KIERAN TRIPPIER has played with some of the best strikers in world football during his club and international career, but when the Newcastle United skipper watches Alexander Isak in action, he immediately gets the sense of something extra-special.

Since joining Newcastle in a club-record £63m move from Real Sociedad last summer, Isak has suffered an injury-interrupted first season in English football that has seen him miss big chunks of the campaign and play second fiddle to Callum Wilson for lengthy periods when he has been fit.

The 23-year-old Swede had only made three Premier League starts prior to last month’s game with Bournemouth, but since returning to the starting side against the Cherries, he has kicked off four of Newcastle’s last five games.

His match-winning brace at Nottingham Forest on Friday night means he has scored three goals in his last two outings, with Trippier an avowed admirer of his attacking capabilities.

“Alex has found it a bit difficult since he came in because he had to work hard and then he got injured, and sometimes when you move to a new team these things can happen because it’s different training, a different intensity,” said the Magpies captain.

“It’s probably totally different to Spain. But he’s taken his chance and his ability is frightening at such a young age. He’s got different abilities, and it’s great to see him scoring. He’s a big member of our squad.”

Trippier and Isak were at the heart of the decisive moment in Friday’s game, with the former helping to ensure the latter was not unduly unsettled in the build-up to his stoppage-time spot-kick.

While Isak was always earmarked as Newcastle’s penalty taker, Trippier seized the ball as soon as referee Paul Tierney pointed to the spot following a handball from Moussa Niakhate.

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The full-back attracted the attention of Forest’s protesting defenders, but while it initially looked as though he was going to take the penalty, he handed the ball over to Isak once things calmed down.

The episode was a shining example of the kind of leadership skills that Trippier that has brought to Newcastle’s first-team group since returning to England from Atletico Madrid just over a year ago, with the 32-year-old using all of his nous to help Isak tilt the game in the Magpies’ favour.

“Teams can put you off and get in your face,” said Trippier, who has linked up with the England squad ahead of this week’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine.

“So I just said to Alex, ‘Listen, I’ll just hold the ball, you just zone in, get in the moment, do your normal routine and I’ll take all the pressure as if I’m taking the penalty. I want you to be as calm as possible’. Little details like that can help and be massive.”

It certainly seemed to benefit Isak on Friday, with the striker stroking a superb spot-kick into the top right-hand corner.

The victory lifted Newcastle back into fifth position, and their hopes of Champions League qualification were boosted further on Saturday when Tottenham conceded a stoppage-time equaliser to throw away a two-goal lead in a 3-3 draw with Southampton.

Newcastle are now just two points adrift of fourth-placed Spurs, with two games in hand, and Trippier is confident his side are ready to kick on again in the concluding 12 games that will follow the international break.

“At the start of the season, the manager spoke a lot about believing we could do something special,” said Trippier. “This is probably one of the best groups I’ve ever been in. We’re as fit as a fiddle as a team, and we keep going to the death. The lads will give everything."