HUNGRY FOR Haaland showed appetite for goals from early age..
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ERLING HAALAND has always had a huge appetite for goals.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might have missed out on signing football’s hottest striker for Manchester United but it’s emerged the Old Trafford boss provided the key ingredient for Haaland’s rise to fame – chef Torbjorg Haugen.
During his time as Molde boss before joining United, Solskjaer signed up Haugen (below) who had cooked for Norway’s biathlon team.
And in two years she transformed Haaland from a puny teenager to a 6ft 4in powerhouse who is terrorising Europe’s best defenders at Borussia Dortmund.
Many believe Haaland’s strong, athletic frame – allied to an instinct for goals – is propelling the teenage Bundesliga star towards becoming football’s first £200million striker.
And Molde chef Haugen reckons it is all down to her meatballs and chocolate cake. She said: “He was a small, skinny boy when he first came to the stadium. I didn’t give him any special food but he was a boy who grew – a lot.
“He was 16 when he came and 18 when he left. And in that period he grew such a lot it was amazing.”
Haaland enjoyed Haugen’s food so much he used to ask for takeaways to take back to the apartment he shared with other Molde players.
She said: “He needed a lot of food. He would come to me after lunch and ask, ‘Can I get some food to take home?’
“I gave it him because I could see the boy needed it. His favourite was Norwegian meatballs and special small chocolate cakes – but only one!”
Haugen gets emotional remembering the days when Haaland was a relative unknown. She said: “I miss him a lot and I think it’s fantastic what he’s gone on to achieve.” Molde fitness coach Borre
Steenslid had to carefully manage Haaland’s rapid growth spurt knowing he had a huge star on his hands.
He said: “Erling ate like a horse. When he came he was this young, thin, tall kid still growing – just skin and bone really.
“I thought it was going to be a project to get him ready for men’s football. He was 16 but straight away he was taking it all in. “Especially his first year he started to grow so we had to be careful about the load out on the pitch.
“There was more for him to do in the gym to bulk him up because we wanted him to be injury free.
“But his dedication was all there and he had a different level of passion on the pitch, especially when it comes to scoring goals.”
Haaland is ready to start training again as Germany heads towards a restart after the devastation of coronavirus.
During his time in lockdown the teenager has reflected on his rise to fame – and he has no regrets about snubbing Solskjaer and United.
Haaland, 19, said: “When I got my first professional contract at my hometown club Bryne I was thinking, ‘Yeah, it’s good,’ but it was nothing great compared to other young players.
“At Salzburg I started scoring plenty but I looked at Kylian Mbappe and he was banging goals in Ligue 1 for Monaco and PSG so you can always reach a higher level in football.
“My whole life I have set my goals very high, that’s what I’ve been doing to this day.
“And being at Dortmund is everything I could wish for. When I walked out the first time and heard the Yellow Wall and the whole stadium was singing it was fantastic, like a dream.
“When you are a young boy you dream of playing in front of 80,000 but it was another level beyond my imagination.
“We have world-class players at Dortmund and we talk a lot about football. I know there is always big pressure on me to score and I’ve created that. But the hype isn’t getting to me at all.”