‘His biggest dream’ – Erling Haaland says his dad tried to ‘force’ him into being pro at different sport
Erling Haaland could have been making history in a different sport entirely if his dad had got his way.
The Norwegian has been following in his dad’s footsteps by starring for Manchester City in the Premier League.
However, Alf-Inge Haaland tried to convince his son to take up golf instead whilst he was growing up.
He would not get his way, though, with Haaland now a two-time Premier League champion with City.
Meanwhile, the 25-year-old recently became the fastest player to reach 100 goals in the competition.
Haaland could have swapped the penalty box for the putting green had his dad’s dream come true.
Haaland’s golf career
He has revealed he was made to play golf for three years as a youngster in an attempt to make it as a professional.
Despite opting for football instead, Haaland continues to play as an adult.
Speaking to The Rest Is Football podcast, he explained: “It’s actually funny because his biggest dream was me becoming a professional golfer. That was his biggest dream.
“So when I was ten, he forced me to start on golf. So I played golf every week from when I was 10-13.”
Haaland had been in the academy at local side Bryne at the time of his short-lived golf career.
He would go on to progress into the first-team before spells at Molde, RB Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund prior to arriving at City.
The forward added that his dad would ‘hit’ him for wearing gloves on the pitch growing up despite the freezing temperatures in Norway.
Haaland was unfazed, though, admitting: “I like the old school, the charming thing of running, tackling. It’s a nice thing.
“And also you never see me playing with gloves. It’s because my father would hit me if I did. So I’m a bit old school as well, that’s why I like it.”
As a player, Haaland Sr. made 181 Premier League appearances across spells with City, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest.
The right-back also won 34 caps for Norway, including two matches at the 1994 World Cup.
His son is set to follow suit in the USA next summer after helping his side reach the tournament for the first time in 28 years.
Haaland is already Norway’s all-time leading scorer with 55 goals in 48 caps.
That tally includes 13 goals in five matches since the start of this season.
Meanwhile, he has also found the net 20 times for City in as many appearances across all competitions.
Those goals have helped take his Premier League total to 100 in 112 matches and become the quickest player to reach a century in the competition’s history.
Haaland is also a two-time golden boot winner since joining City from Dortmund in the summer of 2022.
Last season marked his first campaign in England which did not end with the league title and golden boot.
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