Newcastle United have a player who is built like Usain Bolt in the eyes of former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock.
The Sky Sports pundit has been discussing the Magpies following their 4-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, and has raved about one of Eddie Howe‘s top performers.
There were plenty of them on Saturday, with Newcastle United producing one of their best performances of the season. The only other displays that you could say were better were probably the home and away wins over Aston Villa.
But Newcastle were excellent against Spurs, with Eddie Howe’s secret masterplan leading to an emphatic victory.
Anthony Gordon was outrageously good on the right, having switched flanks to accommodate Harvey Barnes coming into the side. He also performed well, as did the makeshift Newcastle defence.
Stephen Warnock compares Newcastle United star to Usain Bolt
Another Newcastle player who was excellent during the win over Tottenham was Alexander Isak. He scored a brace at St James’ Park, netting his 20th and 21st goals of the season.
It is the best campaign of the 24-year-old’s career, and he has received huge praise from Stephen Warnock on Sky Sports News on Monday – so much so that he has even likened him to the fastest man on the planet.
“He’s [Isak] brilliant, he’s superb,” he said.
“It’s very difficult to judge players, because they’ve all got their own individual qualities and they’re so different to each other.
“I love the fact that for such a slight guy in how slim he is, he’s not your typical number nine who’s going to pin someone – he’s very agile, very quick in the way that he covers the ground. He’s almost built like Usain Bolt when you look at the size of him and how quickly he gets across the ground.
“What he’s got is great composure. He didn’t have that before he came to the club. That’s been coached into him.”
READ MORE: Who is Alexander Isak? Age, Height, Family, Nationality, Roots
Alexander Isak’s speed is devastating
Having seen Usain Bolt play football in charity matches, likening him to Isak is maybe not the biggest compliment Warnock could have paid the Sweden international.
But, like Bolt, Isak’s speed can be devastating, as Tottenham found out on Saturday when he raced through on goal to score Newcastle’s third goal of the afternoon.
What is most impressive about Isak is that he is rapid in and out of possession. He runs with the ball as if he has got glue on his boots, which seemed like the only way he could have completed that mesmerising run against Everton last season.
Newcastle striker’s composure is elite
This year Isak has gone to an even greater level, as he shows elite levels of composure in front of goal. When he has a one-on-one chance, you always feel like he is going to score. His goals always look so effortless, as he caresses the ball beyond the helpless goalkeeper time and time again.
His tally of 21 so far this season is incredibly impressive, and it is an even greater accomplishment when you look back at the quality of his goals. So many of them are beautiful finishes, showcasing the composure that Warnock believes he learned at Newcastle.
However, thinking back to Isak’s first Newcastle goal away to Liverpool in August 2022, it feels like he has always had that kind of composure…
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