Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper lifts lid on moment he faced Erling Haaland five years ago

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland was on Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper's radar five years ago.

City host Forest at the Etihad Stadium as Pep Guardiola's side look to make it two home victories in a row following their remarkable second-half comeback against Crystal Palace that saw the Blues win 4-2. Haaland stole the headlines once again as he scored his first hat-trick for the club with three second-half goals, all within 19 minutes of each other.

The win will no doubt have pleased Guardiola, yet City have now found themselves two goals down to their opponents in their last two matches, after they also briefly trailed 3-1 against Newcastle at St James' Park. Despite the Blues showing their resilience, the defensive frailties that the Premier League champions have displayed will no doubt have caused their opponents to sit up and take notice.

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City's unbeaten start so far this season is thanks to the attacking fire-power the club have to offer, spearheaded by their new Norwegian striker. Haaland's ability is something that is all too familiar for the Forest manager, after Cooper caught his first glimpse of the 22-year-old five years ago when he was just 17.

Cooper was head coach of the England Under-17s when they faced Haaland’s Norway at the 2017 European Championship in Croatia. The Young Lions won their Group D clash that night, but Haaland’s route to the top was clearly mapped out.

“We were aware of him even then. To qualify for a European Championship at under-17s you know you’re going to come up against a good team over a generation,” Cooper said. “They had a few who were good at that stage and Haaland was one of them.

“We did our