Erling Haaland on what Man City means to him, his viral haircut, the new era and more!

Sky Sports Premier League

Haaland on his viral haircut, the packed schedule, leadership and Man City's new era

Erling Haaland discusses his new haircut, a short post-World Cup pre-season, the strain of too many games, his growing leadership role and how fatherhood has changed him. He also talks about Man City under Enzo, what the club means to him and his message to supporters before Anfield.

► Subscribe to Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL ► Watch Sky Sports with NOW: https://bit.ly/NOWPremierLeagueYT Erling Haaland discusses his new hair, Man City's 'new era', what the club means to him and more ahead of their trip to Anfield at the weekend. 00:00 Hair 01:23 Summer 02:47 Increasing number of games 04:01 Development as a leader 05:31 Would he like to be captain? 06:17 Being a father 07:18 'New' era at Man City 09:36 What Man City means to him 10:15 Trip to Anfield premierleague football manchestercity ► Premier League highlights: https://bit.ly/PL2627HL ► MNF, FNF, SNF & Super Sunday analysis: https://bit.ly/SkyMatchAnalysis ► Gary Neville Podcast: https://bit.ly/GaryNevillePodcast ► Saturday Social: https://bit.ly/SkySaturdaySocial ► Buy this season’s shirts: https://bit.ly/SkySportsShop More from Sky Sports on YouTube: ► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub ► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub ► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket ► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts ► Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub ► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1 ► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf ► Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub ► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub ► Sky Sports WSL: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsWSL ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkySportsFootball ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skysportsfootball ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsfootball ► X: https://x.com/SkySportsPL ► Website: https://www.skysports.com ► To enquire about licensing Sky Sports content, you can find out more here: https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/31754/11434270/license-sky-sports-footage

