Erling Haaland’s Leeds United ties revisited as England await Norway | OneFootball

Leeds-born Erling Haaland leads Norway into a World Cup quarter-final against Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions at 10pm tonight. He has said Norway’s run to the last eight has surprised him.

After scoring twice in Manchester City’s 3-1 win at Elland Road in 2022, he said, “I didn’t feel like cheering. I have respect for Leeds, where I was born,” he told VG.

Born in the city in July 2000 during Alf-Inge Haaland’s stint with the Whites, he would have been eligible to play for England. During his RB Salzburg days he talked about dreaming of winning the Premier League with Leeds and surpassing his father, including in international caps.

He now has 54 caps and 62 goals, already meeting that target. At this World Cup he has seven goals, placing him third in the Golden Boot race, one behind Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

In January against Galatasaray he appeared to make a Leeds salute after a chipped finish, nearly 26 years after Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight were fatally stabbed in Istanbul the night before Leeds played the UEFA Cup semi-final first leg in April 2000. The clip was widely shared on social media. After May’s FA Cup final he replied to a “Leeds, Leeds, Leeds” chant with “til we die”, and Kalvin Phillips has called him a massive Leeds fan.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk