The Euro 2024 final between England and Spain is yet to be played out but already an impatient Erling Haaland is already issuing fair warning he’s all gungho and ready for the new season.
The 2024/25 Premier League campaign will get under way on August 16 when Manchester United host Fulham at Old Trafford.
But one week earlier, on Saturday, August 10, Haaland and his Man City teammates will take part in the traditional Community Shield curtain-raiser – live on talkSPORT.
They will face FA Cup winners Manchester United at Wembley having lost to their rivals in the final in May.
Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo were the goal heroes for the Red Devils in a 2-1 win, with Jeremy Doku getting a consolation strike in London.
Haaland struggled uncharacteristically to make an impact in the game – having missed out on 12 games due to injury – after a quieter second Premier League campaign by his lofty standards.
However, the Norwegian dynamo still managed a stunning 38 goals in 45 matches across all competitions – 14 less than he managed the previous term.
And while a number of his Man City teammates are still in Euro 2024 action, the former Borussia Dortmund ace has fired an ominous, albeit friendly, warning to his rivals.
Taking to social media, the 23-year-old striker posted a video of himself seemingly in a Zen state meditating – with his legs crossed and his arms placed on his knees in the middle of a flowing stream – and looking totally at peace.
The picturesque clip was accompanied by an emoji of a man in the same pose, and a battery, on X – formerly known as Twitter.
Meanwhile, on an Instagram story he posted a still image of the scene with the comment: ‘Fully recharged,’ followed by a tick emoji.
Given Haaland missed 14 games with injury last season, the video clip will no doubt strike fear into rival clubs that he’s all geared up to go on another goal-scoring spree again.
When fully fit in his first campaign with City, he managed 52 goals in 53 games.
Now, though, his major concern may well be whether his City teammates will be fully recovered too after jaunts at Euro 2024.