Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has admitted he is struggling to get to grips with the increased attention he has received over the past few years.
After leaving Austrian outfit Red Bull Salzburg in 2020, Haaland has enjoyed a meteoric rise which saw him terrorise the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund before breaking countless records with Manchester City en route to Premier League and Champions League glory.
Now one of the biggest names in football, Haaland attracted plenty of attention after Norway’s recent 4-0 win over Cyprus, in which he netted two goals to take his tally to 27 in 27 appearances for his country.
Security guards had to run on to the pitch to help him deal with a swarm of supporters who wanted pictures and the chance to head home with his shirt.
“Of course, I greatly appreciate the support. That’s what I wanted to do when I was little, so I’m not particularly complaining about it,” he told TV2.
“I’m starting to get a little tired of my own name, but that’s how it is. There is not much I can do about it.”
At club level, Haaland is currently enduring a three-game dry spell in front of goal, having failed to find the back of the net against Wolverhampton Wanderers, RB Leipzig and Arsenal.
Such a barren run is far from usual for Haaland, but City boss Pep Guardiola has repeatedly laughed off criticism of the Norway international.
“He has had incredible chances and he could have scored 14, 15 goals now,” Guardiola said before the international break. “What is important is he always says, ‘I have the chance, I have the chance, I have the chance. The problem is when I do not have chances, or I do not get balls or I am in the wrong position’.
“My advice is don’t criticise Erling too much. Criticise the full-back, the central defender or the manager, but never, never the striker who scored all those goals because he will and then you will be in a position where you have to apologise to him.”
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