"It is incredible for him that he manages" - Erling Haaland admits Cristiano Ronaldo is his main inspiration in key facet of game
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as his inspiration as he seeks to improve his heading ability.
One of the most feared marksmen in the game, the 23-year-old Haaland is a nuisance for defenders in the attacking third. Predominantly a left-footer, Haaland is also using his right foot and improving his aerial presence.
The former Borussia Dortmund hitman has struck 69 times and laid out 13 assists in 71 games across competitions for City since arriving in the summer of 2022. That includes 52 goals and nine assists in 53 games in their treble-winning 2022-23 campaign. Haaland has 17 goals and four assists in 18 games across competitions this term.
For his first 182 goals for club and country, Haaland scored a header once every 11 times. For his next 45 goals, though, that ratio has improved to one in four. In an interaction with TV 2 experts Simen Stamso-Moller and Jesper Mathisen, Haaland said about his improved heading ability (as per TV2) to learning from Ronaldo:
"I remember always watching Cristiano Ronaldo. His movements in the box: He used to make two or three moves before attacking the space he wanted to be in. It's kind of a duel in that situation with the centre-backs.
"It is important to time it perfectly. And the post must be good. If you don't get a good cross, you won't be able to score with your head."
Haaland continued:
"How he moves, and how he (has) managed to develop his game. You remember when he played in Manchester United and the first years in Real Madrid, to become more of a striker in Real Madrid.
"It is incredible for him that he manages. But also how he scores the goals. It is the small movements in the box, and being able to deceive the defenders."
Erling Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo are the two top scorers in 2023
Erling Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo have sizzled in 2023, scoring over 40 goals for club and country.
Recently, Haaland brought up his 50th goal of the year by scoring twice in City's 4-4 Premier League draw at Chelsea just before the international break, the most by any player in 2023.
Meanwhile, the 38-year-old Ronaldo is not too far behind. He has struck 46 times for club and country, with 36 of those strikes coming for Al-Nassr. Ronaldo's tally includes the opener in Portugal's UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier at Liechtenstein on Thursday (November 16).