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Dwight Yorke has spoken out in defence of Alexander Isak, stressing that the striker has not done anything new or underhand in wanting to pursue a blockbuster transfer to Liverpool by citing his own experience in pushing for a move to Manchester United.

Isak, 25, made it clear that he wished to pursue a move to the Premier League champions, only for Newcastle to dig their heels in over their star striker. Isak responded by effectively downing tools and did not feature in Newcastle's opening games of the season before they relented and sanctioned a £125million exit in the final hours of the summer transfer window.

The Sweden international's behaviour in the build-up to the move has been condemned by fans and pundits alike, while Newcastle marked his departure with a blunt 37-word statement.

But Yorke, who got his wish when Manchester United came calling back in his Aston Villa days, says only people who have been in a similar situation will understand what Isak went through this summer - and that the drama is not really anything new. “If you've been in his position, you could understand. I certainly have with my transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester United. It never really ends well when a player comes out and says he wants to move. It never really does,” Yorke told Jackpot City Casino.

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“What I don't condone is not training, not participating, because ultimately he's still getting paid by the club, and he's still their player. Coming out and wanting to leave to go to a bigger club, it's happened all the time. So I don't understand how all these ex-players are saying all this and that.”

Isak's desire to move on from St James' Park despite the club winning the Carabao Cup last season and qualifying for the Champions League drew the ire of many fans. But Yorke argues that Liverpool are a bigger club and that by moving to Anfield, he now stands a much better chance of landing the game's most lucrative prizes.

“These guys [criticising] probably haven't been in those circumstances,” Yorke added. “But for the ones who have been in those circumstances, they totally get it. So you want to go and play for Liverpool, and no disrespect, Newcastle, Liverpool is a bigger club, and that's what players want. They want to go and play in all these big competitions, want to win major competitions. That's the only reason.

“He's given three years at Newcastle. You've seen Andy Cole made that transition from Newcastle as well. So it's not like it's never happened before. All these players and ex-players and all of those, fans, it's something that is common in the game.

“It's always been there for a number of years. So I don't understand the uproar when someone says he wants to leave because he wants to go to a bigger club. He wouldn't leave the club to go for a lesser club than Newcastle. That conversation wouldn't take place.

“But a bigger club, and that's what big clubs do, they go after players who are going to make their team better. And that's simply the case. So I don't get why it's become such an uproar. It's happened for years.”

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