Alan Shearer backs Manchester City striker Erling Haaland to score 40 goals this season ‘at worst’

Alan Shearer has backed Manchester City striker Erling Haaland to score 40 goals this season, and says he’s the “perfect centre-forward”.

Haaland has taken the Premier League by storm since his summer arrival from Borussia Dortmund, scoring scored 18 goals in 13 games, including hat-tricks against Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, and Manchester United.

Shearer and Andy Cole currently hold the record for most goals in a season (both 34), but Haaland looks set to challenge that.

“When I’ve watched him he hasn’t surprised me,” former Newcastle and Blackburn forward Shearer told Amazon Prime Video ahead of Man City’s Premier League clash with Leeds United.

“Because you know when there’s something special, a special talent there.

“When I look at him, if you’re building from scratch the perfect center-forward, he is it. He is the perfect guy.

“He’s big, he’s strong, he’s quick, he’s technically good, good in the air, he’s got a fantastic touch. There isn’t anything he’s not very good at.

“So, if he stays fit, he will, at best, sorry at worst, be getting 40 goals. There’s no doubt about that, because with the ability he has around him, with his own ability, he’s a very, very special talent.”

The 22-year-old has some way to go to match Shearer’s Premier League record of 260 goals, but when asked whether Haaland has the potential to score more, Shearer was adamant he could be overtaken.

“He’ll get it, if he stays, I’m sure of that.”

“It’s a great feeling [to be the main man], you don’t care who you’re playing against, you don’t care where you’re playing, the belief that you have, the form that you’re in, and everything just feels great,” Shearer said. “You cannot wait to get out onto the pitch, and I said it before, if you’re building the perfect centre-forward, he is it!

“There’s just no doubt about that. There isn’t a weak point to his game. He’s quick, good in the air and strong, so if you want to have a fight or a scrap with him then he’s quite prepared to do that.

“He’s willing to run in behind, he takes early shots with his left foot and right foot, so balls into the box he seems to be quicker.

“His runs are excellent and I don’t see a weakness in his game. You try to show him on the left side and he’s quite comfortable going on the right, and when you’re getting the balls [into Haaland], it’s about the timings of his runs, using his pace.

“You cannot fail to like him unless you’re the opposition, unfortunately. For me, he’s the perfect centre-forward and he’s made for this league because we know how physical it is and it doesn’t bother him at all, in fact, he enjoys that.”