Erling Haaland reinforces elite mindset and humble nature in fascinating interview

Until it actually happened, it is hard to know for certain how a Premier League phenomenon would react. Until the moment came when a fit Erling Haaland was told he is not in the first-choice line-up, it is impossible to know if he would throw his toys out of the pram.

In an interview with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer on the Rest Is Football podcast, he insists he would not. And Haaland also speaks passionately about trying not to react negatively when he is substituted by Pep Guardiola.

The chat with Lineker and Shearer is fascinating, if not overly revealing. And what it does reinforce is that Haaland might have a superstar look about him, he might have superstar numbers, he might have superstar earning power, but he seems a humble guy, a grounded character.

He comes across, very much, as a team player, his comments on being hooked by Pep particularly interesting. Now and again, having been given a breather when he has goals on the board, Haaland has looked mildly disgruntled.

But it is a look he wants to avoid. He explained: “Let’s be honest, when I scored five goals against Leipzig (in 2023), of course I wanted to score six!

“But the guy that comes in for me, I think it would be really disrespectful if I would come out and be p****d off for him coming in and getting the opportunity to play. So, I think that is the last thing I would do … to show anyone I’m p****d off for getting substituted.”

And Haaland also insists he does not take his place for granted, despite breaking a lot of records and despite having a Manchester City contract that runs until 2034. He says: “I’m the striker of City. I have to score goals. If not, they have to replace me.

"Because if I’m not delivering the goals and the things they need, they have to replace me. So there is a lot of pressure on me to deliver, you know, and to do the job.

“Pressure is one thing but the opportunity I had of being able to, for example, score a hundred goals quick as ever is actually more of … well, it’s not pressure. It’s more like motivation kind of thing to be able to do these things and that’s also I’m so grateful of being able to do this and I’m living the dream of so many young people are doing, playing football for City in the Premier League as well.”

Haaland says that he joined City because Pep said the only thing he had to offer him was “amazing football”. And in the three and a half seasons he has been at the Etihad, Haaland has been amazed by Guardiola’s devotion to the cause.

He says: “He works harder than everyone. He’s the hardest working in the club. He’s the first one to come, the last one to leave. It’s dedication. It’s motivation. It’s an intense way of seeing football and working with football.”

Haaland now has his own YouTube channel and is clearly enjoying giving people an insight into his day-to-day life. He says: “I remember always looking at things, following these people (professional footballers) and looking what they’re doing and all of these kind of things in different situations.

"And when it was like a day in a footballer’s life, I was like, that would be amazing to see how they live and what they do. Then I was thinking like this … imagine how many want to see what I’m doing and how my life is. So I was thinking, why not? Let’s do it and we’ll see how it is. And it’s going well.”

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