'Fool': Simon Jordan had a strong response to Erling Haaland in the freezing encounter against Marbella
It's not every day you look over to the padel court next door and see Erling Haaland.
But for talkSPORT Simon JordanThat's exactly what happened when I was on holiday in Marbella.
However, it was an experience that left Jordan with a bitter taste.
Haaland's attitude has been made evident after his actions after Manchester CityThe dramatic 2-2 draw against Arsenal last Sunday.
He hit a ball behind the head of Gunners defender Gabriel after John Stones' equaliser, he told Mikel Arteta that 'stay humble' and called Gabriel Jesus a “fucking clown.”
The Norwegian also crashed into Thomas Partey Immediately after the restart following Stones' last-gasp goal.
Given Haaland's remarkable goalscoring record since joining Manchester City, which has continued this season with 10 goals in five league games, he is entitled to speak out.
But his off-the-cuff comment to Arteta to “stay humble” has sparked a major debate.
As for Jordan, he anticipates that Haaland may look back on his behaviour with some embarrassment, especially given his own encounter with the forward in Spain.
“I think he's an extraordinary footballer and he can prove it,” Jordan told talkSPORT.
“I think the older you get, the wiser you get. You realize that there are times when you can ultimately behave in a certain way, you don't need to be completely yourself. Because you realize that you are only as good as you know you are.
“I met him in Marbella. He was playing on the padel court next to mine. I was texting someone who is a big Manchester City fan and I was saying: 'You'll never guess who's on the court next door.'”
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“A cheeky guy came up and said, 'I don't want my picture taken.' I asked him, 'Of what?' He said, 'Of me.'”
“I said to him: 'Why would I take a picture of you, you idiot? I'm playing paddle tennis.'”
“I spoke to his dad (Alf-Inge Haaland) and his dad was lovely. I went away thinking, 'Hmm, I'm not sure about you.'”
Nine caps for England Danny Murphy I asked Jordan if it was simply “a sign of the times.”
Jordan was unsure, but he issued a warning to Haaland: “Don't lose sight of the reality of what you are.”
“If I'm a 21- or 22-year-old football player and there's an older kid playing on the other field, maybe a little bit of respect is the way I should behave,” Jordan said.
“I don't know, but the fact is that he is an extraordinary footballer. He can prove it. But at some point, you will fall short if you lose sight of the reality of what you are. You are just a footballer.
“You're a very good footballer, you're not a panacea for the world's problems, you can't go around joking and being sarcastic with other people. I don't think it's particularly good to speak to another manager in the way he appears to have done.”
As for Murphy, he felt Haaland's “humble” comment towards Arteta was “strange” and something he “really doesn't want to see”.
“He's the coach of the other team, he was walking around the field and going about his business,” Murphy said.
“Haaland doesn't need to tell the Arsenal manager how to behave. He walks off the pitch, you've just equalised, he walks off the pitch and you've just scored again.
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“A bit of humility is good. I think in terms of playing with other players, joking around a bit with Gabriel, holding his own, standing up to people, all that doesn't bother me. That says he has something special.”
“You don't have to be meek and mild on the field. You can be as confident and arrogant as you want if you're doing your duty.”
Despite Haaland's controversial actions against Arsenal, he has escaped any retroactive punishment.
The VAR also reviewed Haaland's ball-throwing incident but deemed no action was necessary.
The Norwegian's focus now turns to City's trip to St. James' Park on Saturday, where they face Newcastle, who are coming off their first defeat of the season against Fulham.
