Zlatan Ibrahimovic an inspiration for Erling Braut Haaland
Wednesday 25 September 2019 16:03, UK
RB Salzburg striker Erling Braut Haaland hopes he can follow in the footsteps of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The 19-year-old has emerged as one the most highly-rated young players in Europe and he added to his glowing reputation by scoring a first-half hat-trick on his Champions League debut in RB Salzbueg's 6-2 thrashing of Genk last week.
Haaland made his international debut for Norway earlier this month and the striker hopes to emulate another Scandinavian, Sweden great Ibrahimovic.
"There is something about the way he got good and the way he plays," Haaland told Norwegian channel TV2.
"For me, Zlatan is the biggest. He is from Scandinavia, so someone has to take over from him."
LA Galaxy striker Ibrahimovic has played for some of the biggest clubs in the world, including Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.
The 37-year-old scored 29 goals in 53 appearances for Manchester United before moving to the United States, and Haaland admits he too would like to play in the Premier League.
"I have dreamed of playing for the best clubs in the world my whole life, and I especially like English football," he added.
The youngster is the son of former Leeds and Manchester City player Alf-Inge Haaland who was a former international team-mate of Manchester United boss Solskjaer.
Solskjaer brought the young striker to Molde from fellow Norwegian side Bryne in 2017, and Haaland credits Solskjaer for playing a major role in his rapid rise.
"He has had a huge impact on my life, both as a person and as a trainer," said Haaland. "He won the Champions League and was an incredibly good player. He has taught me a lot, he is a fantastic person and a very good coach. He is one of the reasons I am here today."
