After Erling Haaland was officially announced as a Manchester City player, there were many that were sceptical about how he would fit into a Pep Guardiola side.
The argument amongst the detractors remained that the 22-year old would simply look out of place in a system that demands technical proficiency at the highest level.
Many felt that the Sky Blues had made a blunder by not reigniting their interest in signing Harry Kane, who is renowned for being one of the most complete strikers in Europe.
Furthermore, several critics held the opinion that much like a number of forwards at City in recent seasons, the Norwegian would struggle to adapt in his debut campaign at the club.
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Jack Grealish’s struggles last term were often cited as the ideal parallel.
However, in his early days at the Etihad Stadium, Erling Haaland seems to be getting better and better in every game.
While sceptics slated the youngster for not being in sync with his teammates during Manchester City’s 3-1 defeat to Liverpool in the FA Community Shield, his incredible movement was for all to see as he bagged a brace on his Premier League debut against West Ham.
Against AFC Bournemouth, those that had question marks about Haaland’s link-up play were silenced as he set up Gundogan with a superb assist.
And the cynics that were unsure about the ex-Dortmund striker’s goalscoring prowess in his first season may have been stunned, as he scored his third goal in three league matches against Newcastle last weekend.
As the striking sensation continues to improve in a Sky Blue shirt week in, week out, he revealed that constantly touching bigger heights remains one of his biggest motivations.
“I don’t know what will happen, but it must always be about learning, about developing. You can never stop looking for new ways to become better”, he said in an exclusive interview with FourFourTwo.
The former RB Salzburg talisman cited Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema as the ideal role model to look up to in respect of constantly evolving over time.
“Look at Karim Benzema at Real Madrid. He’s 34 now and suddenly, he’s developed into an even better player over the last couple of years – that’s insanely good. I want to always do that.”
The boyhood City supporter also touched on his love for operating as a striker.
“I was watching the Premier League a lot before I arrived here and I think over the past few years, the big number nine has become more and more rare, but that’s why it’s even better to be one now!
It’s the final position and I always wanted to be a striker because of that. I love my position.”
Erling Haaland’s passion for his craft is evident and working alongside one of the world’s most detail-oriented coaches in Pep Guardiola, it is likely that his game reaches another level at Manchester City.
Topics: Manchester City, Erling Haaland, Premier League
Srinivas Sadhanand