Erling Haaland has responded to criticism of his all-round play, insisting that his primary role is to score goals for Manchester City. The Norwegian striker has faced scrutiny from pundits including Roy Keane and Ally McCoist, who questioned his technical ability and overall contribution beyond goalscoring.
Speaking to Men in Blazers, Haaland said: 'There's always been this discussion on how many times I should touch the ball. When I score, no one thinks about this, and when I don't score, suddenly people start to mention my touches.' He added: 'My job is not to be like Rodri, to control the game. It's being in the box and up front for City, finishing the attacks.'
Haaland also emphasised the importance of off-the-ball movement and mental awareness. 'In the end you can also play football with not touching the ball. You can actually do that with movement, and also the mental part, and also the awareness of being on the pitch is also a huge part of the game,' he explained.
The 23-year-old leads the Premier League Golden Boot race with 25 goals, four ahead of Chelsea's Cole Palmer. City face Fulham on Saturday before a crucial trip to Tottenham, with a potential title decider at home to West Ham on the final day.
