They say the apple does not fall too removed from the tree, and within the case of the Haaland household it barely strikes an inch from the trunk, not less than in line with Paulo Wanchope.
The Costa Rican shared a dressing room with Erling’s father Alf-Inge for the very best a part of three years at Manchester City and says he is observed a number of similarities between father and son since Haaland Jr.’s transfer to the Etihad Stadium in 2022.
In some ways, Erling and ‘Alfie’ are chalk and cheese. One is a brutish, explosive goalscorer and the opposite was a tenacious tackler who spent most of his time behind the half-way line. But Wanchope has clocked one important trait the pair share.
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“They have the same work ethic, for sure. Both are very competitive people who always want to work hard and strive to improve,” Wanchope, 47, stated talking completely to Daily Star Sport, by way of LiveScore Bet.
“I can see that in Erling. Alfie was a very good team-mate who was never afraid of hard work and his son has shown that same desire.”
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(Image: THE MIRROR)
Many have credited Alfie for instilling a decided combating spirit in his boy, and his ruthless – and seemingly immovable – goalscoring type over the previous few years is testomony to that.
That stated, Wanchope thinks younger Erling might want to elevate his sport if he needs to stay a fear-inducing phenom. “He’s nonetheless attending to know the Premier League and his opponents know him higher now,” he added. “They have performed towards him and can be extra conscious of his motion, which supplies him a problem.
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“But [his current form] isn’t bad is it? He’s still scored an amazing amount of goals and like Phil Foden, he will continue to get better. He’s still a young player and he’s still blending into the style of Man City, working out how best to play around those types of players and make the right runs.”
Wanchope joined City the identical summer season Haaland Sr. arrived from Leeds. They then spent one full season collectively earlier than a debilitating knee damage – exacerbated by Roy Keane’s notorious horror problem – put Haaland on the remedy desk and finally pressured him into retirement.
(Image: Getty Images)
Wanchope scored 29 targets in 75 video games for the Citizens earlier than leaving for Malaga in 2004. Previously, he’d turned out for West Ham and Derby, and went on to play in Qatar, Argentina, Japan, the US and his native Costa Rica earlier than hanging up his boots in 2007.