Erling Haaland is not only Manchester City’s star striker, but he has effectively staked a claim as future captain with some brutally honest comments he has just made.
Bernardo Silva is Manchester City’s current captain and, while he is a great choice for the role, it remains to be seen whether his long-term future is at the Etihad.
Silva’s contract runs until the end of the season and he has not specified whether he plans to stay at the club beyond next summer.
Should Silva leave at the end of the season, then Erling Haaland would surely be in the running to take over.
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Erling Haaland urges Manchester City teammates to forget the past and work for the future
Haaland is already one of City’s vice-captains, along with Ruben Dias and Rodri, so that immediately puts him in contention for the role in the future.
This week, Haaland also revealed that he has been taking more responsibility around the training ground and on the pitch.
The Norway international told Sky Sports that, with so many key players having left this year, he has now stepped up in helping the new recruits out.
Haaland then delivered a brutally honest assessment about City’s current situation which suggests he is definitely captain material.
“We need to understand that the past is the past,” said Haaland. “We’re not the same team any more, and we have to use it in a positive way.
“We have other qualities now than we had. And we have to adapt but we also have to perform. That’s in the end the most important thing.
“Say what you want, but we have to win games in the end. That’s what we need. That’s what we get paid for.”
Haaland certainly knows how to motivate himself and, based on those comments, it looks as though the £51million man has what it takes to motivate others.
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What Pep Guardiola has said about Erling Haaland as a future captain
Better still, City manager Pep Guardiola has already given his blessing to the prospect of Haaland taking the captain’s armband in future.
Back in June, Guardiola spoke about his thought process behind choosing the leadership group, something he had never previously done before.
And Guardiola confirmed that he viewed Haaland as captain material as he gave him the tools needed to get to that stage in the coming years.
“First of all, he’s so young but he has to start to learn what it means to be a captain,” said Guardiola.
“Because hopefully he’ll be here for many years and sooner or later he will take that position as the first one.
“When you have Bernardo [Silva], Ruben [Dias], Rodri, [Ilkay] Gundogan who was an unbelievable captain for us in the year of the treble, in the two seasons, he will learn.
“Especially because he’s respected and an important figure for us.
“It’s not necessary to say what will happen on the pitch but thinking about the future, he has to start to learn what’s best for the team, captain at the end it can be complicated but at the same time so simple.”
