5 things you may not know about Erling Haaland
Here are five facts you may not know about Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland.
1. Looks up to Zlatan
Haaland's physical strength, eye for goal and mentality has seen him likened to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and he embraces the comparison to the Swedish legend.
"There is something about the way he got good and the way he plays. For me, Zlatan is the biggest. He is from Scandinavia, so someone has to take over from him," Haaland told Norwegian channel TV2.
"You can take a lot of things from Zlatan, especially in the mental area. He has shown at every club that he is the best. That really impresses me. That is also my aim," Haaland has said in an interview on RB Salzburg's website.
2. Has a close relationship with his father
Erling Haaland works closely together with his father, Alf-Inge Haaland – a former professional footballer who played for clubs such as Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Manchester City – and is happy to take advice from him.
"The combination of what he offers is ideal. He covers all important areas and helps me in every situation. My father has experienced a lot himself and can therefore give me important tips that can make me better and improve me even more as a person," Haaland has told RB Salzburg's website.
Asked why he chose to play as a striker instead of as a defender like his father, who made 34 appearances for Norway, Haaland said:
"That was pretty boring for me. I wanted to go forward all the time and score goals. It was soon clear I was going to be a striker."
3. Has a release clause
Erling Haaland signed a contract with Dortmund until 2024, but he might not stay that long. At least, the young striker has a €75 million release clause that will become active in the summer of 2022, Sport Bild has reported. Dortmund aren't usually willing to include a release clause in a player's contract, but chose to make an exception with Haaland.
4. Dreams of a move to the Premier League
If Haaland decides he wants to take the next step at some point, he's likely to follow in his father's footsteps and make the move to England.
"Erling wants to play in the Premier League. I don't know when it's the right time. We're ahead of our career schedule, but it's a very tough league," Alf-Inge Haaland told Sport Bild in December.
5. Supports Leeds United
Erling Haaland was born in the city of Leeds while his father was playing for Leeds United. And speaking in an interview with Norwegian media outlet Aftenposten in 2017, Haaland revealed he has a soft spot for the English Championship club.
"I want to become as good as possible. My dream is to win the Premier League with Leeds. Additionally, my goal is to become a better player than my father. I hope to play more games for the Norwegian national team than him," said Haaland, who has made two appearances for Norway so far.