New Delhi, Sep 2 : Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has defended Alexander Isak's manner of leaving Newcastle United and forcing a move to Liverpool for a record Premier League fee.

Isak refused to continue playing at Newcastle and was left out of the pre-season training and the opening three Premier League fixtures while also having to train away from the first team.

Hart pointed out how clubs have not shown loyalty in the past when it comes to contracts hence why should the players respect the commitment.

'If football was fair then he acted unacceptably. If everyone honoured their contracts, football clubs included, this is how we are going to do it, equal opportunity, play while you continue to get paid and then shake hands, great,' said Hart to BBC.

'But everyone knows it doesn't work like that. We have all been stomped on when it suited someone else. What's wrong with Alexander Isak standing up and saying, "I want to go to Liverpool"?

'You can say that you want the contract to mean something but it doesn't, because he's gone to Liverpool. I'm sure Isak doesn't care what any of us think right now.

'When it doesn't suit the club the contract means nothing. Go and sit in that dressing room, don't train when we come in, all of those things happen. So why when it's the other way around do we need to respect the contract."

On the other hand, the former Premier League striker Chris Sutton believes the actions of Isak and Yoane Wissa, who joined Newcastle as a replacement for the Swede in a similar manner, were 'disgraceful'

'Players sign contracts, people in their everyday lives sign contracts and you adhere to those contracts. It is absolutely despicable what they have done. They may well be happy tonight, but it is a disgraceful way to behave.

'Eddie Howe with Isak and his career - Isak owes Howe a hell of a lot, but he has treated him with total disrespect. Saying that, Newcastle have signed Wissa who has done the same as what Isak has done,' said Sutton to BBC.

/IANS