How son of Man City cult hero is 'creating his own name'

He is nan boy of a Manchester City cult leader and was named aft a nine legend.

He played successful Norway younker teams pinch Erling Haaland, whose begetter besides played for City.

But while Haaland changeable to stardom, Colin Rosler has had to return a different way to carve retired his career.

"Since a young age, I've tried to create my ain name," he tells BBC Sport. "I've tried to beryllium my ain personification and not trust connected my dad."

Now 25, nan tough-tackling centre-back is yet stepping retired of nan shadows and making a sanction for himself.

Over nan past 7 months Rosler has go a convention champion and a afloat world and, by chance, his aged friend Erling was location to stock some moments.

A hard-working striker, Uwe Rosler represented East Germany earlier becoming a fans' favourite astatine City betwixt 1994 and 1998.

His Norwegian woman later gave commencement to 2 sons and such is Rosler's relationship pinch nan club, he named them aft City legends Colin Bell and Tony Book.

Colin Rosler was calved successful Berlin successful 2000, earlier his begetter played and managed successful Norway. After nan family moved to England successful 2010, nan boys would often meet their namesakes astatine Etihad Stadium.

"It's an honour to beryllium named aft specified a fable astatine City," says Colin Rosler.

"I'd ever person a laughter astir my sanction pinch Colin - and my relative pinch Tony Book - and it was ever awesome to spot them and perceive much astir nan club's history."

Perhaps it was inevitable, but Colin "loved City from an early age" truthful it was a "dream travel true" to gain a spot successful nan Blues' academy successful 2010.

Colin plays astatine nan other extremity of nan transportation to his father, but nan City coaches soon noticed 1 similarity.

"Even arsenic a 10-year-old, I was already an fierce defender," says Colin. "I conscionable wanted to smash people.

"My mum says each nan clip that we look nan aforesaid connected nan pitch, and I person a akin temperament to him."

And though Colin progressed done nan City and Norway property groups, Uwe knew nan chance of his boy – aliases immoderate academy merchandise – making it to nan first squad was very slim.

"I americium not judge each of them cognize it, but my 1 does," he told BBC Sport successful 2013.

"What you get from City is simply a very bully shot acquisition and, if you activity hard, you tin make a surviving from shot elsewhere."

After making 5 EFL Trophy appearances pinch City, Colin decided to springiness that a go, making a imperishable exit astatine 19 alternatively than going retired connected loan.

Having been calved successful Germany earlier increasing up successful Norway and England, Colin felt equipped to spell it unsocial overseas, and successful August 2019 he joined Dutch broadside NAC Breda.

"Leaving City wasn't nan easiest choice, but it's 1 I felt I had to make," he says. "It was going to beryllium a civilization daze and a caller challenge, but I'm bully astatine adapting quickly and learning caller things.

"And I learned a immense magnitude successful Holland - surviving by myself, playing successful nan first team, not speaking nan language.

"You person to spell successful there, return complaint and beryllium nan man that you are. I learned quickly that it's each astir winning."

He spent nan 2022 play pinch Norwegian broadside Lillestrom, earlier joining Mjallby, a Swedish nine that is "not arsenic well-known and benignant of successful nan mediate of nowhere".

"That was astir apt nan champion determination I've made," says Colin. "It came astatine nan correct clip successful my profession because I could conscionable attraction connected football.

"I became a leader, played each crippled and gained moreover much experience. Then you consciousness for illustration you person to make that adjacent step. I wanted to push myself, spot what I'm made of, and erstwhile you're playing successful Sweden and Malmo comes calling, you listen."

Malmo are arguably nan biggest nine successful Scandinavia but had conscionable suffered a mid-season wobble erstwhile they signed Rosler past August.

That meant a reunion pinch Malmo striker Erik Botheim, who came done Norway's younker teams alongside him and Erling Haaland.

Rosler first met Haaland erstwhile they played for Norway's Under-15s successful 2015 and they had 1 uncommon truth successful common.

"We talked astir that instantly, that we're some Blues and our dads played there," says Rosler.

"I retrieve we some said that it's our dream to play for City. Obviously he's gone connected to do that and it's conscionable unthinkable to spot really good he's done there. He's go an absolute monster."

Botheim and Haaland stay adjacent friends truthful erstwhile Malmo had a chance to clinch nan Swedish title past October, Haaland chose to miss nan Ballon d'Or ceremonial and watch Malmo conflict backmost for a 2-1 triumph complete Gothenburg.

"He almost sewage much attraction than america winning nan league!" says Rosler.

"He's sewage a engaged schedule truthful nan truth he made that effort to travel present and show his support was nosy to see.

"We turned it astir successful nan 2nd half and 10,000 group stormed connected to nan pitch. It was absolute chaos. To triumph my first title was thing I've been chasing truthful I'll retrieve it for nan remainder of my life."

Rosler past came disconnected nan chair for Norway successful November and it was Haaland he replaced - 9 years aft they made their U15s debut together.

"I thought astir that actually, that it would beryllium a bully picture," says Rosler.

"We've known each different for truthful agelong and, yeah, I made my elder debut a spot later than him, but that's thing that's truthful absorbing successful football.

"There's nary correct way. Everybody has a different path. I've had a batch of challenges successful my short career, but I've besides had a batch of unthinkable times.

"To triumph nan convention and correspond my country, it's thing I've worked towards for a very agelong time, and it was a very proud infinitesimal for maine and my family."

Rosler remains a regular for Malmo and could triumph different trophy arsenic they look Hacken successful nan Swedish Cup last connected Thursday (14:00 BST).

He has besides been named successful Norway's squad for adjacent week's World Cup qualifiers against Italy and Estonia.

And while Rosler has forged his ain path, he is "extremely thankful" for his father's proposal on nan way.

"He's been done nan aforesaid things truthful we tin talk astir them," he adds. "It's thing that's possibly fixed maine an advantage complete others, but I person to usage that."