Alexander Isak makes vow as he closes in on Jamie Vardy record after eclipsing Newcastle icon Alan Shearer
ALEXANDER ISAK has Jamie Vardy’s record in his sights after eclipsing the great Alan Shearer.
The Newcastle star’s brace in the 3-0 triumph over Wolves took his tally to 17 for the season and stretched Toon’s winning-run to nine.
Isak has scored 11 goals in his last eight top-flight games and bagged in each of those fixtures.
All-time top scorer Shearer could only manage seven on the bounce with the 25-year-old Swede becoming just the fourth Premier League star to achieve the feat.
Leicester’s Vardy holds the Prem record for scoring in 11 successive matches and red-hot Isak will have opposition defenders quivering after warning he is hungry for more.
The £150m-rated star said: “I feel amazing. Individually I feel free and confident but looking at the team we are doing so well as well, defending and with threats going forward.
“It is a team and I have to keep contributing with goals.
“When we play at our best the players will feel free. In my position as well I want to be able to express myself in the best way I can.
“Records are things you enjoy after your career. I go into every game with the same mentality – to score goals as that helps the team.”
Boss Eddie Howe could not hide his admiration for Isak, saying: “Yes, an incredible achievement.
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“I think that this is the hardest league in the world to score in, up against very good defences, especially with the fixtures that we’ve had.
“So to have that level of quality that he’s shown, and today’s goals were very different in how they come about.
“It is one of his biggest strengths – his composure and level of finishing is at the highest level.
“He has the extra second of composure that players at the top level have.”
On how Isak can improve, Howe added: “Like most strikers, he wants to practice his finishing. It’s an art form, so he’s there every day after training wanting to do more.
“I think the challenge for us is to get that balance. But he has a really good mentality to his training.
“Penalties, all the finishes he works on continuously.
“We’ve worked a lot on his heading ability and he’s scored a few headers this year, so it’s just trying to add to the array of goals that he needs.”
“I think he’s enjoying his football. We’re loving having him here, we love working with him, all I would urge him to do is focus on the next game.”
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