Alexander Isak

Alexander Isak (Tigrinya: ኣለክሳንደር ይስሐቅ; Swedish: [alɛkˈsanːdɛr ˈiːsak]; born 21 September 1999) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Real Sociedad and the Sweden national team.

Alexander Isak
Isak with Sweden in 2019
Personal information
Date of birth (1999-09-21) 21 September 1999
Place of birth Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Club information
Current team
 Real Sociedad
Number 19
Youth career
2005–2016 AIK
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2017 AIK 24 (10)
2017–2019 Borussia Dortmund II 12 (5)
2017–2019 Borussia Dortmund 5 (0)
2018–2019 → Willem II (loan) 16 (13)
2019– Real Sociedad 55 (17)
National team‡
2015–2016 Sweden U17 19 (6)
2016–2017 Sweden U19 6 (2)
2016–2018 Sweden U21 7 (0)
2017– Sweden 18 (5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 7 February 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 November 2020

Career

Early life

Isak was born and raised in Solna Municipality, in central Stockholm County, from Eritrean parents.[2] He started playing for the youth team of the largest club in the area, the team he supports, AIK, at age six.[3]

Breakthrough at AIK

Isak made his first-team debut for AIK on 28 February 2016, appearing as a substitute in the 75th minute of the Swedish Cup away match against fourth-tier side Tenhults IF. At age 16, Isak scored a goal in the 6–0 victory.[4]

On 7 April 2016, AIK head coach Andreas Alm included Isak in the starting lineup on matchday 2 of the Allsvenskan in an away fixture against Östersunds FK, alongside fellow young striker Carlos Strandberg. He secured the victory for his side, scoring the second goal in a 2–0 win, thus becoming the youngest scorer in AIK Allsvenskan history at the age of 16 years and 199 days.[5]

On 25 April, Isak scored his first goal at AIK's home ground, Friends Arena, opening the score in a 2–1 victory against IF Elfsborg.[6]

On 3 May 2016, Isak signed his first professional contract through the end of the 2018 season, having impressed in his first few games, and establishing himself as a first-team regular.[4] Between matchdays 8 and 9, head coach Alm was sacked, but Isak was confirmed in the lineup by new manager Rikard Norling.[7]

On 21 September 2016, Isak's 17th birthday, he scored two critical goals in AIK's 3–0 derby win over arch-rivals Djurgårdens IF. He was later described by teammate Chinedu Obasi as "Sweden's new Zlatan Ibrahimović".[8]

Borussia Dortmund

On 23 January 2017, Isak signed for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund on a long-term contract, lasting until the summer of 2022.[9] The transfer fee was undisclosed, but reports suggested that it was set at €9 million, which would be the highest transfer fee ever paid for an Allsvenskan player.[10] Before signing with Dortmund, Isak reportedly turned down a move to Real Madrid.[11]

Isak made his first appearance for the club in a 3–0 cup win over Sportfreunde Lotte on 14 March 2017.[12] Isak won his first medal with the club when Dortmund won the 2016–17 DFB-Pokal, only appearing once in the tournament, and not being in the squad for the final.[13][14]

He scored his first competitive goal for Dortmund in a 2017–18 DFB-Pokal second round win against 1. FC Magdeburg on 24 October 2017, scoring the second goal in a 5–0 win.[15]

Loan to Willem II

After no appearances in the 2018–19 Bundesliga season for Borussia Dortmund, Isak was loaned to Dutch Eredivisie club Willem II.[16] On 28 February 2019, he scored the equalizer and the winning penalty against AZ Alkmaar in the semi-finals of the KNVB Cup, helping Willem II reach the Dutch cup final for the first time since 2005. On 30 March 2019, he became the first player ever to score three penalties in an Eredivisie match, in a 3–2 win against Fortuna Sittard.[17] On 14 April 2019, Isak became the first foreign-born player in the Eredivisie to score 12 goals in his first 12 league games.[18]

Real Sociedad

On 12 June 2019, Isak signed a five-year deal with Real Sociedad, worth £988,000 per year,[19] joining the La Liga club on 1 July 2019, in which he scored his first goal in his first game. He strongly continued the pre-season, scoring four goals in five games.[20] Isak scored his first competitive goal for Real Sociedad in a 3–1 La Liga win against RCD Espanyol on 22 September 2019.[21] On 6 February, Isak scored two goals and made one assist in the Copa del Rey quarter-final against Real Madrid.[22] On February 9, he scored the winning goal in the Basque derby against Athletic Bilbao.[23]

International career

Isak was called up to the Sweden national team for the friendly matches against Ivory Coast on 8 January 2017 and Slovakia on 12 January. He made his debut against the Ivory Coast, coming on for Per Frick in the 62nd minute of a 1–2 loss. He started the second game against Slovakia, scoring the first goal in a 6–0 win in the 19th minute, becoming the youngest goalscorer ever in the history of the Sweden national team.[24]

