Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland on what will never leave him after his father's time at Leeds United

Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland, son of an ex-Leeds United player and a former Whites transfer target, credits the city of Leeds for his sense of humour.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Leeds-born Haaland, now a global superstar, will forever have a link with Leeds United throughout his career.

The 20-year-old has roots in West Yorkshire and Leeds in his blood, having been born in the city during his family's time in the region.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Haaland is already a world name in football after rising to fame for his goalscoring exploits at Molde in Norway before a spell at Red Bull Salzburg in Austria.

Now, though, he is causing larger waves in the Bundesliga and Champions League with German giants BVB, where he is currently employed to find the back of the net.

His father, Alf-Inge, spent three years with the Whites from 1997 to 2000 in between spells with Nottingham Forest and Manchester City during his own professional career.

After his time across the Pennines came to an end, the Haaland family moved home to Norway where Erling spent the rest of his childhood.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He does, though, claim that one of his biggest personality traits stems from his early years in England and the city where he was born.

Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland will always have a connection to Leeds United. Pic: GettyBorussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland will always have a connection to Leeds United. Pic: Getty
Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland will always have a connection to Leeds United. Pic: Getty

"That's where my sense of humour comes from," Haaland told The Telegraph of his connection with Leeds.

The Whites previously tried to sign Haaland - as revealed by sporting director Victor Orta recently - before his move away from Molde, with the striker having stated he keeps a close eye on the club through his family ties.

In 2019, he was also spotted swapping shirts with United utility man Stuart Dallas at the end of a meeting between Norway and Northern Ireland at international level.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He also sent a signed Borussia Dortmund shirt to Dominic Matteo recently, as the former defender and teammate of his dad continues to recover from a brain tumour.

Haaland has always had Leeds in his life through his father's connection, who often recalls stories of his time at Elland Road and elsewhere.

Erling, though, believes he still has a long way to go to match his dad's footballing exploits.

“He has played more national team games than me and has played more matches at a higher level," he continued.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"I still need to play a little bit more before I can say I’m better but hopefully, one day, I can. Sometimes he tells me stories about when he played. It’s good to have that experience in the family."

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.