Six unknown facts about Manchester City’s new superstar Erling Haaland

Manchester City has finally got their Sergio Aguero replacement, and he is more familiar with the area than you may think. A deal has been reached between Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund to take the much sought-after striker to the Etihad Stadium in a deal worth around £51milllion.

Here are some interesting and unknown facts about Manchester City’s latest signing-

Following his father’s footsteps, Erling Haaland from a sporting family

Erling Haaland followed his father Alfie Haland’s footsteps as he recently joined Premier League Manchester City. Alfie or Alf-Inge Haaland plied his trade in England for several years playing for Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Manchester City.

Erling Haaland hails from a sporting family. Other than his father Alfie who played in the Premier League, his mother Gry Marita Braut was a national heptathlon champion.

Haaland’s maternal cousins Albert Tjaland and Jonatan Braut Brunes play for Norwegian clubs Bryne and IK Start respectively. Jonatan’s sister Emma Braut Brunes plays as a defender for Norwegian side Klepp’s women’s team.

Erling Haaland was eligible to play for England national team

On July 21, 2001, Haaland was born in Leeds while his father Alfie Haaland was playing for Leeds United. As he was born in England, the forward was eligible to represent the English national team. Fortunately for Norway, he opted to play for his native country.

Erling Haaland became a world record holder at the age of just five years

The footballer leaped 1.63 meters in a standing long jump when he was just five years old. According to International Age Records, it is a world record for a five-year-old that still stands.

Erling Haaland is the only teenager to score in his first five Champions League matches

Only three players have scored in each of their first five appearances in the Champions League. Alessandro Del Piero, Diego Costa and Erling Haaland are the players who have achieved that feat and the Norwegian is the youngest player to do so. Haaland scored eight goals for Red Bull Salzburg in their first five group stage matches during the 2019/20 season.

Erling Haaland has scored 23 goals in 19 Champions League appearances. That’s more than Cristiano Ronaldo (none), Lionel Messi (eight), and Kylian Mbappe (12) managed after the same number of games.

Erling Haaland idolises Zlatan Ibrahimovic but follows Cristiano Ronaldo’s diet

Erling Haaland idolized Sweden legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic while growing up. In an interview with Redbull Salzburg, the player mentioned, “I had a lot of role models and I have seen many good players, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the biggest one for me. How he became so good, the [path] he took, the way he plays.”

It has to be noted that Haaland had the same football agent as Ibrahimovic, Mino Raiola who recently passed away. While Haaland idolizes Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a footballer, when it comes to off-the-field discipline and dietary restrictions, he follows the path of Cristiano Ronaldo.

In an interview with ESPN FC in 2019, Alfie Haaland had said, “He was told a story by Patrice Evra about a lunch he had with Ronaldo and Cristiano had fish, nothing else. Erling now tries to do the same things because Ronaldo is 34 and still at the top of the game, so it shows the value of doing the right things.”

Erling Haaland once scored nine goals in a 2019 U20 World Cup match

In a 2019 U20 World Cup group stage match against Honduras, Erling Haaland scored nine goals which helped Norway win the tie 12-0. Haaland was the top goalscorer of the competition even though his team did not go past the group stage.

Also Read: DEAL SEALED: Throwback to when Erling Haaland was spotted partying with Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez in Mykonos