Alexander Isak is officially a Liverpool player, at long last, and his first official interview with the club made it clear how focused and ambitious he is.
Liverpool announced the arrival of the 25-year-old striker for a British record £125 million, joining after 109 appearances for Newcastle over three years.
It concluded a summer-long saga after signalling early on that Anfield was his destination of choice, and it took until deadline day for Liverpool and Isak to get their wish.
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But the gushing was left to supporters, with the Swede instead coming across as calm and focused after a long summer – here is what he revealed to supporters during his first official interview.
A personality that will fit seamlessly with Virgil and Mo
Unlike the feeling that Jeremie Frimong, for example, conveyed through the screen of child-like excitement (there’s nothing wrong with that!), Isak was the complete opposite.
It was almost devoid of emotion, yet it was accompanied by an overwhelming sense of calm and laser-like focus, which we often attribute to Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.
“I feel like this is the next step for me in my career,” he said. “I’m super-happy that I’ve been given this chance and I’m very motivated to do something well with it.”
It is a nod to his ambitions as there’s a clear determination of why he has chosen Liverpool as his next step – like Federico, he’s here to win!
Determined to create history
The unfiltered manner in which he declared, “I want to win everything,” said all we needed to know about Isak’s intentions at Anfield – not that it was in any doubt.
He was all business, calm and laser-focused as he explained his desire to help be a part of the next chapter in the club’s famed history.
“Me getting the chance to be a part of this, I want to create history,” he declared. “I want to win trophies. That’s ultimately the biggest motivation for me.”
Sounds like a plan to us, Alex!
A striker who wants to do ‘everything‘
It was telling that his answer to “what do you want to add to this team,” was “everything.” It tells us everything.
He does not just want to be the man who puts the ball in the back of the net, but a player who is prepared to work hard off the ball, create space and shots for others – exactly what Slot demands.
And while his price tag of £125 million may give off the impression to some that he is the finished article, he admits he still has a lot to improve.
“I think I have a lot to give, I think I have a lot to improve,” he said. “I’m a striker but I always want to give as much as possible to the team, mainly goals but much more than that as well.”
He’s ready to put the summer saga behind him
It was tiresome watching Isak’s summer saga through our various screens let alone living and experiencing it in real time, and Isak left no uncertainty that he wants to move on from it.
“It has been a long summer but I’m just looking forward, not looking at the past,” he stated. “It’s done now and I know I can get back to doing what I love the most. Really looking forward to it.”
You could sense it has taken its toll and the relief of finally getting the move he longed for was clear.
The international break will give him time to recharge on home soil and, hopefully, get some minutes on the pitch before his Liverpool career takes off.
Aiming for Burnley but knows it might not be realistic
Having trained on his own since mid-July, Isak has a lot of catching up to do, but that is not stopping him from aiming to make his debut at Burnley – even if he knows it may not be realistic.
“I think that’s the ambition,” he said. “However, I’ve had a tricky summer where I haven’t played any games and I’ve had restricted training, so I think that’s one to judge and to analyse where I am at and how much I am ready to give.”
His time with Sweden will tell us a lot, but he has made it no secret he wants to be back out on the pitch as soon as possible.
Liverpool’s return after the international break is at Burnley on September 14, and while that may come too soon, there will certainly be a desire to see him used in some capacity against Atletico and Everton.
That Isak himself is aware that he has work to do speaks volumes.
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