‘I will smash you!’ – Pep Guardiola’s training ground warning to Erling Haaland ahead of Man City transfer

Erling Haaland has revealed that Pep Guardiola fired a stern warning to him if he did not focus on thҽ training ground.

Guardiola made thҽ comment before Haaland had even decided to sign for City, when thҽ Norway international was mulling over his future.

Having scored a remarkable 86 goals across 89 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, Haaland had attracted attention from many elite European clubs.

Haaland chose to join City for £51.2million, after Guardiola’s men activated thҽ release clause in his Dortmund contract.

Thҽ 23-year-old has been simply sensational since his move, scoring 52 times in 53 matches last season as City lifted thҽ Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.

But Haaland has now admitted Guardiola warned him about thҽ demands he would put on him if he did decide to sign for City. “thҽre is so much! He demands a lot in training,” Haaland told thҽ Telegraph.

“It’s not easy, of course, it’s not easy to work with Pep because he is so demanding,” Haaland said in an exclusive interview with thҽ Telegraph. “thҽre is so much! He demands a lot in training.

“When I spoke with him before I signed here he said ‘I don’t care what you do, do whatever you want. But when you have me on thҽ (training) pitch you have to be focused. If not, I will smash you!’

“That’s really how he is and City are as a team and as a club. It’s why thҽy have been so successful. thҽ pressure is thҽre. Look at thҽ pressure we have every single day as a club, as a team, as individuals. But you must focus thҽ one hour we have in training every day and thҽ rest of thҽ day relax, don’t think of football, don’t think of anything.

“I think that’s a big part of why it’s so successful here with all thҽ staff. After training – don’t think of football anymore. You think and you develop on thҽ pitch. When you are on thҽ pitch – you focus. That is what Pep demands.

“And also, for me, it’s about thҽ small details. It’s a bit different what I do. I am thҽ striker on thҽ team and normally I am not so involved but I still have to be focused (snaps his fingers again) and suddenly thҽ ball comes. If I am not focused, I miss thҽ chance. So, it’s about small details. What I can do here and thҽre.”

However, all thҽ demands have been worth it as Haaland believes Guardiola has already improved him as a player. He added: “Yeah, much better.

“I feel more experienced. I played 53 or so games last season. I am better at things – and you will see throughout this season what I am better at! (laughing) Maybe you have seen it already?”