How Erling Haaland became a leader at Manchester City: The 'head boy' role, his tough welcomes for new signings and why he's pushing so hard to be more than just a goalscorer

There is a cracking story from inside the Norway dressing room, in the weeks after Erling Haaland had committed to signing for Manchester City three years ago, that encapsulates both aspects of his being. Mythical striker, head boy.

Haaland had scored twice in Stockholm, powering Norway to a first victory in neighbouring Sweden since 1977. It’s what he does and his team-mates knew it, captain Martin Odegaard using the iPhone synced to the team speaker to flick on Der Haaland by DJ 11, written when scorching records at Borussia Dortmund.

To a man, the room belted out the few lines that don’t rely on fluent German. 'Ha-ha-ha Haaland. Hey. Haaland, Haaland.' 'Everyone was singing,’ one source says. ‘I’ve not really seen anything like that before.’

The scene was likened by somebody else around the national team to the reception Napoli’s players afforded Diego Maradona when the Argentine carried them to a first, emotionally charged Serie A title in 1987. 

The achievements might not be on a par with each other but indicate the affection held for both men by their peers. ‘You don’t do that if you don’t like him very much,’ our source adds. ‘Everyone just wants to be around him.’

Haaland had been appointed Odegaard’s deputy by head coach Stale Solbakken and the decision was not universally popular given his youth and apparent suspect temperament. 

Yet clearly those feelings were not matched within the squad and the years learning leadership, shouldering the hopes of a nation now so close to reaching a first World Cup in 28 years, have aided City at the juncture they find themselves at. There is no doubting that.

The 25-year-old sits alongside skipper Bernardo Silva, Rodri and Ruben Dias in the four-man leadership group, one handpicked by Pep Guardiola who ditched the collegiate player-staff captaincy ballots this season, to pull City up by their bootstraps. Haaland’s in after the departures of Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne, who’s set for a first return to the Etihad Stadium with Napoli in the Champions League on Thursday.

It never really felt like a permanent responsibility when Haaland walked out at Yankee Stadium with the armband before a friendly with AC Milan, on tour in the summer of 2024 in the weeks after City made history by lifting a fourth consecutive title. 

Guardiola barely had another senior player to speak of on the trip, most resting post-Euros. But Haaland was in the middle of negotiating a new nine-and-a-half-year contract. 

City talk about him being the face of their future – which feels striking, about somebody who was only supposed to be here for a fleeting moment, quick goals and off to Real Madrid. 

Observing him, hearing what he’s like behind the scenes, you cannot really argue with that idea, either. ‘It’s maturity and time,’ Guardiola says. ‘It’s (evolved) in a natural way.’

The striker feels an elevated sense of responsibility these days, handed to him by the manager, and acts as a crucial conduit between the squad and backroom staff for daily logistics.

Haaland’s leadership is about setting standards in his own way. When he forcefully discussed how City needed to get their backsides in gear ahead of Sunday’s derby – ‘it’s way too bad, we need to get our a***s going’ - following two Premier League defeats, he backs it up with a performance that nestles inside his top five since signing.

While two goals grabbed the headlines (90 in the league now, 129 in all competitions – both milestones, 100 and 150, will go in the coming months), Haaland’s rampaging from the front shone through.

He recorded more defensive actions than Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, a one-man wall at Manchester United corners. He can be this force of nature and others feed off it, they follow. 

Haaland is a man who forges strong bonds and somebody whose word is carrying more and more weight as he approaches his prime. Sources revealed last season that his voice was being heard with added regularity – especially through the bleak mid-winter of a crisis Guardiola has never before encountered.

The United game, before and during, acts as a strong case study of City’s No 9. There were those eye-catchingly outspoken comments pre-match, which appeared to garner a response. 

That, City sources point out, came from a similar place to him shielding team-mates from criticism after losing at Aston Villa last year, blaming himself for the side’s ills instead of pointing fingers. 

On the flip side, he’s recently challenged new signings Tijjani Reijnders and the injured Rayan Cherki to find his runs more often. ‘He does dictate,’ one source says.

Then on the pitch. Sprinting 80 yards to congratulate debutant Gianluigi Donnarumma for tipping Bryan Mbeumo’s volley past the post. 

Not too different to hurtling back to gee up Walker following an individual mistake at Brighton last November or offering advice to Norway centre half Leo Ostigard after a shaky few minutes during a win in Slovenia. The moment with Ostigard actually came while play continued.

‘Aside from being one of the best in the world, he’s a fantastic person as well,’ is Donnarumma’s assessment, with the pair having first met when represented by the late Mino Raiola. ‘That makes him even better in a way. I’ve got an incredible relationship with him. He immediately welcomed me. It feels like I’ve been here for many years already.’

Those close to Haaland talk about how a football intelligence, quickly pinpointing what needs to change, has helped his development into a leader. And they speak of a loyalty to managers and players even if he doesn’t necessarily agree with the direction.

‘He sees a bigger responsibility at City and with the Norway project,’ Solbakken tells Daily Mail Sport. ‘His playing style now is seeing him take bigger responsibility on the pitch. He has always scored goals and always given everything but I think tactically he has become better and better.

‘Also in terms of what the team needs in certain moments. Especially for Norway, we meet teams who are better than us. 

'Maybe the biggest proof of that was beating Italy in June, when he was not only a scoring against one of the best in Europe but also a guy who was pressing hard, running in channels, kept the ball in good areas and in difficult circumstances.’

His deficiencies, referenced there by Solbakken, and for which Roy Keane once labelled him ‘like a League Two player’, have always been overblown but regardless, have been improved because he shows absolute devotion to his craft – right down to his sleep obsession and consuming 6,000 calories a day which is helped by his ‘offal guy’ at a farm shop in Cheshire. He’s even gaming less these days, although that is attributed to becoming a father.

As a result, Haaland is having more touches, linking with more precision, winning more duels, covering more ground. And not to the detriment of his goalscoring, 11 in six games so far this year. 

Haaland’s reading of situations has recently bordered on overthinking - think back to May’s FA Cup final when he gave up a penalty for Omar Marmoush, who proceeded to miss, and City proceeded to lose to Crystal Palace. Publicly, Guardiola was accepting of it. He always is after defeats. When Haaland gifted Ilkay Gundogan a spot-kick in victory over Leeds United in 2023, Guardiola was spitting with anger.

It has not deterred Haaland though, passing a penalty to ex-Wigan Athletic youth product Thelo Aasgaard just last week in Norway’s 11-1 win over Moldova. 

As stupid as this sounds, goal difference between Norway and Italy was still tight ahead of that game in the battle for top spot in qualification. Fortunately, Aasgaard scored and later completed a hat-trick. Haaland could’ve had six if he’d taken it. 

‘You can see his joy when other people succeed,’ Solbakken adds. ‘That is big proof of what a team player he is.’ 

Solbakken is not the only person to say that.