‘He doesn’t’ - Alexander Isak’s training methods at Newcastle United assessed

Those tongue-in-cheek comments came as the North Shields native crowned Isak as one of the best strikers on the planet. Newcastle United returned to winning ways at the weekend with a 3-1 comeback win over Southampton on Saturday.

A nine-game run came crashing down against Bournemouth last week - with Isak’s scoring spree also halted. But the Swede returned to his ruthless best with a brace to put Newcastle back on track.

Speaking post-match, Toon defender Burn quipped how he manages to stop Isak in training. He said: "That's for the owners to say but he's priceless to us. He's on fire at the moment (and is) probably one of the best strikers in the world. Yeah, I stop him all the time! 

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“He doesn't score in training, that's why he scores loads at the weekend! It's hard to defend just the way he moves. Most of the time I just like being on his team, that's safe to say.”

Burn also opened up about his own game, with many viewing him, alongside Isak, as a contender for Newcastle’s player of the season. A clear message from Eddie Howe has given the Magpies belief about what they can achieve.

"We were probably getting too far ahead of ourselves but even at the start of the season when we were inconsistent, we were still just trying to hit our standards,” he added. “I feel confident, I'm surprised that people are surprised that I'm doing well at centre-half because that is my position.

"I feel like I'm only getting better as I'm getting older, I really don't feel like I've started to dip. I want to keep pushing myself and try to stay in the team as long as I can. The gaffer has just said you've got to dream about what you can do. We could definitely do something special this season."