Many recognise Manchester City’s new striker for his unbelievable goal-scoring ability; fans hope this carries on into his debut Premier League season. But what some do not know is where Erling Haaland was actually born – and the answer may surprise you.
Despite his impressive record abroad, Haaland had a difficult start to life in English football.
Last weekend, City lost 3-1 to Liverpool in the Community Shield. The Norwegian international failed to score, even missing a glorious chance at the end of the game.
Cynical rival supporters on social media were quick to point out Haaland’s troubles, even though he has played just one game. Nevertheless, City supporters are very excited about finally having an out-and-out number nine in their squad.
It also helps that Erling Haaland is prolific wherever he goes. The forward established himself at Molde, where he bagged 20 goals in 50 matches.
Then, Haaland’s big break came at Red Bull Salzburg, where he scored a staggering 29 goals in 27 appearances.
Following his brilliant output, Haaland joined Borussia Dortmund in 2020. In two years with the Bundesliga giants, he netted 86 goals in 89 matches. Even more impressively, the forward added 23 assists to his stats, too.
After this, Man City snapped up Haaland this summer to the tune of £51.2 million. This move turned out to be a homecoming of sorts for the striker, as his father played for the Citizens before him.
In Erling’s case, it also meant a return to England.
Where was Erling Haaland born?
Due to his father’s career in English football, Erling Haaland was actually born in the British Isles. He entered the world on 21 July 2000, in Leeds of all places. That’s right, Erling Haaland is a Yorkshireman.
But how did this happen? At the time, his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, was in the middle of a transfer move from Leeds United to Man City. He had previously joined the Yorkshire side in 1997 but was moving on after three years at Elland Road. So, because he played in the city, the Haaland family lived in Leeds, and Erling was born there.
Now, you may wonder, ‘Does that mean Erling Haaland could have played for England?’. The answer is yes. Unfortunately for Gareth Southgate, Haaland decided to represent the native country of his parents – Norway.
He took this decision early on in his football career, as Haaland represented the Scandinavian country at multiple youth levels. As a result, Gareth Southgate ruled out the chance of trying to get Haaland to play for England. According to The Independent, the striker was never a realistic option for the Three Lions.
What was England’s loss definitely turned out to be Norway’s gain, though.
Haaland’s Norway record
Norway will be very grateful that Erling Haaland chose them over the country where he was born. In 21 caps for the national team, Haaland has bagged 20 goals – basically a goal every game.
His latest haul came in this summer’s Nations League matches. Norway are currently leading Group B4, thanks to Haaland’s goals. In 2022’s Nations League games, the striker has scored five times.
Most recently, he got a brace plus an assist during his country’s 3-2 victory over Sweden. If they stay top of Group B4, Norway will be promoted to the A-tier for the next tournament.
Unfortunately, Haaland is still yet to perform at a major international tournament. Norway missed out on a World Cup spot for later this year. Therefore Haaland’s next chance is to qualify for Euro 2024.
With the rate at which he finds the net, Norway may not have so much trouble qualifying this time around.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
