Arsene Wenger has revealed he actually really admires Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland for his humility.
The legendary former Arsenal manager was speaking to beIN Sports ahead of last night’s Ballon d’Or ceremony. Haaland was unfortunate to miss out on the award, with Lionel Messi scooping the prize for the eighth time.
Haaland is believed not to be too disappointed at losing out. This is because he knows he’s still got plenty of time to add the prestigious trophy to his list of honours.
Haaland is known for being an absolutely lethal goalscorer, and scoring goals is the hardest thing to do in football. This will surely see him competing for many Ballon d’Or in the future.
But Haaland is also very humble and hardworking – and these are qualities Wenger really likes about the Norwegian…
Arsene Wenger hails Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland for his humility
Haaland could perhaps be forgiven for being a bit arrogant, given his unbelievable quality.
Many top sportspeople are like this, but Haaland certainly isn’t. He is definitely confident and assured – Kyle Walker said recently that Haaland quietly knows that he is a superstar – but never arrogant.
And this is admirable to Wenger.
He said: “What I see in him, in a different style, he has the same passion as all the big players. What I like in him is that he is not obsessed by his image, but he’s obsessed by his game. He is not a victim of modern problems in the game. He doesn’t talk too much, but he does his job on the field. After that, his numbers speak for him – he’s a monster.”
Humble Haaland’s work ethic is an underrated quality of his
It is nice to see Wenger bring attention to this aspect of Haaland. Many people just focus on his incredible goalscoring prowess and the numbers he puts up.
But scoring so many goals is not possible without the right mentality. Something that is often levelled at £51 million star Haaland is that a lot of his goals are tap-ins.
But it is a real skill to find space in the box and be there to finish off chances. He has clearly worked extremely hard to make it look so easy, and he is undoubtedly a master poacher.
Earlier this year, former City maestro Ilkay Gundogan spoke about Haaland and his exemplary professionalism.
He’s a global superstar, but that humility is absolutely crucial in helping him to carry that status.
