Erling Haaland: Pep Guardiola the smartest football person I have met

Current Manchester City and Norway striker Erling Haaland has told William Hill that Pep Guardiola is the best coach and the smartest man he’s ever met in football. 

Speaking exclusively to William Hill at the Football Writers’ Association Awards the Manchester City striker said: “Pep [Guardiola] has been developing me throughout the whole season. We’ve been getting to know each other, of course, and me and all the players have been putting the small details together here and there.

“It’s about doing my own thing, but also adding a few extra things to my normal game. In the end it comes down to the fact that I just have to listen to him because he’s the best coach, and he’s the smartest football guy I’ve ever met. Why would listen to him?”

Odegaard and Rodri Haaland’s pick for the award

Haaland also spoke on other players who had notable season, singling out fellow countryman Martin Odegaard, and praising his Manchester City teammate Rodri for his important role in the side.

“If I had to pick another player to have won Player of the Year, I would say my Norwegian friend, [Martin] Odegaard has had a really good season,” said Haaland. “There are also other teammates that could have easily won it because there’s a lot of players in the Manchester City team that have been outstanding this season. If you watch all of our games, you will see that Rodri has just been so solid throughout the whole season.

“I think sometimes he is a bit hidden because he is in midfield and he’s the one pulling everything together. I don’t want to say too many names, but maybe it could have been one of them.”

Haaland confident ahead of FA Cup Final

With a treble still on the cards for Manchester City, Haaland spoke on the upcoming FA Cup final against rivals Manchester United, with comparisons being made recently between this year’s Manchester City side and the Manchester United treble-winning side of 1999.

“Winning the treble would be amazing,” said Haaland. “But of course, we still have two more finals. We have to focus on one final at a time. Now our only focus is on the FA Cup final, and we hope it will turn out well for us. I’m really looking forward to it and I have confidence in our team. Hopefully they will be two great matches.”

“It should be a good game against Manchester United, and we have to play our own football and try to do what we’re best at, keeping the ball and creating chances, playing nice offensive football. That’s what we have to try and do, and then in the end we’ll see if it turns out well for us or not. We will only find out once the game starts.”