Erling Haaland triumphs in athletics too as Dortmund striker holds long jump world record

Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland is not just a great football player. He also holds a record in athletics. This revelation was made by a Twitter user recently. Haaland's phenomenal form was on display when he scored twice against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the Champions League.

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Erling Haaland athletics: Player played different sports during his childhood

After the game against PSG, a Twitter user named Andre Ostgaard revealed that Erling Haaland’s father Alf-Inge used to test Erling when he was just five years old. Alf used to make Erling Haaland play a wide range of sports which included cross-country skiing, handball and athletics. He even achieved the world record for the longest standing long jump. He jumped 1.63 metres. Haaland is also appreciated for his pace and has often drawn comparisons with sprinter Usain Bolt. A video of one such sprint against PSG has gone viral on the internet. 

While speaking to Dagbladet, Alfe-Inge Haaland opened up on testing Erling Haaland. He said that Erling played different games before he started playing football solely. In fact, Norway’s handball manager wanted Erling to play handball for the country.

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Erling Haaland athletics: He follows Cristiano Ronaldo's diet plan

Erling Haaland’s father Alf-Inge Haaland (while speaking to ESPN) has claimed that his son follows Cristiano Ronaldo’s diet plan. He lauded his son’s professionalism at a tender age. He asserted that Haaland left home at a young age of 16 to play for Molde. Alf also asserted that his son was more professional than him. He played for the likes of Leeds United and Manchester City during his professional football career.

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Erling Haaland career stats

Erling Haaland’s physical abilities were on display when he scored a brace against PSG in the first leg of the Round of 16 of the Champions League. Haaland scored twice in the second half to help his team defeat the defending Ligue 1 Champions. He has now netted 39 goals in 29 games for both RB Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund this season. He has also bagged eight assists in all. Haaland has already scored 60 goals in his footballing career.

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