30 January 2024 , 02:00
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Erling Haaland and Luke Littler clearly both enjoy a game of FIFA to calm any pre-match nerves.
Littler has taken the darts world by storm following his fairytale story at Alexandre Palace over Christmas and New Year. He came up short on that occasion, but has since gone on better to claim the Bahrain Masters title, beating Michael van Gerwen in the final.
Last week, before taking on home favourite Dirk van Duijvenbode at the Dutch Masters, Littler was spotted playing FIFA. He's also been snapped by Michael Smith opening packs on the EAFC web app on his phone with the former world champion saying: "Trying play darts and this little [s*** emoji] playing FIFA."
Now Haaland has confessed he enjoys playing on his PlayStation before games with FIFA, now rebranded as EAFC, allowing him to hit the back of the net as himself virtually, before he attempts to do so in real life with Manchester City.
He was quizzed on his pre-match antics and said: "I don't have any special routines. I try not to think too much before a game. Normally the night before a game, I play on my PlayStation and try and relax as much as I can. I don’t do anything special. I like to score with myself on FC24, that’s about it. I don’t do anything special, I just try and relax and look forward to the game."
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Haaland though has been injured for months, last playing in City's 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa on December 6. The Norwegian enjoyed a record-breaking debut campaign in the Premier League and was very much in the goals until his injury.
Pep Guardiola commented recently on his return: "Hopefully at the end of this month he'll be ready," City manager Pep Guardiola said. "It was a little bit more than we expected in the beginning. It's the bone. It needs time. With every injury you can do whatever you want but it's a question of time."
Luke Littler was snapped checking out his EAFC app on his phoneDespite being without Haaland City have began to click into gear and kept up their hopes of another treble by beating Tottenham in the FA Cup on Friday - their first ever win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They've also hit form at the right time in the Premier League.
Haaland said on his ambitions: "I want to keep doing the same as I did last season, to score more goals and win more trophies. Now I know how it is to win the Champions League and the Premier League. I would love to do it again. I will try to do my best and I want to help the team to make it happen."