Erling Haaland celebrates one of his Champions League goals
Erling Haaland celebrates one of his Champions League goals

Erling Haaland admitted his dream is to win the Premier League with Leeds


RB Salzburg striker Erling Haaland stole the headlines on Tuesday night as he netted a hat-trick in their 6-2 victory over Genk.

All three goals came in a thrilling first-half which saw the Austrian side hold a 5-1 lead at the break.

The 19-year-old's start to the season has been nothing short of extraordinary. Haaland has already scored 17 goals in nine games across all competitions.

Erling is the son of former Leeds player Alf-Inge Haaland, who played over 70 games in a three-year spell in West Yorkshire. The midfielder also featured for Nottingham Forest and Manchester City.

Haaland was born in Leeds and supports the club. His three goals on Tuesday night made him the first Yorkshire-born player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League.

While his goals are capturing the attention of a continent, the youngster recently admitted that his ultimate goal in football lies outside of the competition.

Erling Braut Haaland's hat-trick on Champions League debut

Speaking to Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten while playing for Molde in 2017, Haaland said: "I want to be the best. The dream is to win the Premier League with Leeds.

"In addition, the goal is to be a better player than dad was. I hope to get more international matches than he did."

The forward joined Salzburg in January for a €5m fee after two successful years in Norwich with Molde.

His efforts led to scouts from over 50 clubs across Europe keeping tabs of his progress, and despite his love of Leeds, he is remaining focused on his performances while in Austria.

It's also seen him move into 16/1 to finish as the Champions League top goalscorer after hitting 25% of Lionel Messi's winning tally in 2018/19 with just one game played.

Erling Haaland with the match ball after his hat-trick
Erling Haaland with the match ball after his hat-trick

That's made him more fancied for the accolade than the likes of Harry Kane, Antoine Griezmann and Eden Hazard.

"He is a great player but even more important for me is that he’s a great young man," Salzburg boss Jesse Marsch said after their Champions League victory.

"He shows up every day, he works hard and takes nothing for granted. He gives everything for his teammates every day and does it with a smile."

A down-to-Earth individual who appears humble, despite the obvious early success. His presence is being felt on-and-off the pitch, particularly at a height of 6ft 4ins, but the plaudits are unlikely to get to his head.

A Champions League hat-trick to mark the beginning of a career on the big stage is beyond the wildest dreams of many; Erling Haaland is a name that we will expect to hear for years to come.


Odds correct at 1600 BST (18/09/19)

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