Borussia Dortmund’s Norwegian star Erling Haaland has explained how his former coach at the Norwegian club Molde, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, helped him become a better striker.
Erling Haaland has become one of the most promising talents in European football, scoring 12 goals in 11 appearances for Dortmund. Where he was transferred in January by Red Bull Salzburg.
The 19-year-old has made a rapid rise in European football since debuting as a professional player in his native couuntry Norway, for Molde as a 16-year-old.
Solskjaer, who is now Manchester United’s coach, was Molde’s coach while Haaland was there. The former Red Devils striker gave some advice to Haaland to be more successful as a striker.
Haaland recalled a period at the beginning of his career when he was failing to score, which he ended up scoring four goals in the game against Brann in July 2018.
“I remember it was a very irritating period as a young striker, everything went against me in training,” Haaland said in an interview with Eurosport.
“I was alone with the goalkeeper and the post, but I missed every opportunity. I remember Ole then saying to me, “I think you’re going to be n the first lineup in this game, so get ready.”
“Solskjaer and I did a lot of drums, not just bows. I remember he taught me some easy rules. The first lesson was to mark with just one touch. Then not to shoot with more force than you should trying to destroy the gate or the goalkeeper “.
“I thought I should do that and when he told me no, it was something new for me. I trained a bit for that too, but without scoring. But, at least I didn’t go down without explaining myself first. ”
“He taught me how to be calm and to be on my toes and find those spaces when the ball comes. Then you have the opportunity to score. He taught me all these things. “
