Manchester City’s Erling Haaland is regarded as one of the best strikers in the world.
The Norwegian superstar has been a big hit with the Etihad faithful since making the move from Borussia Dortmund during the summer of 2022, and Haaland has hinted at staying at Man City for many more years.
It is not hard to be popular when you score the number of goals the 24-year-old has over the last three seasons, with the striker producing 120 goals and 20 assists across 139 appearances.
The Man City star is set to inspire a generation of strikers coming behind him, and the Norwegian star has now stated that a former Man United star has inspired him throughout his entire life.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an inspiration for Man City’s Erling Haaland
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an icon in the football world, having had an amazing career in Europe before hanging up his boots in 2023.
The Swedish superstar scored 496 club goals throughout his career, and given the Scandinavian connection, it is not a surprise to hear that Haaland has looked up to the former Manchester United striker.
Whilst explaining a photo of the two together to the Emirates FA Cup’s YouTube channel, having met in the United States, the 24-year-old admitted that Ibrahimovic has been an inspiration to him throughout his entire life.
“Great inspiration for me for my whole life, and to speak a bit with him in the US was nice, of course, he is a really good guy,” Haaland said. “He is a funny guy as well, so yeah, we enjoyed it.”
Haaland has found this season at Man City tough, which is something Ibrahimovic has also experienced during his career in places such as Barcelona and Man United.
Haaland worked hard to be fit for the FA Cup final, and many of his struggles throughout the current campaign will be forgotten if he can score and lift the trophy at Wembley on Saturday.
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How Erling Haaland and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Premier League careers compare
Haaland has been a sensation since moving to the Premier League as the Norwegian star has scored goals for fun and has broken several records along the way, including the most goals scored by a player in a single season.
Ibrahimovic’s spell at Man United did not go so swimmingly, however, the Swedish striker did find the net on many occasions and came away from England with a medal from the EFL Cup, UEFA Europa League, and the FA Community Shield.
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists | Premier League titles |
| Erling Haaland | 95 | 84 | 16 | 2 |
| Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 33 | 17 | 5 | 0 |
Haaland looks like he is set for a better career than Ibrahimovic, and that is to be expected as the Norwegian has more talent than the Swedish icon and has been blessed with incredible physical attributes that will help him score many more goals.
Some Man City fans might not like the fact that their striker looks up to a former Man United star, but they will get over it, so long as the 24-year-old scores goals at the rate he has been.
