Already as a teenager Erling Haaland scored goals and made goal celebrations that kids around the world praised – and tried to copy. As a 25-year-old, the Norwegian striker has become an idol and role model, not only for the kids, but for players around the world. In the Dutch top division, it has gone so far that a striker “only” responds when he is called Haaland.
Swedish Jesper Karlsson switched from Scottish Aberdeen to Dutch Utrecht at the end of January, on Saturday Utrecht visited Groningen. Karlsson scored the decisive 1-2 goal in the 91st minute. The goal meant important points for Utrecht in the hunt for a European place. After Saturday’s win, only one point separates them from eighth-placed Groningen, which means a play-off for a place in the Europa League. However, Karlsson wanted to see more goals, pointing to his Ukrainian teammate (on loan from Bayer Leverkusen) – 18-year-old Artem Stepanov with his Haaland lick.
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“Our Haaland had good chances. He doesn’t react to his own name and just laughs when you call him “Haaland”… He’s a good player, but I don’t want to put pressure on him. He is always in the box and goes to war. Haaland’s level is very high, but he is still young and adapting,” Karlsson said of “our Haaland”.
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Here is the 18-year-old, with a role model that is impossible not to see:
