‘I’m jealous’ - Demba Ba breaks silence on Newcastle United to ignite striker debate
Demba Ba and Alan Shearer have shared a back-and-forth on social media - with the former Senegalese international crowning Alexander Isak as a world-class striker.
Throughout their respective spells at St James’ Park, all three players were - and in Isak’s case are - Newcastle United’s best centre-forward. The Swede is the current incarnation at a club renowned for legendary goalscorers.
A ruthless double at Southampton got Isak back on the goal trail following a blank - his first in eight games - against Bournemouth a week earlier. Pundits have been debating whether the 25-year-old has eclipsed Manchester City talisman Erling Haaland as the best Premier League striker.
The widely accepted view on Tyneside is that Isak is Newcastle’s best No.9 since Shearer retired in 2006. An impressive 48 top-flight goals in 73 games ranks him joint second - behind Shearer - in the Magpies’ Premier League list.
Ba is also in the conversation for that tag despite spending just 18 months at Newcastle. The former Toon star netted an impressive 16 goals in his debut campaign as United finished fifth.
He left the following January after Chelsea triggered his £7million release clause. Game time became limited at Stamford Bridge but Ba’s goal at Anfield following Steven Gerrard’s slip in 2014 remains legendary.
With Isak the current talk of the Toon, club legend Shearer posted on social media that he is set to interview him for BBC Sport. This triggered a humours response from ex-Newcastle favourite Ba.
“I’m jealous,” he wrote. “You never gave me the honour of visiting me when I was on fire. Jokes apart, we have ourselves a world-class striker. I’m so happy!”
Shearer then threw shade at Mike Ashley’s regime on Tyneside, insisting this was not down to the lack of trying. He replied: “I was always asking the club man and they didn’t invite me then! Hope you’re well.”