Wayne Rooney Says Alexander Isak Doesn’t Deserve To Start For Liverpool Ahead Of Hugo Ekitike

20 Oct 2025, 12:04 by Ernest Victor · Naija News

Wayne Rooney has questioned Alexander Isak’s place in Liverpool’s starting line-up, saying the striker has not done enough to keep his spot ahead of Hugo Ekitike.

Naija News reports that the Swedish forward joined Liverpool from Newcastle in September for a record £125 million fee but has yet to justify the price tag. Since his arrival, Isak has scored just once, a League Cup goal, in seven appearances across all competitions.

His struggles were evident again in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester United at Anfield, his third straight Premier League start without finding the net. In contrast, Ekitike, who came off the bench against United, has scored four times for the Reds this season, including three league goals.

“I wouldn’t play Isak, he hasn’t looked ready since coming from Newcastle,” Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show. “He hasn’t trained, hasn’t had a pre-season. It’s so important.

“While Newcastle were training, he was probably sitting at home on the phone to his agent for six hours a day trying to get a move. It’s so difficult when you don’t have a pre-season. He might’ve done stuff by himself, but he’s paying the price for it. On performances, he doesn’t deserve to be playing ahead of Ekitike.”

Liverpool’s loss to United marked their fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions, their worst run since 2014. The reigning Premier League champions had started the season brightly with seven straight wins but have since struggled for consistency.

“They’ve got a bit complacent,” Rooney added. “For Arne Slot, you forget because he won the Premier League, but he’s still quite young, 46 years of age and this was the first time he’s lost four in a row in his career. [Against Manchester United] he was arguing with the officials on the touchline, I haven’t seen that before from him. We’re starting to see things unfold which shows that there’s pressure there.”