THE PROMISED HAALAND
City’s new star has love affair with Champs League.. now he can help them win it
ERLING HAALAND has such an affinity with the Champions League that he has the tournament’s anthem as his ringtone.
Manchester City and their boss Pep Guardiola will hope Haaland’s love affair with the competition can finally lead them to be kings of the Euro elite for the first time.
Haaland’s £51million move to City from Borussia Dortmund, on a five-year deal worth £375,000-aweek, has made the English champions an even more formidable force.
With 86 goals in 89 appearances for Dortmund, Haaland is unquestionably the most talented and prolific young striker in Europe, with 135 goals in 183 career games at the age of just 21. And while City’s domestic dominance is assured, with four title triumphs in five years, the last frontier for them to conquer is Europe – with Haaland’s arrival giving them no excuses for falling short again. The Norway star set a record by reaching 20 Champions League goals in just 14 games and tends to save his top form for the big competition that brings out the very best in him.
In total, Haaland has 23 goals from 19 Champions League games and the best minutes-per-goal ratio in the tournament’s history, scoring every 64 minutes on average.
Asked about his phone’s ringtone being the instantly recognisable Champions League anthem, Haaland said: “It still is!
“I’ve always liked the Champions League, so that’s a bit [of a reason] why. “It’s a bit more special, in my eyes, and I like it.” City beat the rest of Europe’s top clubs to the signing of wanted man Haaland, in no small part due to their connection his father Alf-Inge. Haaland senior, 49, captained City during a three-year stint with the club from 2000 to 2003, his son explaining how that connection led to him following in his footsteps.
“First of all, it was my father, a little bit,” said Haaland.
“He lived in England, he played for the club.
“Of course, a lot of things have changed in the last 20 years but he lived here, so he knows what it is.
“We’ve just been speaking about basically how it is, what’s the best for me, what’s this, what’s that, and to try to find out everything.
“He’s been a good dad in that thing there.
“I was born in England. I’ve been a City fan my whole life, I know a lot about the club.
“In the end, it was two things. I feel at home here and also I think I can develop and get the best out of my game at City.”
Haaland, who played at the Etihad for Dortmund against City last season, is now relishing the prospect of playing regularly there.
“I have been there a couple of times before, watching games,” said Haaland.
“I like it. It’s beautiful, I like the colour. And I played there also. It’s a big, huge stadium and I’m looking forward to playing there.”
Haaland also can’t wait to link up with City and England midfielder Phil Foden in Guardiola’s new-look side.
The new boy reckons he can form a devastating on-field understanding with his team-mate, who is just two months older.
“I’ve been watching a lot of City games for as long as I can remember,” said Haaland.
“So, of course, I’ve also watched Phil – he’s an amazing player, still talented because he’s still young.
“He’s an amazing player, he still has to develop and then we can really talk!”