England have arguably the best striker at this World Cup in Harry Kane. Erling Haaland is his main challenger in that debate, and he could have played for the Three Lions as well.
Haaland has been unreal throughout the tournament, putting Norway on his shoulders and reaching a historic quarter-final after a 28-year absence from the competition. He has managed seven goals along the way.
Next up for him is England, whose own No.9 has been just as lethal. Kane has six goals so far, going blow for blow with the Manchester City star. But imagine they were both kitting out in white this Saturday.
It really could have happened.
Erling Haaland was born in England, but chose Norway
Haaland was born in Leeds, and lived there for the first three years of his life. His father, Alf-Inge Haaland, was a Leeds United player at the time.
But he always considered himself Norwegian. He moved back to Bryne at 3 years old, and grew up there.
England missed out on statistically one of the greatest international players in modern history. His ridiculous tally of 62 goals in 54 games is a rate of scoring that neither Kane nor any England player can match.
When asked about his decision by GOAL, Haaland explained: “I lived here [England] for three-and-a-half to four years and I lived in Norway for such a long time, so then it was natural for me to choose Norway.
“You never know how it would be if maybe my father played longer in England or whatever. Maybe I would be English, I don’t know. But yeah, I’m Norwegian and I’m proud of it.”
For the sake of being thorough, Haaland would not be able to play for England without a UK passport which, by his own admission, he never got.
But let’s say he did stay around in England for his childhood. How would Thomas Tuchel fit him and Kane into the same attack? Well, with Kane’s newfound ability to play pretty much anywhere on the pitch, I’m sure the German would have made it work.
Instead, England have Haaland bounding towards them with a World Cup semi-final spot on the line. We’ll see if he made the right choice.
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