Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland has become infamous among reporters and fans alike for his notoriously short answers to interview questions, but the striker claims it is merely a lack of imagination from certain journalists that leads the unease.
Haaland has quickly established himself as one of the best strikers in world football, with his Champions League goalscoring exploits for RB Salzburg leading to a race amongst Europe's elite to bag his signature – a race that Dortmund ultimately won.
The 20-year-old's ability to find the net on a consistent basis would normally have reporters scrambling to get his reaction after games, but after leaving several interviewers feeling rather awkward with incredibly brief responses, the media are no longer quite as excited by the prospect.
“Well, if you ask me what the weather is like, I answer: 'Good'. It's that simple,” Haaland explained to Ruhr Nachrichten, abiding by the old 'ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer' maxim. “So it depends on the questions – regardless of the language.”
Indeed, the youngster went on to explain that his terse reactions are not down to being uncomfortable in the spotlight, insisting that he has wanted to be a famous footballer since he was a child and enjoys the media attention.
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“Honestly, when I was young I wanted to be famous. I enjoy the attention,” he said. “Of course, my life has changed a lot. There are some things that are no longer possible, especially in public. But I'm not complaining because that's what I wanted.”
Having established himself as one of the deadliest frontmen on the planet, Haaland was asked if he feels negative pressure as he will be expected to continue finding the net on a consistent basis. The BVB man, however, says it's quite the opposite.
“I really, really like this pressure,” he said. “I enjoy it in every game, every minute. People who know me well can confirm that I've always been a laid-back and easy-going person. That was never a problem.
“When I score a goal, I feel the joy very deeply... but then I immediately want to score another goal. It's that simple. For example, when I made my debut in Augsburg I was happy after the first goal and then wanted more.
“I suppose I have a lot of adrenaline in my blood.”
