Allan Elias has lifted the lid on life in the Man City dressing room, and it turns out Erling Haaland has been keeping a close eye on his English.
The 22-year-old Brazilian, who joined from Palmeiras in the summer, spoke about his first few months in Manchester at his first press conference with the Brazil squad. He has made six appearances for City so far, with a goal and an assist, and that has been enough to earn a first senior call-up from Carlo Ancelotti, as we covered when Allan was named in the Brazil squad at the end of October.
He was introduced to the media by Endrick, and he sounded like a player still pinching himself at how quickly things have moved.
Who is helping Allan settle at Man City?
The language barrier is the obvious hurdle for any young Brazilian arriving in England, but Allan has found a ready-made support group at the Etihad. Asked how he was getting on, he said: “It’s been really nice. There’s Vitor Reis, Matheus Nunes, Ruben [Dias]… They speak Portuguese and help me a lot.”
That matters more than it sounds. Vitor Reis knows what it is like to settle at City as a young Brazilian, and he is now attracting interest of his own, with Barcelona putting the centre-back on their January list. Having two senior team-mates in Nunes and Dias who share his language gives Allan people to lean on away from the pitch as well as on it.
Haaland’s English lessons jibe
Then there is Haaland. The Norwegian, fresh from his place in the FIFPRO World 11, has apparently taken it upon himself to give the new boy a bit of stick.
Allan explained: “Haaland sometimes comes over to talk to me and jokes that I don’t understand much, that I need to take English lessons. I’m taking them and trying to learn as quickly as possible.”
He added: “I’m trying to make the most of this incredible moment by working hard in training and in my lessons to adapt as quickly as possible.”
It is the kind of dressing-room teasing that usually means a player has been accepted, not the opposite.
Allan Elias and the Brazil call-up that still feels unreal
The English lessons are not the only test waiting for him. As one of the newcomers in Ancelotti’s squad, Allan faces the traditional initiation in front of his new international team-mates.
“I’m very happy to be here and very nervous. I sit with the lads who are coming for the first time and all we talk about is this introduction we’re going to have, what we’re going to sing, what joke we’re going to tell,” he said. “Ever since I found out I’d been called up, that’s what I’ve been thinking about the most.”
He also admitted that walking into a camp with some of the biggest names in Brazilian football takes some getting used to: “It’s difficult to arrive here and see players like Raphinha, Vini, Endrick…”
For someone who was still establishing himself at Palmeiras earlier this year, that is quite a jump. His City career started in style with a goal and an assist on his debut against Norwich City, although regular minutes under Enzo Maresca have been harder to come by since.
Is Allan settling in at Man City faster than his minutes suggest?
I think he is. Six appearances is not a lot, and Maresca has been careful with him, but everything Allan said points to a player who is comfortable in the group. He has Portuguese speakers looking after him, he is taking lessons, and Haaland is taking the mick out of him, which in football terms is a welcome.
The minutes will be the real test once he is back from Brazil duty. If the confidence from this camp follows him back to Manchester, Maresca might find it harder to leave him on the bench.
