden as well. Although he did not score a goal in the tournament, his performance in the group stage against Slovakia showed exactly why he wanted one, as he dribbled past defenders with ease and helped his country to a 1-0 win.
Speculation around him intensified, but just six goals in 32 games in the 2021-22 season reinforced the idea that he was not ready to join an elite club for the fee required – more than £60m.
Newcastle initially backed out of a deal at that price, but an injury to Callum Wilson changed their mind and they broke their transfer record in August 2022.
