Erling Haaland Idolised Premier League Cult Hero Michu While Growing Up
Published
| Last updated
Erling Haaland is a big fan of Premier League cult hero Michu and used to tag himself as the Spaniard on Instagram.
The Borussia Dortmund forward has become one of football's hottest prospects in the last year and could go on to be one of the world's best.
But not many will have guessed he was a big fan of former Swansea City striker Michu in his formative years.
A variety of the 19-year-old's old Instagram posts have been revealed in which he's tagged himself as the former Premier League man.
For those of you who might not remember just good good Michu was. When Erling Haaland was younger, he used to tag himself as Michu on Instagram! pic.twitter.com/g3kkv6Swod
- Robbie Dunne (@robbiejdunne) February 19, 2020
Erling Haaland's idol: Michu Oviedo https://t.co/pihQk03IqS pic.twitter.com/51kpuL64m0
- Kinkiain (@kinkiATH) February 19, 2020
Michu has commented on Haaland's admiration for him recently and told AS:
"It's an honour. I think he's going to be a world-class player.
"He's a much better player than me!"
The 33-year-old rose to prominence after signing for Swansea from Rayo Vallecano for £2 million.
What followed was a stunning debut season which saw him net 18 goals in 35 Premier League games.
He also helped guide the 'Swans' to League Cup glory in 2013 to cement himself as the ultimate 'streets will never forget' player.
He never managed to recapture the form of his first season but it's clear he left his mark on the footballing world.
Haaland scored both goals in Dortmund's 2-1 victory over PSG on Tuesday night and admitted his true footballing icon is Cristiano Ronaldo.
"I would love to meet him and tell him that I am a footballer thanks to him. For me, he was always a role model," he told Record following the game.
The Norwegian has also emulated the 35-year-old's diet in order to be the best.
His father Alfie Haaland, formerly of Manchester City and Leeds, revealed how his son has copied Ronaldo after he came across a story told by former Manchester United teammate Patrice Evra.
"I had to be determined to make it in the game. But Erling made all the sacrifices, leaving home at 16 to move to Molde, and he is a lot more professional than I was," the elder Haaland told ESPN back in October.
"He was told a story by Patrice Evra about a lunch he had with Ronaldo and Cristiano had fish, nothing else.
"Erling now tries to do the same things because Ronaldo is 34 and still at the top of the game, so it shows the value of doing the right things."
Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: Football News, Swansea City, Football, Erling Haaland, Premier League, Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga
