Erling Haaland hints at unexpected Man City role this season under Pep Guardiola

Erling Haaland cannot help being the big talking point.

Manchester City are Premier League champions with a world-class squad and manager in Pep Guardiola, yet there is extra expectation and excitement reserved for the 21-year-old from Norway who has wreaked havoc in each of the three countries he has played in to date. City fans and players are not alone in talking about one of the most exciting signings in English football.

Such pressure is soaked up by a striker who has risen to every challenge to date in his career and is confident in his own ability. Haaland may be a force of nature physically (and still growing) but he also has the intelligence to understand what is expected of him and what he has to do to meet those demands.

Also read: Erling Haaland's first major interview since signing for Man City

Some of his answers in recent days, in a press conference at his unveiling and then in his first major sit-down interview, go a long way to explaining why he may surprise some people with how quickly he adapts to Guardiola's football. Despite having the imposing presence of a Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Haaland possesses a good deal more humility to suggest his relationship with the coach will be nothing like as volatile.

Asked in a press conference how he would adapt, the former Dortmund striker said that he had a pretty good idea of how this team play from watching them so often. Doing is harder than saying but that would appear to dispel the idea that his game is fundamentally different to City's.

The same was true when the topic of individual ambitions came up when he spoke to the Manchester Evening News. Haaland welcomed the extra attention he will get from Premier League defenders if it opens up space for his