Erling Haaland told he shares one key trait with Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo as Rodri reveals Man City goal machine has told his team-mates to 'forget about him' in general build-up play

The Spanish defensive midfielder and the Norwegian striker were pivotal to City's treble-winning season, and have both also enjoyed strong starts to the 2023-24 campaign. Rodri has come out to express his belief that Haaland boasts the same "hunger" for success as Messi and Ronaldo, which helps him to continue setting unprecedented new standards of excellence in front of goal.

Speaking to Spanish outlet Diario AS, Rodri also revealed that Haaland has accepted he doesn't need to be involved in City's general build-up play because his main role is to provide the finishing touch in front of goal.

"At the beginning, I noticed he was very anxious,” the City enforcer said. “He understood that we were a different team and he knew that he wasn’t going to be involved [in the play] so much, that he should wait for the moment to finish. These are things that you have to adapt and learn. Now he is much more positive. He says: ‘Rodri, control of the game, control of the game. Forget about me’. That’s understanding the team. He’s improved a lot in coming to receive and in going into the space.

"We can’t forget that he’s a 22/23-year-old with the inquisitiveness that comes with someone at his age. He’s really kind, really cheerful, he speaks about everything, he’s just a brilliant guy. And above all, he has a hunger to improve, to always be ready. In that sense, he reminds me of Cristiano and Messi."

Rodri also reiterated his belief that Messi deserved to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or ahead of his City team-mate Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe because of his stellar showing for Argentina during their successful World Cup campaign.

"The current football level is very high," he added. "We came from a World Cup that Argentina won and that's why Messi deserved it. But we are talking about people like Mbappe or Haaland, who score 40 or 50 goals."

The Spaniard will next be involved with the defending Premier League champions when they take on Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup on Sunday, January 7. Haaland is unlikely to be a part of the squad as he is still recovering from a foot injury.