Transcript

So, you're here partly to redo your pre-season promotional filming, the green screen filming, and that is cuz the last time you did it, you had long hair. I And I just wondered, is that Do you ever get used to people being that interested in you doing everyday things like having a haircut? You know, my wife doesn't notice when it happens to me and you've got half the world kind of hanging off you having a haircut. >> Yeah. I mean uh I didn't I expected it to go a bit viral but I didn't expect all world to to look at me with a new haircut you know so uh it was quite uh it was quite funny and uh yeah I didn't expect to to have to do this again as well to be HONEST >> I just saw the with some of your teammates reactions. Have you have Have you sort of enjoyed almost toying with people a little bit and seeing some of those reactions? >> Yeah, it's it's been good and and to be honest, uh I don't get noticed so much um on the street anymore. So, >> you're still pretty massive. I'm surprised. >> Yeah, I am. But, uh you don't see the the beautiful blonde hair so much anymore. So, um so it's a it's a it's a change and I think it's nice. >> Fine. That makes me think the the the blonde hair might come back at some point though. probably. >> How are you? How are you physically? You've just had the international break. Obviously came off towards the end of the last friendly and you had a different kind of summer. So proud of course to to represent your country, but it means you haven't had that time you might normally have. Yeah, I mean I already I think I played over 10 games now already and I just felt the season started like almost yesterday, you know, uh with the World Cup and so much that happened both for me personally but also as a country and no just Norway in the world just kind of everyone cheering for us and >> so is it kind of emotional as well? Not just like my legs are tired, it's more than that. >> Yeah. And I think um I think everything that happened I think it's going still going to take months to kind of properly digest because it was so huge the World Cup and everything that happened you know so uh it's it's not easy because you want to have a proper break and you want to have a proper preseason but the reality is my preseason was I think three four trainings and then it was the community shield a game and then there was the next week following week and then the first game in the Premier League. So, um, reality is hasn't barely been a a preseason just to kind of get ready. >> So, um, I think it's going to be it's going to be not the easiest thing. >> Um, but we kind of have to just take game by game and to try and just focus on things you can do something with. >> How much of a break did you get? How how many days just to say, you know, >> I think I got 25 25 days. And I guess there's an element of to to be as important as you are, but like Norway need you. Man City need you. They need your performances. They need your goals. That must be a great feeling. >> Yeah, definitely. It's it's always again um don't want to sit and complain. I'm tired or anything because I'm not tired. I'm full of energy now, ready for training after now. >> But it's about delivering your best level, isn't it? It's not necessarily moaning. >> Exactly. I think if I can say something before answering that question. I think it's so many games and I don't mind playing the games but I think the level will drop the more games you play all the time and you don't get a proper rest and you don't get fully recovered because then you will play at maybe 75% uh a game and that's not optimal but that's the reality as well. I don't think I just speak for for myself. I think I speak for for every single player the the more you play of course you want to be in a rhythm but you also need to breathe as well and it's nine games till the next international it's a lot of games. >> Yeah. So talking about your importance leads me onto something that interests me about you and that's your development as a leader. >> Well done IA play like this we're going to win 10 NIL. >> GO AGAINST ONE GO. HOW MUCH HAS that side of your character, you as a player developed over the last couple years? You became part of the, if I'm right, part of the leadership group when Carl Walker left. Is that right? And and has has a lot changed since then? >> Of course. Yeah. Plenty of players left. Uh plenty of players that was there for so long time left. Uh just look at the last or since the treble season I think that's left from that kind of squad team is me uh Phil and Ruben correct me if I'm wrong that's almost a whole team so for me it's kind of natural I've been here now it's my fifth season I think time flies as well uh but of course I I felt like I've been developed a natural leadership as well uh the more I grow I'm a father now and and everything and I've grown up more I think it's still important to be yourself in the most natural way as possible, but also I've been a young player in in a big team. So, and I know how important is to have people that can guide you, that can help you with small things, uh, but still be be yourself, joking around, uh, having having a good time because that's what you want as well, but also work and wanting wanting to become a better footballer. >> Would you like to be Man City captain one day? I've just got it in my head. Enzo saying that he doesn't really want the person who scores all the goals being the captain because he uses the goals as a little tactical moment. >> I mean, uh, Reuben's our captain now and I'm I'm super happy for him and he's he's a great leader. I'm the assistant vice captain, assistant captain. I don't know the name of >> that doesn't make that doesn't mean he gets to make you run around doing all the little chores for us. Is it? >> No, I think we're we're working great together. And uh I think it's about everyone being your own leader in a natural way trying to help uh the team win games because I think everyone is kind of a a captain theirel even you have the band on on your arm or not. You should be >> yourself as as a leader to try to win the game. >> Uh you mentioned being a father. Has that changed you then as a player as a a figure in the dressing room? >> Yeah, I think a little bit. Yeah, I think you kind of um I mean the priority is of course to to try to perform as best possible and it still is, but you also come home and you you have uh much more responsibilities to to have at home as well. Uh and uh I think it kind of changes you a little bit uh in the way you think and also I think it helped me a lot uh just that things are not that serious just just enjoy and >> it's just football even though it feels massive at times it's just football >> but it is it is important for so many millions of people around the world and I have so many we have so many eyes on us so we have to perform but again there's a reason why we started playing football it was because we enjoyed it and we had fun when we were young and that's also I think it's important to to keep telling yourself that it's also important to have fun. >> How has it been since you got the group back together, everyone back from international break? Yeah, I think it's good. Of course, people travel and and everything and it was a long international two two and a half weeks um now since since we last saw each other. So, it's good to get back now and uh and to to get back as a group together and and as a club and and to uh start winning games again >> straight away. >> Yeah. Don't lose a golf. I I like that. Come on. Can you have an interview with Antony? >> But ask him what does he prefer to be called David? >> But I I'm going to call him for the next month. >> He just bangs it in like David. >> I'll take Africa. >> How optimistic are you about like I guess a new cityish? Yeah, I mean there's plenty of new players and there's players we need to give time even though in football you don't really get time do you? So um people have to come straight in perform and um and yeah there's players that knows the league and everything and new manager as well is is always different and everything but uh we have to help each other and we have to try to in the end just win win win games. Bang on some tunes all the way. >> Very different under this manager. Just before you come over, I saw a clip of Enza playing >> music dur during training. I I can't imagine Pep doing that. >> No, Pep would never do that. It is different and and I think also when a manager has been in the club for 10 years, I think there was always a big change. Um but it's nice. It's it's always nice with the change even though we miss Pep and we miss Pep's leadership and the presence as well that everyone in in the world could feel. >> You have to trust that we can win this game. Anything can happen in football guys. >> Enzo has come in and he has his own ideas but we're still we want to keep the ball. We want to play good football. So it's still the same even though it's a bit different you know. So, uh, so yeah, >> something that kind of, um, passed me by when you first signed that you and your dad had actually both signed on the same date, both on June 13th, and obviously when you were born, it was into a city family. It made me think of the question with all that history with the club, how much do you how much you care about this place? >> Yeah, I I care a lot about this place. Um, UK generally, um, my mother as well, she they lived here for 10 years. It's a special place for us. And um and I care a lot about uh City. I have to say I I care I care a lot about uh the fans because I I I'm a fan myself and I I feel I feel with them as well. So So yeah, that's um that's the answer. >> How do you feel about going to Anfield on Sunday? What do you expect? >> Yeah, it's going to it's it's always special to play against Liverpool. Um especially with Pep and Klopp. I remember sitting in in Molda, Salsburg and Dortmund watching the games. Uh how much they pushed each other. So yeah, it's always special games there. Uh I won there. I drew that I lost. So uh it's always special and every Premier League game is different and um every game against Liverpool is always special. >> And obviously and lastly, [snorts] it hasn't been the easiest couple of weeks for the club, for people who love Man City. any message for the supporters traveling to Anfield to support you on Sunday? >> Yeah, I think they're going to have a good time. Um, we have to stick together. We have to to um to stay with each other and we have to stay positive and um no matter what happens in life, we always have to have a smile. So we have to uh stay positive, look ahead and um and try to win football games and then try to enjoy enjoy the situation and um and the game. >> Is that the key though is you just said there that you're in it together, players, supporters, club. >> Yeah, we have to, as I said, we have to stick together and we have to we have to uh spread the love to each other. So, um, so yeah, stick together and, um, enjoy the ride and smile.