On 23 March 2019, Isak made his first competitive appearance for Sweden, when he replaced Robin Quaison in the 88th minute in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying game against Romania, which Sweden won 2–1.[25]

Isak scored his first competitive goal for Sweden on 7 June 2019, when Sweden beat Malta in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying game at Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.[26] Isak scored the last goal in a 3–0 win.[27]

Career statistics

Club
As of 06 February 2021.[28][29]
Club Season League Cup[lower-alpha 1] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
AIK 2016 Allsvenskan 2410233[lower-alpha 2]0—2913
Total24102330—2913
Borussia Dortmund II 2016–17 Regionalliga West 10—10
2018–19 115115
Total125—125
Borussia Dortmund 2016–17 Bundesliga 0010000010
2017–18 50314[lower-alpha 3]000121
Total50414000131
Willem II (loan) 2018–19 Eredivisie 161321—1814
Total161321—1814
Real Sociedad 2019–20 La Liga 37977—4416
2020–21 178106[lower-alpha 2]01[lower-alpha 4]0258
Total54158760106924
Career total1094115121301013857

Notes

  1. Includes Svenska Cupen, DFB-Pokal, KNVB Cup and Copa del Rey
  2. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
  3. One appearance in UEFA Champions League, three appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. Appearance(s) in Supercopa de España

International
As of 14 October 2020.[30]
Sweden
YearAppsGoals
201721
201800
2019103
202041
Total165

International goals
As of 8 October 2020.[30]
Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first.
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.12 January 2017Armed Forces Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Slovakia1–06–0Friendly
2.7 June 2019Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden Malta3–03–0UEFA Euro 2020 qualification
3.5 September 2019Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands Faroe Islands1–04–0
4.2–0
5.8 October 2020VEB Arena, Moscow, Russia Russia1–02–1Friendly

Honours

Individual

Records

References
  1. "Ficha de Alexander Isak (Isak) perteneciente a Real Sociedad". realsociedad.eus (in Spanish). Real Sociedad. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  2. ""Jag blir alltid jämförd med Goitom"" (in Swedish). 2 April 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  3. "Supertalangen: "Att få dra på sig AIK-tröjan är drömmen"" (in Swedish). 24 November 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  4. "Talangen förlänger tre år med AIK" (in Swedish). 3 May 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  5. "Skrev AIK-historia – yngst någonsin" (in Swedish). 7 April 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  6. "TV: Supertalangens mål framför PL-scouterna" (in Swedish). 25 April 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  7. "AIK-succén direkt i Norlings återkomst" (in Swedish). 16 May 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  8. "Alexander Isak hyllas: "Kan bli nya Zlatan..."" (in Swedish). 22 September 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  9. "Borussia Dortmund sign striker Alexander Isak". 23 January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  10. "Officiellt: Alexander Isak klar för Borussia Dortmund" (in Swedish). 23 January 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  11. "Bomben: Isak nobbar Real – här är hans val" (in Swedish). 21 January 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  12. int.soccerway.com/players/alexander-isak/422165/
  13. "Här får Isak göra debut i Dortmund". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  14. "Blir mästare efter hans 40:e fullträff". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  15. "SUCCÉN! Alexander Isak målskytt i tyska cupen". www.expressen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  16. "Willem II huurt spits Alexander Isak" (in Dutch). willem-ii.nl. 25 January 2019.
  17. "Willem II-aanvaller Isak schrijft Eredivisiehistorie". telegraaf.nl.
  18. "Alexander Isaks succé – målskytt igen för Willem II". www.expressen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  19. "What is Alexander Isak's Salary Per Week? | Salary Sport". www.salarysport.com. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  20. "La Real Sociedad ficha a Alexander Isak" (in Spanish). 12 June 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  21. "Real Sociedad prove they mean business with win at Espanyol". MARCA in English. 22 September 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  22. "Isak, the boy who rejected Real Madrid, hurt them again with a brace". MARCA in English. 6 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  23. "TV: Isaks dröminhopp i baskiska derbyt - avgjorde med mål och assist". fotbollskanalen (in Swedish). Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  24. "Isak historisk i 6-0-seger mot Slovakien" (in Swedish). 12 January 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  25. "Isak hyllas stort efter debuten: "Kan förstå att många tycker jag är spännande"". fotbollskanalen.
  26. "TV: Isak med första tävlingsmålet i landslaget när Sverige körde över Malta". fotbollskanalen (in Swedish). Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  27. "Isak seals points for Sweden".
  28. "A. ISAK". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  29. Alexander Isak at WorldFootball.net
  30. "Alexander Isak - national football team player". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  31. "Isak stolt över priset som årets nykomling" (in Swedish). 17 November 2016. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
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