Manchester City winger Allan Elias is adjusting to life in England both on and off the pitch — and according to the Brazilian himself, Erling Haaland has taken a keen interest in his progress with the English language.

Elias arrived at the Etihad Stadium from Palmeiras in the summer, in a deal worth up to £34.2m, and has made six appearances for Enzo Maresca’s side so far this season, scoring once and setting up another.

That goal came on a memorable debut in September’s League Cup win over Norwich City, a moment that announced the 22-year-old to City supporters with a driving solo run and a composed finish.

Opportunities in the Premier League have been harder to come by since, but his form has clearly caught the eye of those well beyond Manchester — he has now received his first senior call-up to the Brazil squad.

It is a remarkable rise for a player who was still establishing himself at Palmeiras only months ago, and Elias says he is trying to savour every part of it, even the parts that catch him off guard — like his Norwegian teammate’s sense of humour.

Speaking at a press conference with the Brazil squad, as reported by Globo Esporte, Elias opened up on his first months in England and the support network that has helped him settle.

“It’s been really nice. There’s Vitor Reis, Matheus Nunes, Ruben [Dias]… They speak Portuguese and help me a lot.”

With a handful of Portuguese speakers already in the City dressing room, Elias has not been short of familiar voices to lean on. But he admits he has become something of a target for Haaland’s jokes along the way.

“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.”

Rather than brushing the comments aside, Elias says he has taken them as motivation, determined to adapt as quickly on and off the pitch as he has shown he can in matches.

“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.”

Brazil call-up brings a different kind of nerves

If the English lessons are one challenge, Elias faces an entirely different one this week: the traditional dressing-room initiation that awaits every uncapped player called into the Brazil squad.

Introduced by Endrick at his first press conference with the Seleção, Elias admits the build-up to that moment has occupied much of his thinking since the call-up arrived.

“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…”

“Ever since I found out I’d been called up, that’s what I’ve been thinking about the most.”

Beyond the initiation itself, there is also the simple reality of walking into a Brazil training camp stacked with some of the sport’s biggest names — a far cry from life at Palmeiras even a year ago.

“It’s difficult to arrive here and see players like Raphinha, Vini, Endrick…”

Elias says it is his family who have helped keep him grounded through the whirlwind of the past few months, even as the scale of what he is experiencing continues to sink in.

“My dad talks to me a lot and tells me that I’m capable, that I have my talent. Once I’m on the pitch, I can separate things, forget about everything else and focus completely.”

“Every time my dad sends me a message, I get even more anxious. I talk to my wife and tell her I can’t believe what I’m experiencing. Not long ago, all of this seemed so far away.”

“I can only thank God and try to make the most of it.”

It is a lot to process for a player who, barely two years ago, was still breaking through in Brazilian football. From Palmeiras to the Premier League and now a Brazil call-up, Elias’s rise has been rapid.

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