Man City star Erling Haaland names Premier League cult striker alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic as top childhood inspirations

Haaland has often been viewed as a biological anomaly designed specifically to score goals, yet he is quick to acknowledge that his style is a product of careful observation. Growing up, the Scandinavian connection made Ibrahimovic a primary point of reference, but the Premier League provided the tactical nuance he craved through studying the clinical nature of Van Persie, the box dominance of Sergio Aguero, and the amazing runs of Jamie Vardy. These legends were the key components of his footballing education during his formative years at Bryne.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Haaland offered a glimpse into his footballing education: "I watched Zlatan a lot when I was young. He was Swedish and nice to watch. Of course, [Sergio] Aguero I watched a lot from watching lots of City."

The Manchester City striker further detailed his Premier League influences, stating: "Then there was also Robin [van Persie] in the Premier League. He was also left-footed, with crazy finishes. I remember one season he had with Arsenal when he scored around 38 goals. That was an incredible season." 

In a surprising nod to Jamie Vardy, he added: "Even Jamie Vardy... the runs he did were amazing to see. I've been watching many strikers."

While fans and pundits marvel at his statistics, Haaland maintains a refreshingly simple philosophy regarding his craft. He believes that overcomplicating the role of a striker can be detrimental, instead choosing to focus on the fundamental joy of the game. He pointed to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry as another source of inspiration, taking specific technical details from the Frenchman's repertoire to add variety to his own finishing.

Reflecting on his development, Haaland said: "The way of scoring goals can sometimes be, don't get me wrong, it can be 'easy.' Just put the ball in behind, run and score. When you look at the goal I scored against Galatasaray, it's the perfect example of this. But a lot of it comes down to myself. I've watched others, and watched goals from the likes of Thierry Henry. You take small things from some of the goals he scored, as well as a lot of different strikers. But you then kind of go your own way, which I think is a good thing. If you're young and if you want to become better... I've always wanted to become better... but I also just wanted to enjoy playing football when I was young. I didn't think, 'oh, I need to train hard, learn to do this or that'. I played football because it was a nice thing to do, and when you do nice things, you want to do it more."

For Haaland, the drive to remain at the pinnacle of the sport is fueled by a sense of gratitude and the high standards set by his current environment. Working under Pep Guardiola has clearly sharpened his focus, ensuring that complacency never sets in despite his massive individual success. He views his daily routine not as a chore, but as a privilege that millions would envy, using that perspective as his primary source of motivation.

"The motivation always has to be within myself," Haaland concluded. "How I approach every single day, how I wake up with the right mindset of, 'it's another day, I play for Man City'. I'm actually living the dream of so many 100s of millions of people in this world, so for me that's motivation in itself. To stand here talking about my goals and records is a way of motivating myself. The fact that people are looking up to me is also motivation in itself, so for me, it's about continuing, it's about not being injured, doing the right things, staying around the right people, and to keep going. When I talk about good people around me, it's not just my friends but the people at the club. I'm lucky to be at a club with so many good people, and with Pep who pushes us every single day. I'm lucky to have worked with Pep for three-and-a-half years. It's been an amazing time, as we all know, and no matter what happens in the future, we still need to keep pushing. I need to keep pushing myself, and others around me, to get better."