Alexander Isak hit by brutal chant from Newcastle fans upon return with Liverpool
Alexander Isak’s first return to St James’ Park as a Liverpool player has produced exactly the kind of reception many Newcastle supporters had been threatening.
The Swedish striker walked back into the stadium where he had once been adored, but this time there was no warm welcome waiting for him.
Instead, Newcastle supporters made their feelings very clear.
As Isak arrived with the Liverpool squad ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash, sections of the home support greeted him with loud boos and chants of “rat, rat, rat.”
It was an extraordinary contrast to the reception Isak used to receive during his Newcastle career.
Only a short time ago, the forward was one of the biggest fan favourites on Tyneside.
Now, he was returning wearing the shirt of the club many supporters blame for taking away one of their biggest stars.
😳 From hero to villain
Isak’s relationship with Newcastle fans changed dramatically during his final months at the club.
The striker eventually secured a reported British-record £125 million move to Liverpool, but the circumstances surrounding his departure left a bitter taste among sections of the Newcastle support.
That history made Sunday’s fixture about far more than three Premier League points.
It became personal.
For Newcastle supporters, this was their first opportunity to see Isak face them in a competitive match since his departure.
And they did not waste the opportunity to make their feelings known.
The atmosphere surrounding the Liverpool arrival was already intense before the match had even kicked off.
Isak reportedly attempted to block out the noise with AirPods as the boos rained down around him.
But there was little chance of him completely escaping the attention.
🫣 “Rat, rat, rat”
The chant quickly became one of the biggest talking points surrounding the fixture.
Footage of Isak arriving at St James’ Park showed Newcastle supporters directing the chant towards their former striker, with the moment rapidly spreading across social media.
For a player who once celebrated some of the biggest moments of his Newcastle career in front of those same supporters, it was a remarkable transformation.
Isak had helped Newcastle win the Carabao Cup in 2025, scoring the decisive goal in the final against Liverpool.
That made the reunion even more dramatic.
The player who once helped Newcastle end a decades-long wait for major silverware was now walking into St James’ Park as an opponent.
And the supporters had not forgotten how he left.
🔥 Liverpool have backed their new star
Liverpool, meanwhile, have made it clear that they believe Isak can become a major figure for the club.
His first season on Merseyside was disrupted by injury, with the striker scoring only three Premier League goals in 14 appearances. But he entered the new campaign fit and was selected to start against his former club.
The circumstances could hardly have been more dramatic.
New Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola was also beginning his Premier League reign, while Newcastle were starting a new era under Matthias Jaissle.
So this was not simply Isak’s return.
It was a meeting between two clubs undergoing major changes.
👀 Newcastle boss sends a message
Matthias Jaissle was also asked about the attention surrounding Isak before the match.
Rather than encouraging supporters to focus on the former Newcastle striker, the new manager urged them to concentrate on their own team.
That message was simple.
Newcastle have moved on.
The club has a new manager, new players and a new chapter to begin.
But for supporters who still feel betrayed by Isak’s departure, moving on emotionally is clearly much harder.
And that was evident before kick-off.
😱 Could Isak make it even worse?
There was one question hanging over the entire stadium.
What happens if Isak scores?
For Newcastle supporters already furious about his departure, that possibility would have been difficult to contemplate.
For Liverpool, however, it presented the perfect opportunity for their new striker to make an immediate statement.
Scoring against his former club would have transformed an already explosive occasion into something even more dramatic.
The pressure on Isak was therefore enormous.
Every touch was likely to be scrutinised.
Every missed chance would be noticed.
Every Liverpool attack involving him would generate a reaction.
And every time he came close to goal, the atmosphere was expected to rise another level.
❤️🔥 Once loved, now hated
That is perhaps the strangest part of the entire story.
Football can change emotions incredibly quickly.
Isak went from being one of Newcastle’s most celebrated players to becoming a target for sections of the same fanbase.
The goals, celebrations and memories have not disappeared.
But the circumstances surrounding his departure have changed how some supporters view those memories.
For Newcastle fans, the issue is no longer simply that Isak joined Liverpool.
It is how they believe he handled the final stage of his Newcastle career.
For Liverpool supporters, meanwhile, the past is largely irrelevant.
They want Isak to score goals.
They want him to succeed.
And they want him to become one of the faces of the new Liverpool era.
That made Sunday’s meeting fascinating from the moment the team buses arrived.
🚨 The rivalry just got personal
Newcastle versus Liverpool has always been a competitive Premier League fixture.
But Isak’s return added an entirely different layer.
The £125 million transfer.
The controversial departure.
The emotional history.
The Carabao Cup final.
The new managers.
The hostile reception.
Everything came together at St James’ Park.
And before the first whistle had even been blown, Newcastle supporters had already delivered their verdict.
They had not forgotten.
Whether Isak could respond on the pitch was another matter entirely.
One thing was certain: his return to Tyneside was never going to be quiet.
And with the former Newcastle hero now wearing Liverpool red, the atmosphere around Alexander Isak may remain one of the biggest stories surrounding this fixture for a long time to come. 🔥⚽
