Erling Haaland doesn’t come across as a person who has many regrets.
The Man City star’s career has gone to plan so far, with the striker displaying confidence in front of goal at all his clubs, which has seen him become one of the best forwards in the world, if not the best.
However, last season was arguably the worst of Haaland’s career, as the City superstar had to deal with injuries and a lack of form, yet the striker still managed to net 34 goals.
If the 25-year-old was to have any regrets in his career, it was very likely to come from the 24/25 campaign, with the Norway international now admitting that he would love to redo one moment from last season.
Erling Haaland regrets giving away FA Cup final penalty
Man City were defeated by Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final in May courtesy of an Eberechi Eze goal, but things may have been different had Haaland made a different decision at Wembley.
With the scoreline at 1-0, the Norwegian handed a penalty to Omar Marmoush for the chance to equalise, despite being Man City’s number one penalty taker. This resulted in the Egyptian missing from the spot.
Speaking to Time Magazine months after the incident, Haaland has now admitted that he regrets that decision and believes he should have taken the penalty himself.
“I shouldn’t have given it to a new player,” the 25-year-old said. “So all the responsibility is on me. I put him in this situation. I had a good feeling on him. But I should have taken it myself.
“I cannot keep thinking about last season. That last season was not good enough, this or that. That’s the best part of football. There’s always something new that’s coming. You have to think about what is coming next and live in the present moment.”
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Erling Haaland had to deal with heavy criticism after the FA Cup final
Given Haaland’s superstar status, the Norwegian star was met with a lot of criticism after he decided to give the penalty away in the FA Cup final, with pundits and fans questioning the striker’s mentality.
Alan Shearer criticised Haaland for not stepping up to take the spot-kick, with the BBC pundit expressing doubts about the mentality of the Norway international in the immediate aftermath of Marmoush’s miss.
Ian Wright was also stunned by Haaland’s decision and stated in the aftermath of the Wembley showpiece that he would never have done what the Man City striker did against Palace during his own career.
Last season was a tough one for Haaland, and going off his interview, it sounds like the 25-year-old is ready to leave the 24/25 campaign in the past.
