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Erling Haaland made a birthday speech in front of his new Manchester City teammates while being encouraged by Jack Grealish.
The 22-year-old striker moved to the Etihad Stadium this summer in a £51 million transfer from Borussia Dortmund (Sky Sports). The Norwegian scored 86 times in 89 appearances for the Bundesliga giants prior to his move.
Expectations are incredibly high for the Norwegian under Pep Guardiola and his teammates are clearly already trying to make him a part of the club.
In a video posted by Grealish on Instagram (as reposted by 433), the Manchester City players all sang Haaland's name. The England international then demanded a speech from the centre-forward.
Erling Haaland stood up and proclaimed:
“Thank you, everybody, I will not be boring. Thank you for a good welcome, I really appreciate it, from the physios to everybody. Hope everybody enjoys the day, let’s keep going.”
The Norwegian's speech was met with laughter and applause from his new colleagues, who claimed their fourth Premier League title in five seasons last term.
Manchester City Pep Guardiola offers update on when Erling Haaland will make his debut for the club
The Cityzens are currently on a pre-season tour of the US, which they kicked off by beating Mexican side Club America 2-1, thanks to a brace from Kevin De Bruyne.
However, Erling Haaland was conspicuous by his absence and Guardiola admitted after the game that his new superstar has been carrying some fitness issues.
The Catalonian boss ensured fans that the injury problems were not serious and that the forward would be in action against Bayern Munich on Saturday in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
As quoted by The Mirror, Guardiola said:
“Next game, Erling will be ready. He’s had niggles and a few problems. We’ll see. He’s trained just two sessions and didn’t want to take risks. The season is so long.”
The addition of one of the world's best strikers is a daunting prospect for Premier League sides hoping to catch City. The Manchester side have dominated the division over the past five years.
The Sky Blues have also added Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips to their squad to replace Fernandinho. Argentina forward Julian Alvarez has also joined to almost certainly serve as a backup to the imposing Haaland.
