Erling Haaland: Cristiano Ronaldo helped turn Man City striker into a beast

The thought of Erling Haaland leading the line for Manchester City in 2022/23 is enough to send a shiver down the spine of those associated with rival clubs.

Pep Guardiola’s side officially announced the acquisition of Haaland from Borussia Dortmund on Monday afternoon, with the deal reportedly worth around £51 million – which is a bit of a bargain.

The Norway international has been among the world’s best attack-minded players over the past two-and-a-half years.

Haaland scored 86 goals in 89 games at Dortmund, while he’s bagged 20 in just 21 international appearances.

The guy is an absolute machine and much of his rise to the very top of the professional game is down to the fact that he’s copied Cristiano Ronaldo off of the pitch.

As every football fan knows, Ronaldo’s dedication to the sport is virtually unrivalled. He’s kept himself in pristine physical condition throughout his career, which is why he’s still going strong at the tender age of 37.

And a young Haaland knew that if he was to make a similar impact in the sport, emulating Manchester United‘s talisman was the way forward.

In a 2019 interview with ESPN, Haaland’s father, Alfe-Inge, explained how a story about Ronaldo told by United legend Patrice Evra inspired his offspring.

“I had to be determined to make it in the game. But Erling made all the sacrifices, leaving home at 16 to move to Molde, and he is a lot more professional than I was,” Alf-Inge, who also played Premier League football with City back in the 2000s, said.

“He was told a story by Patrice Evra about a lunch he had with Ronaldo and Cristiano had fish, nothing else.

This story from Patrice Evra on Cristiano Ronaldo.