Erling Haaland received a bit of a culture shock when he swapped the Bundesliga for the Premier League.
Manchester City were quick to move ahead of the rest of Europe’s biggest clubs when they swooped to secure the hottest property on the market in 2022.
The signing of Haaland from Borussia Dortmund proved to be a master stroke, with the Norwegian sensation grabbing a ridiculous 52 goals in his first 52 matches last season.
Haaland’s cutting edge in front of goal is what Pep Guardiola’s side was missing to push them to the next level and with him in the side they clinched a historic treble triumph.
The 23-year-old hardly struggled to keep up his remarkable goal-scoring form when moving to England, but he was still left surprised by one aspect of the Premier League.
Erling Haaland on what shocked him about the Premier League
Speaking to The Official Man City Podcast, Haaland said: “It is, yeah. It’s loads of things.
“You get used to it, but you feel it more after games. It’s more duels. It’s more sprinting and running, you can feel it’s a more physical league.”
Could it impact Erling Haaland negatively?
If there had have been one consideration to give City pause before they signed Haaland (thankfully, there wasn’t) it would have been his spotty injury record.
During his time at Signal Iduna Park, Haaland struggled with repeated knee and muscle problems. He suffered a total of eight injuries during his two-and-a-half years at Dortmund, missing 33 matches.
That’s a significant chunk of action to miss, especially for such an important player, which could have proved a problem for City.
Yet, he avoided any significant setbacks despite the tougher physical toll of the Premier League last season and missed just three matches with minor knocks.
It spoke to the great man-management of Haaland’s health by City to keep him so fit, but the wear and tear of the Premier League can only be staved off for so long.
Haaland has already missed four times as many matches this season after a stress reaction in his foot ruled him out for 12 matches.
It’s only one setback but if he continues to ‘feel’ the strain, the injuries could start coming thick and fast.
