Rio Ferdinand insists new Manchester City signing Erling Haaland will have to ‘suppress his ego’ to be a success under Pep Guardiola – as he urges the striker to be humble enough to accept a ‘bedding-in period’ at the club
- Rio Ferdinand has said it will take time for Erling Haaland to adapt at Man City
- Pep Guardiola’s side signed the star striker from Borussia Dortmund this summer
- Ferdinand warned he may need a ‘bedding-in period’ like £100m Jack Grealish
- And the former Manchester United defender urged Haaland to ‘suppress his ego’
Rio Ferdinand has claimed it will take time for £51million summer signing Erling Haaland to adapt at Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola’s side secured the signature of the Borussia Dortmund striker who was one of the hottest properties in the world after an astonishing 86 goals in 89 games for the German side in all competitions in his three years at the club.
Despite predictions next year’s Premier League title race is already over in the wake of the signing, Manchester United icon Ferdinand insisted the Norwegian star, 21, will need a ‘bedding-in period’ at the Etihad, like Jack Grealish and others before him.
Rio Ferdinand has said it will take time for Erling Haaland (above) to adapt at Manchester City
Pep Guardiola’s Premier League title-winning side have made a big step in signing Haaland
When asked about City’s £100million signing from Aston Villa last summer, Ferdinand predicted his second season – after a year of learning Guardiola’s style of play – would be much better, and urged Haaland to leave his ego at the door too.
He said: ‘It’s been a hard season for him… for a player like him, who will have an ego, who will want to be the main man, who thrives under that type of pressure and spotlight, hasn’t had it – all while understanding a new ask of him as a player, tactically, where he should be, being disciplined.
‘He told me there’s so much more to think about going into a team that’s prepared by Pep Guardiola. You give him a year, now he’s probably got a better understanding of it. That’s why next season we’ll see the Jack we know he can be. There could be a bedding-in period where we don’t see the Haaland we expect to see immediately.
But Rio Ferdinand has warned he may need a ‘bedding-in period’ like £100m man Jack Grealish
‘What Pep’s had with City when big players have come in, they get a bedding-in period. It’s an understanding: this is hard, you don’t hit the ground running all the time.
‘The biggest part of that is the humility of the players that struggle. They don’t moan and kick up a fuss. That’s where Haaland has to play his part if it doesn’t go right. Suppress any ego… the bigger picture is not disturbing the morale of the squad.’
Strikers can struggle to adapt to the English top-flight, with Chelsea’s £98m signing Romelu Lukaku struggling this season, only scoring 15 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions for the Blues.
