Callum Wilson was replaced by Alexander Isak against Wolves, and the Toon number nine has admitted that he was delighted to see the 23-year-old score.
Eddie Howe made a big change to his Newcastle attack last weekend, making the one alteration that fans wanted to see. Wilson was out, and Isak was in.
The £63million man got the chance to lead the line from the off, and grabbed it with both hands. He was brilliant on Sunday, and produced a wonderful display that was about more than just his goal.
Isak led the press, stretched the Wolves defence with his pace, and he also got the opening goal of the game with a header.
His performance will likely mean that he retains his place in the Newcastle starting XI ahead of Wilson against Nottingham Forest. That is the view of the 31-year-old, who thinks it might take him a little longer to win back his place in the side.
It is a blow for Wilson to be on the bench, but he appears to be relishing the competition.
Callum Wilson delighted for Alexander Isak
On the latest episode of the Footballer’s Football Podcast, Wilson addressed Isak coming to the club and challenging him for his spot in Howe’s starting XI
“I think it’s testament to people’s characters how they respond to that,” Wilson said.
“I’d be the first person to congratulate him when he did score.
“He sits next to me in the dressing room as well so before the game I was saying ‘go out there and get us a goal today’. It’s not like I’m saying ‘don’t score today, try and have a beast!’.
“It’s one of those things. I’m happy we got a win and three points and moving, because success for the club brings success for every individual within that team.”
Isak is the future for Newcastle
When the Magpies signed Isak for £63million last summer, Wilson must have known that his position was suddenly under major threat. The club had just broke their transfer record on someone who plays in his position.
Isak is the future for Newcastle, and should be the club’s main striker for a long time. But that doesn’t mean Wilson is finished. The competition should hopefully result in him raising his game to a higher level, which can only be a good thing for Newcastle United.
At 31, Wilson is one of the most experienced players in the dressing room. He can pass on plenty of wisdom to Isak – especially since they sit next to each other before games.
His pre-match words of encouragement clearly worked, as Isak scored his fourth goal in Newcastle colours. Hopefully he sends him a similar message ahead of Friday night’s clash with Nottingham Forest.
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