COUNTY ACE MAC HOPES IT’LL HAAL END IN VARDY PARTY!
HE’S known as ‘the non-league Erling Haaland’ but Notts County hot shot Macaulay Langstaff actually aspires to being the new Jamie Vardy.
Haaland was yesterday plying his trade just across the River Trent from County’s ground at Nottingham Forest while Langstaff was involved down in Somerset at Yeovil.
They both started those games level on 26 league goals for this season, although safe to say Haaland’s efforts have occupied more coverage than Langstaff’s.
While the Norwegian is attempting to help secure Manchester City’s fifth Premier League title in six seasons, Teessider Langstaff, 26, wants to return the one-time oldest Football League side back to the EFL.
And his goals since a modest £50,000 summer move from Gateshead have County in a fight with Hollywood-backed Wrexham for the one automatic promotion place. “With the size of the club and its history Notts County deserves to be in the Football League,” Langstaff (left) maintained. “I hope I can help them achieve that. But the National League is such a high standard.”
It was the striker’s 28 goals in National League North side Gateshead’s successful promotion campaign which grabbed County’s attention. They also signed his goalscoring partner Cedwyn Scott, who had weighed in with 26 goals.
“Of course it gives me a lot of confidence to see my name mentioned alongside that of Haaland,” Langstaff added. “I love scoring goals and I would love to beat last season’s total.
“The boss Luke Williams is a big Haaland fan and shows me videos of him all the time.”
But ultimately it’s what Leicester and England striker Vardy achieved which is helping drive on the County hitman, who suffered a painful rejection by Middlesbrough at the age of 13.
Langstaff recalled: “To be told at that age you’re probably not going to be good enough is crushing. It was my club. I was a ball-boy there.
“Jamie is a great example to me of what you can achieve.
“He was in non-league with Fleetwood Town before moving to the Premier League with Leicester City.
“He proved that anything is possible – and of course everyone dreams of playing at the very highest level.”