Haaland has become one of Europe’s hottest features. Scoring an incredible 12 goals in just 11 appearances for Dortmund since moving from Red Bull Salzburg in January.
Haaland became deadly finisher under Solskjaers coaching
Erling Haaland, the star of Dortmund Borussia, explained how the leadership of former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer helped him become a deadly finisher. Haaland has become one of Europe’s hottest features. Scoring an incredible 12 goals in just 11 appearances for Dortmund since moving from Red Bull Salzburg in January. Since his professional debut at the age of 16 for Molde in his native Norway, the 19-year-old has quickly risen through European football. Solskjaer, now in charge at Manchester United, was the manager of Molde during Haaland’s stay at the club, and the former striker of the Red Devils aimed to convey all his wisdom to his young striker. Haaland remembered a different period of disappointment at the beginning of his career that, in July 2018, he expressively completed the four-goal show against Brann.
Before everything was going against me
“I remember it was a shame, as a young striker, everything goes against you in training,” Haaland told reporters. “I was alone with the goalkeeper and the bar, got crosses from Ole Gunnar, but I missed it at every opportunity. Erling remembers, Ole then said, “I think you are starting this game, so just be ready.” Haaland would go to score all four goals in the first 21 minutes of the game, having made this match he calls “the turning point for my career.” The former Norwegian International has played 11 seasons at Old Trafford, using its predatory, cluttered instinct to become a vital part of the six Premier League winners. In the 1998/99 Champions League final, he scored a winner in a match against Bayern Munich.
Gunnar showed me some easy rules of football
Haaland told how Solskjaer taught him some valuable graduation lessons that stuck with him throughout his development—not just intersecting. I remember he showed me some easy rules,” said the forward teenager. “The first was one-touch finishes. So that I do not use too much power and try to destroy the goal or goalkeeper with the ball. I think I was thinking about doing this and it was something new that he told me. I trained a little on this, but without points scored. But at least I had it in my head after that training session. “He taught me a lot to be calm and to be on my feet and come to those situations when the ball goes. It is then that you have a chance to score. He deserves great honor for teaching me this.”