Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is getting a lot of love on social media for his kind reaction to teammate Kalvin Phillips’ return to the field. Phillips has been out for a while, and Haaland celebrated his comeback by sharing a hearty message on Snapchat.
Watching from home during City’s Carabao Cup clash with Huddersfield Town, Haaland shared his delight on Snapchat, jokingly calling Phillips the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ as the midfielder made his comeback with his last appearance for Manchester City coming in December 2023. The Norwegian striker, who wasn’t in the matchday squad due to a back injury, clearly wanted to show his support for his teammate’s emotional return.
every player got that one bum they’re obsessed with pic.twitter.com/kknC3qkO3U
— alani (@stargirllani) September 24, 2025
He was coined the nickname by Leeds fans, Phillips was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, which is where the Yorkshire part of the nickname comes from, highlighting his local roots and connection to the club. The nickname gained widespread recognition, particularly during and after Leeds United’s promotion to the Premier League under manager Marcelo Bielsa and his impressive performances for the England national team.
One fan stated- “Bc he’s a leeds fan” Haaland was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire as his father Alfie Haaland, was playing for Leeds United in the Premier League at the time. Joshua King on Ben Fosters podcast even admitted that “I do know he loves Leeds.”
Phillips revealed he bonded with his new teammate Haaland over their shared links with Leeds, with both players having been born in the city. This Yorkshire connection provided the perfect foundation for their friendship, with both players often seen together during pre season training sessions, developing a mutual understanding both on and off the pitch.
Haaland wasn’t the only City player to show support for Phillips’ return. Other players, such as Erling Haaland and Tottenham’s James Maddison, showed support by liking the post when Phillips shared his own emotional message about the comeback.
One fan stated – “first grealish now phillips.” Erling has always supported his teammates, most notably his support for his friend Jack Grealish and even called him ‘Jack De Bruyne’ after his two assists against Brighton.
While Phillips’ cameo is unlikely to radically alter his long term standing at the club, it represents a significant step forward in his Manchester City career. The support from teammates like Haaland suggests that regardless of transfer speculation, there remains genuine affection and respect within the squad. Hopefully he can reignite his form that he had at Leeds and get back to the performances that made Leeds fans call him the Yorkshire Pirlo.
