Haaland dismisses critics as he claims players can success without touching ball

Erling Haaland dismissed critics of his general play as the Manchester City striker claimed players can succeed at the highest level without touching the ball.

With 25 Premier League goals in his second season, Haaland looks set to become the first since Harry Kane in 2017 to clinch consecutive Golden Boot awards.

But the 23-year-old has been the subject of intense debate about how he fits into Pep Guardiola’s team, with the City boss regularly jumping to his defence.

Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher are among those to have criticised Haaland but the Norwegian insisted those comments fall on deaf ears.

‘There has always been this discussion on how many times I should touch the ball,’ Haaland told Men In Blazers.

‘When I score nobody talks about this but when I don’t people start to mention my touches. This is a part of my life, how people will speak and I can’t control what people say about me.

‘I just have to focus on what I should do on the pitch and my job isn’t to be like Rodri, to control a game, it’s being in the box and finishing the attacks. That’s my focus and I don’t care about what people say.’

Haaland added: ‘In the end you can play football without touching the ball, even if it sounds funny for some to hear that. You can do it with movements, the mental part, and the awareness. It’s a huge part of the game. It’s not only about touching the ball. I know my role in this team.’

Haaland also moved to clarify the discussion around his substitution during last weekend’s 5-1 victory over Wolves. After netting four, he cut a frustrated figure when coming off late in the game, which was thought to have been a reaction to refereeing decisions.

Keane labelled him a ‘spoilt brat’ on the assumption that Haaland’s agitation was