Haaland reveals who goal scoring idols were when he was a kid 

Footballing superstars don’t just appear out of thin air. They train, they work, and they get inspired by the generation that preceded them. Erling Haaland may be an idol to kids around the world now, but before he was winning Premier Leagues and Golden Boots, he was a kid with idols that he looked up to.

Haaland following in idols footsteps

Not everyone has the privilege of growing up with a top level footballer in the house, but that was the case for the City striker. His father, Alf-Inge Haaland laid the foundation for what would become one of the top goal scorers in the sport. Erling´s dad was a defender, and while he did look up to his old man, he did take stock in the top strikers around England.

Erling was born in 2000, which is the same year his dad debuted year at Manchester City. He was a little too young to see his father in his prime, but as he grew older he began to study some of the top goal scorers in the Premier League.

While speaking to TNT Sports, the Norwegian superstar was sure to point out a neighboring striker who marked an era at the club and country level. “I watched Zlatan a lot when I was young. He was Swedish and nice to watch. Of course, [Sergio] Aguero I watched a lot from watching lots of City.”

City geared for a charge

Agüero was Haaland´s predecessor at City and guided the club into their golden years. He scored the winning goal that decided the Premier League to return the Premier League title to the blue side of Manchester in 2012, after more than forty years. Aguero scored 260 goals over the span of a decade with the club, while Haaland has 144 goals since joining the Citizens in 2022.

The two time Golden Boot winner also gave a shoutout to fellow left footed striker Robin Van Persie, “Then there was also Robin [van Persie] in the Premier League. He was also left-footed, with crazy finishes. I remember one season he had with Arsenal when he scored around 38 goals. That was an incredible season.”

Finally, Haaland gave a nod to one of the favorite cult striker of the 2000s. “Even Jamie Vardy... the runs he did were amazing to see. I’ve been watching many strikers,” said the Norwegian who has City closing in on Arsenal for the final stretch of the season.

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