Jesse Marsch keen to censor two-word phrase at Leeds United as coach shares humorous Haaland tale

The pair will break bread days before the January transfer window opens, though, as Manchester City visit Elland Road with Marsch overtly hoping the well-rested Norwegian is slow to reboot.

The American is evidently very fond of the Premier League's top goalscorer this season, having worked alongside the hulking centre-forward during a fruitful, but brief, spell for FC Red Bull Salzburg three years ago. It was under Marsch's tutelage that Haaland catapulted himself into the minds of those who regularly consume European football. On his UEFA Champions League debut, the Norwegian scored a hat-trick against KRC Genk, before remarking that the matchball was his girlfriend in an especially zany post-match interview. Marsch allowed his flower to blossom, by stoking Haaland's natural enthusiasm to learn and better himself, the American says.

Next week, Haaland makes his first return to Elland Road since a 2018 stadium tour when the Whites made overtures ahead of a prospective move from Molde in his homeland. In a more factually correct, but convoluted, way, West Yorkshire is also Haaland's homeland - born in the summer of 2000 in the city of Leeds to former women's heptathlete Gry Marita Braut and Leeds United defender Alf-Inge Haaland, who played for the club at the time.

The freakish City attacker has made no secret his attachment to Leeds, sporting United shorts as he exited Borussia Dortmund's training ground one day, spotted by an eagle-eyed supporter peering through his passenger side window. Haaland also encountered Leeds' own Stuart Dallas during an international fixture between Norway and Northern Ireland, chatting about the club and asking the Whites' resident Ulsterman to exchange shirts.

Long-standing relationships and sentiment will be put to one side when Haaland arrives in sky blue next week, not least because Leeds' head coach is just as keen to get one over on his former pupil, as the Norse frontman will be to score at Elland Road.

"Erling texted me as soon as the schedule came up, and he said that he's most excited for Boxing Day [fixture now rescheduled to December 28]. And I gave him permission to have a small hamstring injury for that match," Marsch told reporters, jokingly, ahead of Leeds' next Premier League fixture.

"I think he's born here, his father has history with the club. He has, I think, the club in his heart because of that. It's something that we talked about before when I got the job, him and his father were both incredibly supportive and excited for for me. And so I think we'll expect him to be fully ready and passionate about this match which causes issues for us.

"Obviously I know how good he is and I know how good he can be when he's at his best. So, yeah, it'll certainly be important for us to manage him on the day."

Manage him, the Premier League has not, just like the German and Austrian Bundesligas before. Haaland has notched 18 goals in 13 matches in the supposed 'toughest league in the world' since arriving this summer. In all competitions he is just six shy of the 29 he netted whilst working under Marsch at Salzburg, where again, he scored more goals than he played matches.

"I've been asked it many times, how do you do that [manage him]? And the answer is: I think you just have to have a keen awareness of where he is at all times and where he likes to be," the Leeds head coach said.

"It's his ability to run hard into the box, his ability to run hard in transition, his ability to do whatever it takes around the goal to get on the ends of plays.

"He's often not the one that's starting the play. He's always thinking about where to be so that he can be finishing it, and his instincts in that manner are incredibly unique," Marsch added.

A series of injuries during Haaland's time in Germany with Dortmund robbed him of consistency at times, but the 22-year-old still managed 86 goals in 89 appearances, as well as 23 assists to boot - a staggering return and a forecast of what was to come in England.

Marsch was content to discuss the Norwegian at length, but the transfer window decidedly less so: "Here's how I want to deal with this transfer window," he began. "Obviously we're being active. Victor [Orta] and Andrea [Radrizzani] and everybody's hard at work behind the scenes. But I want to avoid talking about it just because it becomes a lightning rod.

"Everybody wants to draw attention to that and I need to keep our attention squarely on our group and our progress. So you're going to hear more, 'I'm not talking about it' this time around," Marsch stated, with a wry smile.

With Rodrigo having scored nine in 13 appearances this season, Patrick Bamford eyeing a return to full fitness by the New Year as well as youngsters Joe Gelhardt and Mateo Joseph knocking on the door, Marsch is unlikely to get an Erling Haaland replica in the January sales, or anything quite as close, for that matter. If Leeds are to add next month, though, the head coach says he will be censoring himself. Whether he is able to make good on his vow, we'll have to wait and see.