Fans are in shock at how much Erling Haaland received for winning the Player of the Match award against Yokohama during Manchester City’s pre-season tour of Japan.
The enthralling 5-3 victory showcased impressive performances from various players, with John Stones, Julian Alvarez, and Rodri among the goals.
However, it was Haaland’s brace that earned him the prestigious award, given his astonishing goal-scoring form from the previous season, where he netted an incredible 52 goals in all competitions.
Despite Haaland’s exceptional performance and recognition, it was the prize money that left fans baffled.
The enormous cheque displayed a triple-digit figure, but it turned out that 1,000,000 Japanese Yen is equivalent to £5484.
The seemingly low amount surprised many supporters, considering the player’s exceptional talent and contributions on the field.
Erling Haaland was rewarded a check for his Man of the Match performance vs. the Yokohama F. Marinos 💰 pic.twitter.com/yU2h45Ewph
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 23, 2023
Now, to regular folk, that money is quite some reward for 90 minutes of football. But to Haaland, it is a mere drop in the ocean.
Indeed, the 22-year-old is thought to rake in close to £900,00 a-week at the Etihad, with that figure expected to reach £1 million next season, according to theDaily Mail.
Fans on social media were quick to react to the prize money, with one supporter tweeting: “That’s just pocket change for him”.
Another wrote: “With his massive weekly salary of £400,000, that £5,000 reward is just a drop in the bucket for him!”
“Probably tips more for his Nandos delivery”, a third joked.
A fourth said: “He earns that in two hours”, before a fifth added: “He definitely doesn’t need that £5k!”
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola claimed Haaland was in even better shape than last season in a stark warning to defenders across the English top-flight.
“Comparing to last season, in that period, he is fitter,” Guardiola told reporters after the game. “I know we would love for this to be like last season.
“He looks good, but he is still a way from the best condition, like everyone. What’s important is [getting] the rhythm and the principles. We know exactly what he has to do, we know him, and in a few weeks, we will be better condition than now.”
The City boss then quipped: “It was most important for him to score two goals in the first game, because last season he could not score.”