Eddie Howe has already spoken about how good of a player he feels Newcastle United have in the form of Sven Botman but it's not just the big Dutchman that the gaffer holds high hopes for.
Howe backed Sven Botman to go on to become a Premier League great but it's not just the big defender who he sees as someone who can make their mark on the game.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, the Newcastle boss spoke about how good Alexander Isak is and the potential he has after his recent scoring run.
The Sweden international was denied his fifth goal in as many games after a bizarre VAR decision robbed him of a perfectly good goal against Azerbaijan on Tuesday, but it's unlikely to have affected his confidence.
It's confidence that Eddie Howe believes is key for a striker to go on these kinds of runs, as Howe spoke about Isak becoming one of the world's best strikers.
“He’s scored some big goals of late for us. His general performances have continued to improve. He’s gone away for Sweden and played very well. I’m delighted with how he’s looked on international duty to continue that good form.
“Being a striker, having not been one myself but from my experience, is all about confidence and how you feel.
“Alex has got undoubted qualities. I would put him right up there in terms of world strikers currently playing. I feel his potential is great. He can really go and prove himself as one of the world’s best. That would be my target if I was him, without putting pressure on him.”
Isak has been compared to the world's best several times by pundits, often the ones insisting he should be playing for Arsenal.
However, he's currently a Newcastle player and he's still one of the world's best strikers so take that, London-based media!
We know what a star player we have on our hands, that's why it's imperative that the club matches his ambition in order to keep him for as long as possible.
PL | GD | PTS | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Liverpool
|
13 | 18 | 34 |
2 |
Arsenal
|
13 | 12 | 25 |
3 |
Chelsea
|
13 | 12 | 25 |
4 |
Brighton
|
13 | 5 | 23 |
5 |
Manchester City
|
13 | 3 | 23 |
6 |
Nottingham Forest
|
13 | 3 | 22 |
7 |
Tottenham Hotspur
|
13 | 14 | 20 |
8 |
Brentford
|
13 | 3 | 20 |
9 |
Manchester United
|
13 | 4 | 19 |
10 |
Fulham
|
13 | 0 | 19 |
11 |
Newcastle United
|
13 | 0 | 19 |
12 |
Aston Villa
|
13 | -3 | 19 |
13 |
Bournemouth
|
13 | 1 | 18 |
14 |
West Ham United
|
13 | -7 | 15 |
15 |
Everton
|
13 | -11 | 11 |
16 |
Leicester
|
13 | -11 | 10 |
17 |
Crystal Palace
|
13 | -7 | 9 |
18 |
Wolves
|
13 | -10 | 9 |
19 |
Ipswich
|
13 | -11 | 9 |
20 |
Southampton
|
13 | -15 | 5 |