"Didn’t look like he had gone the Grealish way" - National team boss confident Manchester City star will be ready to play after treble celebrations
Norway manager Stole Solbakken is confident that Manchester City ace Erling Haaland will play in the upcoming international break. He also brought a Jack Grealish reference while speaking about Haaland.
City had a record-breaking season as they won their first UEFA Champions League title by defeating Inter Milan in the final. Pep Guardiola's side also became the first English club since Manchester United in 19998-99 to win the European treble.
Haaland was a key player for the team, scoring 52 goals across competitions in his first season in England.
As Norway prepare to take on Scotland in their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier clash on June 17, Solbakken said about Haaland's potential participation in the match (via GOAL):
"I think everyone understands that and I also think it’s a good idea to do that. I don’t think you can postpone a celebration like that. You can’t say ‘let’s meet up in the summer when these national games are over and we party’."
He added:
"It’s not the same because the excitement is a little bit out of your body and you have to do it then. When he (Haaland) came here, he didn’t look like he had gone the Grealish way. If Grealish managed to train for England the first time, he should also manage to do it for us."
Jack Grealish's celebrations after Manchester City's triumph at Istanbul were well-documented as he seemingly enjoyed him to the fullest.
Gareth Southgate fired a warning to Manchester City celebrations
Manchester City players, especially Jack Grealish, enjoyed themselves to the full extent after helping the Cityzens win the treble this past season. England manager Gareth Southgate has now spoken about the same.
Southgate understands the celebrations after such a historic campaign for the club but added that a line has to be drawn. Speaking to the media ahead of England's clash against Malta, Southgate said (via The Sun):
“There is a line and we’re always monitoring where every player is at. I have spoken with the players and we’ve talked about where the focus needs to be. I have spoken with the players and we’ve talked about where the focus needs to be."
England will face off against Malta on Friday (June 16). Apart from Malta, the Three Lions will also play North Macedonia in this international break.