Elliot Anderson has quickly learned what his first job at Manchester City is – to give the ball to Erling Haaland.
The England midfielder has slotted straight into the City side since his £116million summer move from Nottingham Forest and looking for the prolific Haaland is an instinct he has instantly developed.
The 23-year-old said: “We have a responsibility to provide chances for him and my first thought at the minute when I receive the ball is, ‘where’s Erling?’
“And I think that’s the best thought to have in your mind. Obviously, he’s a really dangerous goalscorer and if we can provide him with some good passes and some good chances then he’ll be really happy.”
Haaland has certainly started the new season in good form with five goals in his last three games and will be looking to continue his streak as City face derby rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
It is a fixture Anderson himself has added spice to having described City as the “kings of Manchester” when he joined the club.
It was not simply an attempt to make an impression, however, with Anderson having followed City since childhood.
He said: “Obviously, I’m a Newcastle fan deep down but you’ve always got a second team and, for me, that was Manchester City.
“I think I was about seven or eight years old, and I just started following the club and really enjoyed it. My grandad bought me a Manchester City shirt, so I’ve just loved supporting them since then.”
Anderson was one of a number of high-profile arrivals in a £458m summer revamp of the City squad as the club prepared for a new era under manager Enzo Maresca.
Enzo Fernandez (£125m), Ayyoub Bouaddi (£86m), Iliman Ndiaye (£65m) and Allan Elias (£34m) were the other headline signings.
City’s spending dwarfed that of United, whose outlay was £163m, but Maresca insists the size of the fees are irrelevant.
“I don’t pay much attention to the price because I don’t pay the money,” the Italian said. “It’s more about good players.
“The ones who arrived here and joined United are all top players. That’s the most important thing.
“How much the club paid for them? I don’t think it’s correct to judge players on how much we pay because the market is crazy.
“Any club pays big money for any players. It’s the market and we need to adapt.”
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