“I won that ball” – India international Suresh Wangjam makes interesting claim about facing Manchester City striker Erling Haaland

India and Bengaluru FC player Suresh Singh Wangjam quipped about his encounter with Manchester City's Erling Haaland, claiming he won a tackle against the 6'5" striker.

Wangjam, who was a part of India's squad for the 2017 FIFA U17 World Cup, locked horns with Haaland in an age-group match between India and Norway.

Replying to a photo of him and the former Borussia Dortmund man on Twitter, he said:

During an interaction with The Bridge, Wangjam recalled his experience of facing the Manchester City forward in an international U16 outing in 2016.

"We knew it was not going to be an easy game. We had a plan to face them. We knew their style of play and that they had one key player [Haaland]. It was a bit easy for us to know who's going to mark the key player so that we put them under pressure and stop them from playing the ball forward."

He further added:

"We even got few chances to score but ended up shooting the ball of Target. [Mohammad] Nawaz played his heart out in that game. But we conceded two in the second half."

Since his participation in the biennial tournament in 2017, the 21-year-old has progressed rapidly as a combative midfielder. After the historical event, he made his first foray into club football with Indian Arrows and moved to Bengaluru in 2019.

So far, Wangjam has made 54 appearances for Bengaluru FC, winning the AIFF Emerging Player of the Year in 2021. He was also a crucial part of India's squad during their eighth SAFF Championship triumph last year, even scoring a goal in the final against Nepal.

Erling Haaland on to bigger things at Manchester City

Premier League champions Manchester City announced the signing of Erling Haaland from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of £51 million. The 21-year-old striker penned a five-year deal at the Etihad Stadium.

Scoring 86 goals in 89 matches in two-and-a-half seasons with the Black and Yellows, the former Molde FK and Red Bull Salzburg attacker won the DFB Pokal and the Bundesliga Player of the Season award in 2020/21.

Upon joining Manchester City, he told the club's website:

“I have always watched Manchester City and have loved doing so in recent seasons. You can’t help but admire their style of play, it’s exciting and they create a lot of chances, which is perfect for a player like me. There are so many world-class players in this squad and Pep is one of the greatest managers of all-time, so I believe I am in the right place to fulfil my ambitions.

He continued:

“I want to score goals, win trophies and improve as a footballer and I am confident I can do that here. This is a great move for me and I can’t wait to get started in pre-season.”

Haaland registered 29 goals and eight assists in just 30 appearances at the club level last season, despite being plagued with injuries.