Guardiola has made me more mature – Man City’s Haaland

Erling Haaland has praised Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, saying the season and a half spent under his tutelage has made him a more mature player.

Asked if he thought he was a different player than when he arrived at City from Borussia Dortmund, Haaland told ESPN Brasil: “Yes. I am a different player. More mature and a best footballer, certainly. Of course thanks to him.

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“The way he thinks [about] football is completely different. And yes, it's fantastic to work with him every day, and I really enjoy it.”

Haaland added that his manager's strengths lay in a combination of tactics, man management and mentality.

“Look at what he’s doing, even just at City, what he’s been doing since he got here.

“It's amazing. And the way he develops footballers is also unreal. That's also the main reason why I wanted to come here, you know, to work with him and develop as a footballer.”

The Norwegian striker also spoke to ESPN Brasil about how he deals with high-profile missed chances.

“It's not a good feeling. But then again, what can you do after you miss something like that? You can't go back in time and change it,” the 23-year-old said.

“You know, you have to think about the next thing. You have to reboot your mind and focus on the next thing that you can do something about.”

After last Sunday's win over Manchester United, Guardiola said Haaland's ability to “forget in an instant” was what made him great.

City face Liverpool on Sunday in a match with serious title implications, with Jurgen Klopp's side one point clear in the Premier League table heading into the match.