Manchester City star Erling Haaland wins Golden Player Man Award at Golden Boy 2023 awards

Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has clinched the Golden Player Man award at the Golden Boy 2023 awards. This accolade comes after his phenomenal performance last season.

Haaland's journey with Manchester City has been nothing short of spectacular. His remarkable contribution has been pivotal in leading the club to a sweeping victory across various tournaments.

The club's triumphs spanned from securing the Premier League title to their first Champions League trophy. Haaland's individual performance was a force on its own, with an astonishing tally of 52 goals in 53 appearances.

This isn't the first time he has received an accolade for his goalscoring. He first stunned Europe with Borussia Dortmund, capturing the Golden Boy award in the 2020 season. His trajectory since then has been on the rise, solidifying his status as a seasoned goalscorer.

The decision to award the Golden Player title to Erling Haaland was made by the 'Board of Legends,'. This is an assembly of football greats, including Matthaus, Stoichkov, Shevchenko, Veron, Nedved, and Fabregas, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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Erling Haaland unhappy with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola after Lionel Messi praise

In the wake of the 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony, some discontent has emerged within the ranks of Manchester City, specifically involving Erling Haaland and head coach Pep Guardiola. This tension, it seems, stems from comments Guardiola made in the lead-up to the prestigious award event.

Messi beat his competition to secure his eighth Ballon d'Or award on October 30. Before this, however, Guardiola offered his perspective on who deserved the accolade, while reserving praise for Messi.

His remarks reportedly didn't go well with Haaland. Eduardo Inda, a journalist on El Chiringuito de Jugones, revealed (via El Nacional):

"They tell me from the player's environment that there is some friction with Guardiola since before the Ballon d'Or gala. Pep praised Messi in a grandiose way, saying that Leo's worst season coincided with Haaland's best."

"He praised the two, but he put in that phase and Haaland has not been very happy," he added. "There is a certain distance with the coach. The relationship is not at a good time. What you have to say is that the Ballon d'Or is it must be taken by your star and not Leo Messi."

Lionel Messi's connection with Guardiola traces back to their shared time at Barcelona, where Messi won his first Ballon d'Or in 2009.