Erling Haaland jokes that he could break the Premier League all-time scoring record before his current Man City contract runs out in FOUR years – and reveals Pep Guardiola’s stern message when he signed at the Etihad

• Erling Haaland broke the single-season Premier League goal record last term 
• The 23-year-old enjoyed a near-perfect debut campaign after his £51m move
• Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off’

Erling Haaland has joked that he could eclipse Alan Shearer’s Premier League goal scoring record before his current Manchester City deal runs out in 2027. 

The 23-year-old enjoyed a storybook debut campaign in the English top-flight, scoring 52 goals in all competitions and winning the treble. 

He set a new single-season Premier League record by netting 36 times, beating the tally achieved by Shearer and Andy Cole in seven fewer games. 

Eight goals later, with a record that now reads 44 goals in 42 league games, Haaland has his sights set on nabbing another one of the former Newcastle striker’s honours. 

‘How long is my contract?’ he said in an interview with The Telegraph when asked about catching Shearer. ‘Three years and 10 months [left]? So, there is still time to do it, no?’

Erling Haaland is one of the frontrunners for this year’s Ballon d’Or after scoring 52 goals in all competitions and winning the treble last season

 Shearer scored the last of his record 260 Premier League goals against Sunderland in 2006

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Haaland admitted that Man City boss Pep Guardiola demands a lot from his players in training 

The Norwegian goal machine was quick to clarify his jest, adding: ‘That’s something you can’t think of. You have to think of the next game, the season and then these things come after a while.

‘But if I will still be 15 years longer in England then why not? We will see.’ 

Haaland’s record of more than a goal per game will certainly give the BBC pundit pause so soon after the summer departure of Harry Kane, whose 213 goals shot him into second place in the all-time standings, eased any immediate worries of losing his title.  

The City striker could be set for an extended stay at the Etihad as the club plan to open contract talks on a fresh deal. 

Progress on securing terms , who is expected to pocket an increase on his £400,000-a-week wages plus bonuses, would serve as a major blow to Real Madrid.

Real have a desire to lure the 23-year-old to the Bernabeu, while also possessing a firm interest in Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe. 

The Spanish giants missed out on Haaland last year, who chose a £51million switch to City instead after an intense battle for his signature.

Guardiola has seen his team make a very good start to the season, only coming unstuck in their last league game against Wolves

Haaland and his City team-mates bagged the club’s maiden Champions League crown at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium last season

The forward said he believes his game has improved significantly under Pep Guardiola, who he revealed promised to ‘smash’ him if he was not focused at training after signing with the Manchester club. 

He reckons the manager’s intensity when on the pitch is crucial to the team’s success. 

‘That’s really how he is and City are as a team and as a club.’ He added. ‘It’s why they have been so successful.

‘The pressure is there. Look at the pressure we have every single day as a club, as a team, as individuals. But you must focus the one hour we have in training every day and the rest of the day relax, don’t think of football, don’t think of anything.

‘I think that’s a big part of why it’s so successful here with all the staff. After training – don’t think of football anymore. You think and you develop on the pitch. When you are on the pitch – you focus. That is what Pep demands.’ 

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

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