ERLING HAALAND had a pep talk from former Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock to help prepare him for the FA Cup final.
The veteran boss was invited to Manchester City’s training ground by Etihad chief Pep Guardiola earlier this month and spent time chatting to the players.
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As a lifelong fan of English football, Haaland revealed he was delighted to meet the ‘old school’ 76-year-old — and it turned out they had plenty in common.
The Norwegian also told Warnock how he expects City to find the energy to finish their disappointing season on a high note — just as they always have done.
Recalling the meeting with Warnock, striker Haaland said: “He’s a really funny guy, a good guy. I’ve watched a lot of English football my whole life so I know he’s a legend of the game.
“I didn’t know he was coming so it was a surprise but I had a good chat with him.
“He’s got an old school way about him and I’m also a little bit old school because of my father. We had some good discussions.”
Asked what they had chatted about, Haaland told the BBC: “Sometimes you have to kick and run a little bit.
“That was his tactics in his days and I agree with it — a bit of kick and run.
“We both love football so we talked about that, the period we’ve been in but how we’ve got a good momentum going on now.
“In other seasons, something has happened to give us some extra energy from somewhere and this is exactly the time it should happen.”
Haaland says he is fit and raring to go after six weeks on the sidelines recovering from an ankle injury picked up in the quarter-final win at Bournemouth.
City have reached the final in each of his three seasons at the club and he says winning it would be special as May 17 is a significant date in his homeland.
It is always a public holiday in Norway as they celebrate their Constitution Day with parades, traditional dress and music.
He said: “It would mean a lot to me on a big day in Norway. So I’ll do everything I can to make it possible and I’ll do everything I can to help the team to achieve this.
“It was horrible to be injured. But what can you do? You have to recover as quickly as you can and to come back as fit as you can.
“Now I’m back with loads of energy. I’m feeling good and moving good and I’m ready.”
Guardiola has said that winning the FA Cup and securing a place in next season’s Champions League would not save the season in his eyes.
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However, Haaland stressed: “For me it would help. It’s important to win trophies. That’s what I want. That’s why I’m here.
“But again, the standards these guys have been putting up, maybe for them it doesn’t mean anything because they put the standard so high.
“The past has been incredible for me personally in this club and also before I came here in the club, what Pep has been doing.
“It’s ridiculous when you actually dig a bit into it to see how good he’s been doing.
“But yeah, I’m here to continue to win trophies, which we’ll try to do now in the FA Cup.”
Haaland has been to Wembley as a City fan — and for the last two years as a player in the final — and he cannot wait to experience it again.
He added: “I remember my father telling me how appreciated the FA Cup is in this country and I understood that when I won it.
“It’s really impressive to see how many times Pep has taken City to Wembley, it’s a difficult thing to do. To be here for the third time in a row is amazing and hopefully we can win it again.
“I’ve watched many finals, but I’ve been to Wembley as a supporter of City, and I’ve won it as well.
“It’s special to go to Wembley. You always know it’s a big game when you play there.”
