Man City ace Nathan Ake reveals Erling Haaland behind-the-scenes quality that impresses him most

Nathan Ake has waxed lyrical about the professional conduct Erling Haaland upholds at Manchester City despite his young age.

The 22-year-old has smashed in 42 goals across all competitions this term and is only seven away from breaking the record for the most strikes in a single Premier League season.

He entered the international break on the back of netting eight goals in two games against RB Leipzig in the Champions League and Burnley in the FA Cup, but faces fitness tests ahead of Liverpool on Saturday after missing Norway’s Euro 2024 qualifiers as a precaution amid a groin issue.

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Haaland blanked against Liverpool at Anfield in October but found the net against them in December’s 3-2 League Cup win. The striker has been praised this year and Ake described how the superstar’s mindset plays a major part in his success.

“He's so professional," the 28-year-old said of Haaland to SportBible. "Before I met him, I never thought that. But when you meet him, you see the things he does off the pitch, like the food he eats.

“It’s all of the little things. He's always early. He's always working and making sure that his body is in the right way to perform. And at his age, I think that's great.

“Also, all of the applause and stuff he's getting; you might think, 'okay, maybe he's gonna think I've done it and it’s all good’. But he has this mindset where he just wants to keep going and going and going."

Ake has played alongside the likes of Didier Drogba and Eden Hazard and believes Haaland is “right up there” with them in terms of quality. Haaland seems to have a good relationship with his City teammates, often seen laughing with Jack Grealish.

Ake says