Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland has named the toughest player he’s faced during the 22/23 season.
Last summer, the Norwegian striker joined City from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth a reported £52 million.
Since then, he has been scoring goals left, right and centre as he enjoyed a stellar first campaign in English football.
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So far, Haaland has scored 52 goals in 52 matches across all competitions, including a record 36 goals in the Premier League.
The 22-year-old has been feared by defenders up and down the land but Haaland has now named the toughest opponent he’s coming across this season.
Speaking to BT Sport ahead of the Champions League final, he was quizzed on the subject by former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand.
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Haaland said: “The most difficult, we struggled at Anfield I remember.
“Van Dijk, I always said it, I think he’s so good. But the good thing also about it is I’m meeting Ruben Dias, (Manuel) Akanji, (Nathan) Ake in training every single day. Training is not easy.”
He added: “But Van Dijk, I like him a lot. He’s smart, fast, and in the air, he’s just unreal as well.”
Haaland has also spoken about the reason why he desperately wants to win the Champions League.
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As per The Sun, he said: “I’ve been dreaming and thinking of winning the Champions League my whole life — it’s been my dream as long as I can remember.
“In 2008, it was Chelsea-United. When I saw the celebrations, I wanted to do that as well and now we’re getting closer.”
City are now one step away from tasting European glory as they gear up for this weekend’s Champions League final against Inter Milan in Istanbul.
Who do you think will win the Champions League? Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit: Alamy/BT SportTopics: Football, Erling Haaland, Manchester City, Liverpool, Virgil Van Dijk