Colin Rösler has played football in the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden before joining Malmö in August last year.
He is the son of a Manchester City cult hero and is named after a club legend. He played in Norwegian youth teams alongside Erling Haaland – whose father also played for City.
But while Haaland shot to stardom, Colin Rösler has had to take a different path to build his career.
“Since I was a kid, I’ve been trying to make my own name,” he tells BBC Sport. “I’ve tried to be my own person and not trust my father.”
Now, at 25 years old, the hard-hitting centre-back is finally stepping out of the shadows and making a name for himself.
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For the past seven months, Rosler has become a league champion and a full-fledged international – and coincidentally, his old friend Erling Haaland was on hand to share both moments.
Signing for Man City was “a dream come true”
Uwe Rösler, a hard-working striker, represented East Germany before becoming a crowd favourite at Manchester City between 1994 and 1998. His Norwegian wife later had two sons, and so strong was Rosler’s connection to the club that he named them after City legend Colin Bell and Tony Book.
Colin Rösler was born in Berlin in 2000, before his father played and trained in Norway. When the family moved to England in 2010, the boys often met their namesakes at the Etihad Stadium.
“It’s an honour to be named after such a legend at City,” says Colin Rösler.
“I always used to have a joke with Colin about my name – and my brother with Tony Book – and it was always great to meet them and hear more about the club’s history.”
Maybe it was inevitable, but Colin “loved City from an early age”, so it was “a dream come true” when he got a place in the club’s academy in 2010.
Nine years in City’s academy
Colin Rösler spent nine years in Manchester City’s academy, playing against the likes of Liverpool’s Curtis Jones. Although he plays at the opposite end of the pitch compared to his father, the coaches at City quickly noticed one similarity.
“Even as a 10-year-old, I was an aggressive defender,” Colin says. “I just wanted to deal with people.”
“My mom keeps saying we look the same on the pitch and I have a similar temperament to him.”
Although Colin advanced through City’s and Norway’s youth teams, Uwe knew that the chances of his son – or anyone from the academy – reaching the first team were very slim.
“I’m not sure everyone understands it, but my son does,” he told BBC Sport in 2013.
“What you get from City is a very good football education, and if you work hard, you can earn a living elsewhere.”
After five games in the EFL Trophy with City, Colin decided to try his luck outside the club – leaving permanently at the age of 19 instead of going on loan.
“I wanted to test myself”
Having grown up in Germany, Norway and England, Colin felt prepared to try his luck abroad. In August 2019, he signed for Dutch club NAC Breda.
“Leaving City wasn’t the easiest decision, but it was something I felt I had to do,” he says.
“It was going to be a culture shock and a new challenge, but I’m good at adapting quickly and learning new things. I learned so much in the Netherlands – living alone, playing in the first team, not speaking the language.”
“You have to go in there, take responsibility and be the person you are. I quickly learned that it’s all about winning.”
In 2022, he played for Norwegian club Lillestrøm, before signing for Swedish club Mjällby – a club he describes as “not so well known and kind of in the middle of nowhere”.
“It was maybe the best decision I’ve made,” Colin says. “It came at the right time in my career, because I could focus only on football.”
“I became a leader, played every game and gained even more experience. Then you feel that you have to take the next step. I wanted to push myself, see what I’m made of – and when you play in Sweden and Malmö comes on the field, you listen.”
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Reunion with Haaland
Malmö is arguably the biggest club in Scandinavia, but they had just had a weak period when they brought in Rösler in August last year.
That meant a reunion with Malmö’s striker Erik Botheim, who came through the Norwegian youth team with him and Erling Haaland.
Rosler first met Haaland when they played for Norway’s U15 national team in 2015, and they had one rare thing in common.
“We talked about it straight away – that we are both City fans and that our fathers played there,” says Rösler.
“I remember both of us saying it was a dream to play for City. He’s now achieved that, and it’s amazing to see how well he’s done there. He has become a real monster.”
Botheim and Haaland are still close friends, so when Malmö had the chance to secure the Swedish title in October last year, Haaland chose to step up – even if it meant missing out on the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
“He almost got more attention than we won the league!” laughs Rosler.
“He has a busy schedule, so the fact that he put in the effort to come here and support us was fun to see.”
“We turned it around in the second half, and 10,000 people stormed the pitch. It was total chaos. Winning my first title is something I’ve been chasing, so I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.”
National team debut – nine years after Haaland
In November, Rosler came on as a substitute for Norway – and it was Haaland he replaced, nine years after they made their debut together on the U15 national team.
“I actually thought about it – that it would be a nice picture,” says Rosler.
“We’ve known each other for so many years, and yes, I made my debut for the national team a little later than him. But that’s what’s so interesting about football.”
“There is no right way. Everyone has their own path. I’ve had a lot of challenges in my short career, but I’ve also had a lot of incredible experiences.”
“Winning the league and representing my country is something I’ve been working towards for a very long time, and it was a proud moment for me and my family.”
New Opportunity for Trophy
Rösler is still a fixture in Malmö, and he can win another trophy when the team meets Häcken in the Swedish Cup final on Thursday.
He has also been selected in Norway’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Italy and Estonia next week.
And even though Rösler has forged his own path, he is “incredibly grateful” for his father’s advice over the years.
“He’s been through the same things, so we can talk about them,” he says.
“It may be something that has given me an advantage over others, but I have to use it.”
