'For the locals, nothing bigger has ever happened' - the Man City fans from Texas who'll be the first to see Erling Haaland in action

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

The wait is nearly over, as Manchester City hope to hand a debut to Erling Haaland this week, getting a look at their new number nine for the first time in Houston vs Club America.

Fans of City have waited what seems like a lifetime for a recognised striker, and Haaland's arrival opens up plenty of opportunities for a new era of Pep Guardiola's all-conquering side. Supporters with tickets for the Community Shield clash with Liverpool will be able to see his UK debut, however, there are a small group of US-based fans who will be able to say they were there for his first-ever run-out if he takes to the field in Houston.

With a passionate following Stateside, City make sure to engage with their fans on these tours. And for those Blues based in the US, the effort doesn't go unnoticed one bit.

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For a time, most City fans in the US were ex-pats, who had moved over from Manchester and wanted to keep following their club.

Stephen Fielden, originally from Littleborough, moved to the US in 1987, and has been in Houston for 11 years. He explains how the journey of supporting City from America has changed over time.

"With the advent of the internet you really can follow them, but when I moved it was calling my mum, getting the scores," he said.

"Since the internet, streaming, soccer packages, we've been able to see any game you want. We can go to the Phoenix pub, Houston, and watch every game at the same time. In the 'olden days' we'd get tapes sent to the pub on a Friday night and watch whatever tape we were sent.

"I go to the pub every game, every weekend game, that's my little community. I love going to watch the game.