Erling Haaland reveals details of Phil Foden touchline chat after Borussia Dortmund defeat to Manchester City | OneFootball

Erling Haaland has admitted that Phil Foden was right to encourage him to join Manchester City after a UEFA Champions League encounter in 2021.

Manchester City‘s number nine has recalled a conversation with Foden after the first-leg of City’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final win over Borussia Dortmund in 2021, when the Norwegian was still playing in Germany and City were among the clubs tracking his availability.

The striker joined City from Dortmund in the summer of 2022 for around £51 million, going on to score a remarkable 90 goals in his first two seasons at the Etihad Stadium and establishing himself as one of the most feared strikers in world football.

Phil was right to tell me to join Man City, admits Haaland

Recounting the exchange nearly five years on, Haaland made clear the conversation with his fellow boyhood Manchester City fan has stayed with him.

“What Phil (Foden) said was you should come and join me at City and that’s what he said,” Haaland told City’s official media. “And yeah, he was right about it, I have to say. It’s funny to look back on it.”

The anecdote adds a warm personal dimension to a partnership that has been one of the most productive in recent Premier League history.

Foden’s assist record and Haaland’s extraordinary goal tally have complemented each other throughout their time together at the Etihad Stadium, with the pair central to City’s record fourth Premier League title in the 2023-24 campaign in particular.

What does the story tell us about City’s dressing room?

The story is also a timely one given the context of Foden’s season. The England international has found regular starts harder to come by since January but has made a decisive impact in the final weeks of the campaign.

Guardiola pointed to Foden’s ability to “create something that just good players can deliver” after his player-of-the-match performance in Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Haaland’s recollection is the kind of detail that speaks to the culture within Manchester City’s dressing room. Players recruiting players, long before contracts are signed. And in this case, a recruitment pitch that turned out rather well for everyone involved.