Haaland cites childhood heroes - Cristiano and Ibrahimovic
Borussia Dortmund's fans quickly took to new club idol Erling Haaland, who spoke of the "incredible" feeling he gets upon hearing his name chanted.
Erling Haaland has admitted that hearing Borussia Dortmund fans in the famous Yellow Wall chant his name has been one of the greatest moments of his life so far. Haaland joined Dortmund from Salzburg in January, having already netted 28 goals in all competitions, including eight in the Champions League group stage.
The Norway international made an instant impact, netting a hat-trick after coming on from the bench on his debut. His form in Europe also continued, with the youngster helping himself to a double in a 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain, though he was unable to help Dortmund progress as the Bundesliga side went down in Paris prior to football shutting down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In an interview with Dortmund's official website, Haaland, who was also heavily linked with Manchester United before his move to Germany, spoke of his awe at the reception he has received from the home fans at Signal Iduna Park.
Hard to describe the feeling of seeing the Wall - Haaland
"To be honest, this has been one of the greatest moments in my whole life," said Haaland, who revealed he has been spending much of his time during lockdown training, meditating and playing FIFA 20. "When that happens, it is simply incredible and indescribable. It is pure goosebumps. Seeing the [Yellow] Wall and all these fans is just amazing. It is one of the greatest feelings you can have."
Cristiano and Ibrahimovic - Haaland's heroes
Haaland's incredible form has seen him compared to former Dortmund star Robert Lewandowski, though the 19-year-old singled out two other star names as his idols. "I had a lot of idols as a child," he added. "[But if] I have to name two players, [it would be] Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic."
Dortmund sit second in the Bundesliga table, four points behind leaders Bayern Munich, with the German Football League aiming to resume the season in May. However, games will have to be played behind closed doors as large gatherings are banned in Germany until at least 31 August.