Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Haal of fame Born in Leeds, he broke long-jump world record aged 5 and runs as fast as an Olympic sprinter
his former protege will keep his feet on the ground, despite the big money move to the Etihad Stadium.
Alf Ingve Berntsen recalled: “He had a passion for football but many kids have that. He had what you in the UK call grit. He had something special and when he was on the pitch he was totally focused on football.”
Erling was nicknamed “Manchild” at his first club because he was so big for his age.
He fancied himself as a rapper early on in his career,
when his rap name was Flow Kingz.
But he has managed to avoid the pitfalls of football stardom so far. He is single after reportedly splitting with his girlfriend when he left Norway to move to Germany as a teenager.
At the time he joked to Norwegian outlet Dagblade: “I sleep with the five balls for each hat-trick I have scored. I lie in bed and I feel good with them. I look at them every day. They are my girlfriends.”
The young star is also thoughtful,
telling his online followers during lockdown: “If you’re feeling extra anxious these days, you are not alone.
“In addition to taking care of our bodies, we also have to take care of our mind. We’re here to help each other move through this. Stay strong and healthy.”
Erling is powerfullybuilt and 6ft 4in tall. His height, power and athleticism helped him make his first team debut at 15 years old.
He first made international headlines at the Under-20 World Cup in May 2019 by scoring an incredible nine goals – a
hat-trick of hat-tricks – as Norway’s youngsters thumped Honduras 12-0. It means he holds the record as the player with the most goals in a single match in that competition.
Erling reached 10 goals in four Champions League games, faster than anyone in the competition’s history.
His ninth and 10th Champions League goals of the season were also a record for a footballer playing their first season in Europe’s premier competition. He also became the youngest player to score a Champions League hattrick
NOT IF CITY WIN TITLE.. BUT ZEN: SEE SPORT
before half-time in former club RB Salzburg’s 6-2 win over Genk in September 2019.
Erling is from Bryne, a small town of around 12,000 people in the south west of Norway where his dad began his career and where the family returned in 2003.
“The Germans used to call him a machine,” said former Norwegian player Jan Aage Fjortoft.
“I don’t think you should call a human being a machine but he is as close as you get. Haaland is a tall, blond Norwegian as you would imagine a Viking coming to the UK thousands of years ago. But he is peaceful... he is a great goal-getter.”
He’s like a Norwegian Viking but peaceful.. he’s a great goal-getter JAN AAGE FJORTOFT FORMER NORWAY STRIKER