Alexander Isak - The Football Interview
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How does Andoni Iraola’s philosophy shape Liverpool’s playing style?
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Hotel Mats Espoossa on enemmän kuin hotelli. Meillä olet kuin kotonasi. Kompaktista studiosta tilavaan huoneistoon, jossa oma keittiö, parveke ja jopa sauna. Olit siten työmatkalla, pidemmällä komennuksella tai minilomalla. Meillä viihdyt kuin kotona, hotellin palveluilla. Hotel Mats Espoon matinkylässä. Ajattomasti tyylikäs. Aina nykyaikainen. The Football Interview on the Football Daily Podcast.
Today's interview is with the Swedish striker whose career has taken him across Europe, ending up in England with Newcastle and now Liverpool. He's the joint Premier League record signing. Welcome along to The Football Interview, Alexander Isak. How do you feel in terms of physically, mentally, where you are at the moment?
No, I feel good. I feel good. I feel like I'm in a good place. The team is in a good place and I think the positive is it feels like things are getting better and better each week, each training session, which makes me and the rest feel confident going forward.
You've got a new manager as well, so it must really feel like a fresh start for everyone around here. What's Andoni Arreola done for you though, specifically?
What does Alexander Isak need from teammates like Cody Gakpo to score more goals?
He just came with his football to the club, the way he wants to play and the high intensity style of play, which I think will benefit me, will benefit the club and the way the club wants to play football. So that's the plan.
What does he ask from you as his striker?
He asks me obviously to be part of the defending, but to defend in positions where when we win the ball, so we can counter quickly and get the ball forward to the offensive line.
That's interesting because normally a manager would ask a striker to score goals, but the fact that you said straight away about defending, is that what he wants to do, make your all-round game better?
No, no, so you said score goals, but he wants me to be, to defend. The way we defend, we defend to score goals. So the defending is, in the end, an attacking weapon.
I've also noticed, particularly with your goals against Ipswich, it looked like the team got the ball to you really quickly. I remember when I think back to some of your best moments at Newcastle, the team were playing, getting the ball to you quickly. Is that what you need to be at your best, to score goals?
Yeah, I think that's what the team needs. And it's not just about getting a ball to me, it's about getting a ball forward, getting a ball to all of the offensive players quickly, I think. If we can do that, then we should score more goals.
Talk to me about this relationship with Cody Gakpo, because it looks like, I know you've known him for a season, but it looks like it's pretty special.
No, it's definitely been successful so far. He's very versatile. He can do most things on a pitch. He's comfortable out wide, but he's also comfortable coming deep and receiving the ball. And yeah, as we've seen, his delivering is really good as well.
Where did the love of football come from?
For me, it came from the streets, in the school, like free time, always playing football.
At what point did you think, OK, I could make it here?
Probably around 15.
Where were you at that point in your kind of football
career?
How did Isak’s early love for football lead to his professional breakthrough?
I was in my local club, AK. I think I was on the 19th, training with the first team sometimes, every now and then.
You had quite a lot of success quite young there, didn't you? Feels like there was quite a lot of eyes on you from quite a young age.
Yeah, I think my breakthrough, especially in Sweden, was very early. So yeah, I was really young.
Did you always have aspirations to maybe end up in the Premier League?
Yeah, as a part of the journey for sure. I always wanted to play in the Premier League, but I always wanted to play in Spain as well, which obviously I did for three years.
What was the experience like in Spain? Because it feels like that was where the world really started to get to know about Alexander Isak.
I grew up watching a lot of Spanish football, so playing there was really, really nice.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
How does Andoni Iraola’s philosophy shape Liverpool’s playing style?
0:00–1:42
2
What does Alexander Isak need from teammates like Cody Gakpo to score more goals?
1:42–4:08
3
How did Isak’s early love for football lead to his professional breakthrough?
4:08–6:13
4
Why did Isak dream of playing in the Premier League and La Liga, and how did he achieve it?
6:13–7:29
5
What was it like working with Graham Potter at the World Cup for Sweden?
7:29–8:49
6
What does a successful season look like for Liverpool according to Isak?
8:49–9:32
Speakers
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