Isak’s Liverpool are the opponents when Newcastle kick off their 2026/27 Premier League season
Newcastle United captain Dan Burn is set to come up against former teammate Alexander Isak
Newcastle United captain Dan Burn acknowledges that several events surrounded Alexander Isak’s exit from the club and believes supporters require no additional motivation for his St James’ Park comeback.
Isak essentially staged a holdout the previous summer before departing the Magpies for Liverpool in a British record £125million deal, with Toon supporters reacting extremely negatively to how his move unfolded.
The clubs had already met at Newcastle’s home ground before the Sweden international finalised his switch on transfer deadline day, meaning nearly 12 months on, Sunday marks his inaugural visit back to his former employer as the Magpies face Liverpool in the opening fixture of the 2026/27 Premier League campaign.
The Sweden international is anticipated to face a hostile welcome at a ground where he had been celebrated during his three-year stint, though Burn suggests it would be unwise for Newcastle to fixate solely on Isak while underestimating the various dangers posed by Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool side.
Following last weekend’s friendly with Strasbourg, Burn told journalists there had clearly been a lot surrounding Alex’s move and he did not think supporters required any extra impetus for this one.
However, if they directed all their attention toward Alex alone, they would be making an error. Liverpool represented a strong outfit Newcastle had struggled to overcome in the league so far, and that was something they aimed to alter.
This presented a thrilling season opener against them at home, these encounters consistently ranked among the finest, so Burn said he was certainly anticipating it.
Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle also fielded questions regarding how Isak’s return might affect the matchday atmosphere. He said he held Isak in high regard and that the striker was genuinely elite as a footballer.
He added he could not speak to Isak’s character personally, but that his players would maintain focus on their own performance, which was what mattered most. He believed the Newcastle crowd would rally behind the team and provide backing, and that was the key.