Erling Haaland of Manchester City was seen before the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg match between Real Madrid CF and Manchester City at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 09, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. Reds legend Jamie Carragher shared his views on Haaland’s influence on the game, expressing that despite being a great goal-scorer, he has not yet reached world-class player status. Carragher emphasized the need for more well-rounded skills to achieve this status, referring to players like Thierry Henry, Luis Suarez, and Harry Kane, who have had a major impact on big matches beyond scoring goals.
Carragher also commented on Haaland’s performance in recent games against top-class centre-backs, suggesting that while he is brilliant in the penalty area, he is still developing in other areas of the game. Specifically, he referred to matches where Haaland was overshadowed by defenders such as Virgil van Dijk, William Saliba, and Antonio Rudiger.