Erling Haaland has credited Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with helping develop his heading, after being found lacking in that department before playing under his fellow Norwegian.
Haaland and Solskjaer were together at Molde in their homeland, finishing second in the Eliteserien in 2018. Solskjaer would take over at Manchester United weeks after the end of the season, eventually taking over on a permanent basis, while Haaland would eventually leave for Red Bull Salzburg in January 2019.
The 22-year-old striker is now top scorer in the Premier League for Manchester City, having spent time with Borussia Dortmund in the interim. Reflecting on his time back in Norway, though, he has given credit to his then-manager for unlocking a key part of his game.
“The first thing I think he said to me was ‘You have no idea how to head the ball. We have to work on that’,” Haaland told British GQ, explaining how the manager and his number two would include heading drills in training, sending in crosses for the big striker.
“This is what we did for two years, the whole period I was in Molde. And it was a good thing, because I couldn’t hit the ball, and now I’m scoring goals with my head – thanks to them.”
Haaland made his Molde debut aged 16, and scored four times in his first season with the club after joining from Bryne. The following year, though, he hit 12 in the league and 16 in all competitions, including a brace in a Europa League qualifier against Hibernian.
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Haaland's 21 goals see him sit top of the pile in the Premier League this term, and three of them - against Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United - have been headers. However, while the former Dortmund man scored a hat-trick in the home win against United, his role was questioned as City lost the reverse fixture.
"We have to find him a little bit more, yes," manager Pep Guardiola said after the defeat at Old Trafford. "He had enough touches, but it’s true that when you're looking at areas, then you have to look at him.
"But we will do it. Everyone can get him more involved. When we have the ball, everyone is allowed to attack."
The derby was the third game in a row in which Haaland failed to score for City, the longest scoreless run he has had for the club. If he fails to score again against Spurs on Thursday, it will be the first time he has drawn a blank in four straight games since April 2021.
British GQ’s global sports issue is available via digital download and on newsstands on 31st January.
