Erling Haaland has talked about how Al-Nassr Saudi Club’s Portuguese captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, influenced his career.
The striker for Manchester City frequently watched film footage of Ronaldo to learn from his moves and shots in order to better his style of play.
Even though Haaland had a number of great instructors during his career, it appears that Ronaldo may have had the most overall impact on the Norwegian’s development.
Haaland discussed his motivations for watching the former Real Madrid and Manchester United striker in an interview with the Norwegian television network “TV2“.
Haaland said, “I always remember watching him on YouTube to understand his movements inside the penalty area.”
He added, “He used to make two or three moves before attacking the space he wanted to be in. It’s a kind of duel in that situation with the defensive heart.”
He continued, “It’s important to time the movement perfectly, and your movement on the post should be good if you don’t get a good cross. You won’t be able to score with your head. How Cristiano moves, and how he managed to develop his skills and playing style.”
And he added, “You remember when he played for Manchester United and the early years at Real Madrid, to become more than just a striker at Real Madrid.
Haaland concluded his statement by saying, “It’s unbelievable for him that he was able to do that, but also how he scores goals. It’s the small movements in the penalty area and the ability to deceive defenders.”
Haaland had previously received praise from Ronaldo. In 2021, he was questioned about who he thought would be the next major football star.
The Al-Nassr standout expressed, “Selecting a single player and proclaiming them as the best is challenging, but witnessing the rise of young talents such as Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe is truly exhilarating.”
Ronaldo stated, “While some players may shine for a season or two, the truly exceptional ones are those who consistently perform at a high-level year after year. Achieving this demands significant dedication and hard work.”