Erling Haaland #9

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It feels almost surreal to think that one of the world’s best footballers grew up in Bryne, a small and unremarkable town in the south-west of Norway. Could it be because people from there work extra hard to get ahead? Is it all the hours spent in the indoor hall that was built because it's difficult to play football outdoors all year round? Maybe it's the fresh milk from the local cows. Perhaps it is because Haaland was so obsessed with football he watched every game he could on TV and even studied Jamie Vardy's ability to stay onside? Or is it because his mother was a prominent heptathlete and his father, Alfie, played in the Premier League? Probably it is a mix of everything. What’s for certain is Haaland’s astonishing goal return – becoming his nation’s all-time top scorer before he turned 25, three Premier League Golden Boots in four seasons at Manchester City, 57 Champions League goals in 58 games – marks him out as a phenomenon and the greatest centre-forward of his era.

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