A rivalry with his father and a dream of the Champions League
The English Championship has begun, and it promises to be one of the most intriguing and vibrant in terms of scoring struggles. And judging by Mitrovic’s double from Fulham against Liverpool, we can conclude that not only the acknowledged authorities of the APL and forwards from top clubs will participate in the race. But one of the clear favorites to win the Golden Boot is league rookie Erling Holland.
Holand’s chances of becoming a top scorer are rated as high as those of Harry Kane, for example. Although the tournament is completely new to the Norwegian, while Kane has already won the Golden Boot three times. However, Erling himself is well aware that he was signed not only and not so much to ensure another Premier League title – the Citizens were doing well without him.
The 22-year-old Norwegian will begin his journey in the APL with a match against West Ham. Erling was born in Leeds, where his father Alf Inge, who also played for Manchester City, played. The former Borussia Dortmund forward is following in the footsteps of his father, whom he recalled during an interview leading up to the start of the season. Let’s look at some curious quotes from him.
On the move to the Premier League
I talked a little bit about playing in England with my former Borussia partners Bellingham and Sancho. In some ways we are similar to them. My father spent ten years in England, and he brought me up so that I understand English humor and peculiarities of the language. It’s important not to take yourself too seriously and try to have fun.
The English league is very demanding in terms of “physics”, the pace here is amazing. I like that. Of course, it will be difficult, but I feel that my body is ready. A good fight is always nice. I like to wrestle. I can’t wait to see those crowded stadiums, feel the atmosphere. I like the confrontation of the fans, of the clubs. For sure every game will be tough, but that’s what attracts me to the Premier League. It is very strong. That’s why it is the most popular league in the world.
On the attitude to goals
There is no better feeling than when you score a goal. And it doesn’t matter how the goal is scored. It is an inexpressible feeling. When I was younger, I just wanted to score more and more. When you celebrate the first goal, you want to do it again and again. It’s inside of you. When you see someone make a hat trick, you think, “It would be nice to do the same thing in the next game.” I can’t describe that feeling.
I’ve always worked on finishing. Scoring goals is the fun part. When I came to Sulscher at Melde, he talked about my head play like, “You can’t even play with your head.” And I agreed with him. Then every day we worked on my headers and head shots. It’s important to work at least a little bit every day. You do not need to take 500 shots – a couple of attempts that will be effective is enough. After all, we’re not just talking about a shot, but a shot that will be a goal. You have to work it out so that when you’re in front of the ball, you know exactly what to do.
On misses in the Super Bowl in England
When I watch replays of that, I think, “How could you miss from there?” But I realize it happens and it will happen again. But I always don’t sleep well after matches. It also motivates me to score and work even better in the next match. Although overall I would not call it a good feeling – it’s the worst feeling.
After the Super Bowl, my dad texted me, “Why didn’t you score?” And when I was playing for Salzburg and we were to play against Liverpool he said to me: “For your information, I’ve already scored at Anfield. So I’ve got more goals at Anfield than you have.” When I was younger, I really wanted to be better than my father, to be the best as possible. Now I have something inside me that makes me always think about soccer, and only football, what I can do better. I don’t know where that feeling comes from.
About pressure and challenges
I can’t talk about achieving my personal goals in the Premier League. Let others talk. I need to adapt as quickly as possible and start being useful. Of course, there is pressure, because I play for the champions. But in my head my only thoughts are to get on the field, be positive, enjoy the game, because life runs fast, and your career will quickly come to an end.
I don’t have a need to always be in the spotlight. I like to joke around on social media, have fun, have fun. I strive to enjoy what I do, what my job involves. Yes, I want to win every game and for that I give my all and try to score as much as possible. But I combine that with calmness, relaxation and cheerfulness.
About the Champions League
We must perform better in the Champions League. But we also need to confirm our form in the domestic cups and in the Premier League. It will not be easy to do it on a regular basis. Because there are so many good teams in the league. But we have to build something new on the basis of what City have had here in recent years. I want to bring something of my own and hope to get better with the team.
I don’t want to talk about whether I will be the missing puzzle to ensure City’s success in the Champions League. But it’s my favorite tournament. I love the Champions League anthem and everything around it. It’s a great tournament, a difficult tournament. And my dream is to win it.
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