‘Hoof it up there’ – Neil Warnock left Erling Haaland starstruck and Jack Grealish got earful
Neil Warnock has revealed Erling Haaland asked him for a photograph when he made a visit to Manchester City’s training ground. The iconic manager was a special guest at the Citizens’ Etihad Campus training ground on Thursday, where he joined Pep Guardiola in putting his players through their paces on the pitch. Two worlds collided on Thursday And while the two coaches arguably could not be more further apart from a tactical perspective, it appears Warnock‘s storied career has earned him an unlikely admirer. He looks to have struck a cord with goal-machine Haaland, who immediately sought out Warnock on the training pitch. Appearing on talkSPORT Breakfast, the 76-year-old opened up on his day’s work with the City team, and revealed he was stunned as the Norwegian star wanted their meeting captured on camera. He said: “Erling [Haaland] – he came running up to me and I thought he was looking at going past me, I thought there was somebody behind me. “And he just gave me a big hug and [asked]: ‘Can I have a picture?’ “I thought: ‘Well, it should be me saying that, shouldn’t it?'” Haaland was born in Yorkshire while his father Alf-Inge was playing for Leeds – and the Man City striker would have been around 12 when Warnock was in charge of the Whites. With Premier League promotions with Sheffield United, Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff on his CV, the veteran coach is a revered figure among fans thanks to his tough-talking, no-nonsense approach. Man City stars Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish both got a taste of that old school mentality during Warnock’s visit. “I had a go at Gundogan,” the veteran manager recalled. Warnock and Guardiola share are from two opposite ends of the football spectrumAFP Haaland has scored 120 goals in 138 games for Man City since joining the club in 2022Getty “I had a go at Grealish. He came and said hello straight away and I said, ‘This is the nearest I’ve ever got to him. I’ve tried to kick him off the park and we never got near him’.” And the legendary manager admitted his experience with the City squad exposed him to a vastly different style of play to some of the tactics that brought him success. Renowned for his direct and aggressive approach, Warnock was treated to the pass-and-move football that has seen Guardiola’s side dominate the Premier League in recent years. Even so, Warnock could not resist trying to pass on some tips of his own to the Spaniard’s decorated squad. With goalkeeper Ederson having a hand in a surprising number of the Citizens’ goals this term, the EFL legend was quick to point out the benefits of a more route one style. Warnock recalled: “He was saying yesterday, Ederson, he’s had so many assists from his kicks- I think it’s eight or nine assists he’s had this season from his kicks. Warnock has managed 16 different football clubs altogetherGetty Pep Guardiola has won six Premier League titles and the Champions League whilst in charge at the EtihadGetty “Because [the opposition] they’re just not ready for it, because it’s all pass, pass, pass – which is good. “I mean, I cringe sometimes when I see the passing. If it were my lad, he’d give it away. “It’s one of those things, you’ve got to have players that know [how to play]. “ Warnock then joked that he had told the City squad how they would be playing if he were in the hot seat at the Etihad. He added: “When I first met them, they were just going to have a session. “I said: ‘Good job I’m not here lads. You’d be hoofing it up there over the top like, you know!” Despite their tactical differences, Warnock revealed his huge respect for City’s all-conquering manager, as he gushed about working closely with Guardiola. The Sheffield native said: “It was just a good day. I mean, the facilities are unbelievable. “And Pep – for me, the best manager in my lifetime. “And what he does with that. I watched a session with him yesterday, and you’ve got top players doing what I call the bread and butter of working their socks off. And it was interesting. “It’s just good to be around.” And the admiration clearly works both ways, with Guardiola himself previously praising Warnock’s contribution to the game in this country, who holds the record for the most games managed in English professional football (1,602). Speaking in February, the 54-year-old said of him: “Neil, like Sam Allardyce, like Mr [Harry] Redknapp, have been legends in this country, have made English football a better place for sure. “I admire them a lot for the contribution they have made in world football for different perspectives, different ways.”
Neil Warnock has revealed Erling Haaland asked him for a photograph when he made a visit to Manchester City’s training ground.
The iconic manager was a special guest at the Citizens’ Etihad Campus training ground on Thursday, where he joined Pep Guardiola in putting his players through their paces on the pitch.
And while the two coaches arguably could not be more further apart from a tactical perspective, it appears Warnock‘s storied career has earned him an unlikely admirer.
He looks to have struck a cord with goal-machine Haaland, who immediately sought out Warnock on the training pitch.
Appearing on talkSPORT Breakfast, the 76-year-old opened up on his day’s work with the City team, and revealed he was stunned as the Norwegian star wanted their meeting captured on camera.
He said: “Erling [Haaland] – he came running up to me and I thought he was looking at going past me, I thought there was somebody behind me.
“And he just gave me a big hug and [asked]: ‘Can I have a picture?’
“I thought: ‘Well, it should be me saying that, shouldn’t it?'”
Haaland was born in Yorkshire while his father Alf-Inge was playing for Leeds – and the Man City striker would have been around 12 when Warnock was in charge of the Whites.
With Premier League promotions with Sheffield United, Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff on his CV, the veteran coach is a revered figure among fans thanks to his tough-talking, no-nonsense approach.
Man City stars Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish both got a taste of that old school mentality during Warnock’s visit.
“I had a go at Gundogan,” the veteran manager recalled.
“I had a go at Grealish. He came and said hello straight away and I said, ‘This is the nearest I’ve ever got to him. I’ve tried to kick him off the park and we never got near him’.”
And the legendary manager admitted his experience with the City squad exposed him to a vastly different style of play to some of the tactics that brought him success.
Renowned for his direct and aggressive approach, Warnock was treated to the pass-and-move football that has seen Guardiola’s side dominate the Premier League in recent years.
Even so, Warnock could not resist trying to pass on some tips of his own to the Spaniard’s decorated squad.
With goalkeeper Ederson having a hand in a surprising number of the Citizens’ goals this term, the EFL legend was quick to point out the benefits of a more route one style.
Warnock recalled: “He was saying yesterday, Ederson, he’s had so many assists from his kicks- I think it’s eight or nine assists he’s had this season from his kicks.
“Because [the opposition] they’re just not ready for it, because it’s all pass, pass, pass – which is good.
“I mean, I cringe sometimes when I see the passing. If it were my lad, he’d give it away.
“It’s one of those things, you’ve got to have players that know [how to play]. “
Warnock then joked that he had told the City squad how they would be playing if he were in the hot seat at the Etihad.
He added: “When I first met them, they were just going to have a session.
“I said: ‘Good job I’m not here lads. You’d be hoofing it up there over the top like, you know!”
Despite their tactical differences, Warnock revealed his huge respect for City’s all-conquering manager, as he gushed about working closely with Guardiola.
The Sheffield native said: “It was just a good day. I mean, the facilities are unbelievable.
“And Pep – for me, the best manager in my lifetime.
“And what he does with that. I watched a session with him yesterday, and you’ve got top players doing what I call the bread and butter of working their socks off. And it was interesting.
“It’s just good to be around.”
And the admiration clearly works both ways, with Guardiola himself previously praising Warnock’s contribution to the game in this country, who holds the record for the most games managed in English professional football (1,602).
Speaking in February, the 54-year-old said of him: “Neil, like Sam Allardyce, like Mr [Harry] Redknapp, have been legends in this country, have made English football a better place for sure.
“I admire them a lot for the contribution they have made in world football for different perspectives, different ways.”
