Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has revealed that becoming a father has helped Erling Haaland grow into a more complete person, both on and off the pitch.

Speaking ahead of Manchester City's UEFA Champions League opener against Porto, Maresca said Haaland's world was transformed after the birth of his son in late 2024. The Norwegian striker arrived at the club without children, but his priorities have since shifted firmly toward his family.

"He's a man now, he's a dad. When he arrived here, he was not a dad. Now life has changed, the priority has completely changed because he is a dad. I am happy for him — he was already top as a player and top as a boy. But now you can see that he is complete."

Despite the new demands of parenthood, Haaland has lost none of his sharpness in front of goal, scoring three times in his first three Premier League appearances of the 2026–27 season.

Maresca also acknowledged the growing physical and mental load being placed on Haaland by a congested schedule of club and international fixtures, hinting that the striker could be rested in an upcoming match to manage his workload.

Maresca has a long-standing familiarity with Haaland, having worked alongside him as part of Pep Guardiola's coaching staff during Manchester City's historic Treble-winning campaign in 2022/23.