For the front cover of the most recent GQ magazine, ERLING HAALAND has let his long blonde hair loose.
The 21-year-old star for Manchester City is frequently pictured with his long hair pulled back into a ponytail.
He is establishing himself as one of the biggest stars in football – Credit: Buzz White
But after British GQ published a few images from the shoot, admirers got a rare glimpse of the Norwegian’s unstyled hair.
Haaland can be seen in one of the pictures wearing a £690 Givenchy sweater and a £2,000 grey jacket and looking directly down the camera.
The former Borussia Dortmund player is then seen in the other photo sporting a £3,800 open jacket, a £325 jumper, and a necklace.
Before his GQ interview later this month, Haaland sent a few quotes.
During the conversation, he talked about meditation and how it had improved his mood.
He said: “I think it’s a really good thing, to relax, to try to not think too much. because no one benefits from stress. I try not to be anxious since I detest feeling stressed.
But the idea of meditation is to make an effort to suppress these kinds of thoughts. Although genuinely unique to each person, it has been really successful for me.
He then spoke about how former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer helped him during his time at Molde, adding: “The first thing Solskjaer said to me was ‘you have no idea how to head a ball’ We must focus on that.
“This is what we did for two years, the whole period in Molde. And it was fortunate for me because of them, I can now score goals with my head.
Haaland also named several strikers he has taken inspiration from by watching their playing styles.
From Zlatan to Van Persie, Jamie Vardy, Sergio Aguero, and Lionel Messi, he continued. Mario Balotelli, Edin Dzeko, and Alvaro Negredo.
“I believe that in the end, it all comes down to mental awareness.
“I still try to do exactly the same things I did when I was 13 in my hometown, I still do exactly the same runs. You can see the same thing if you watch videos of myself when I was 13 years old.
“I aim to be a little bit smarter and more acute than the players I play against. I try to be a bit more turned on in my head.
‘Because If I do that if I get one second then I might be able to finish and he cannot block, for example.
“They think I go here, and I go there and I score. Things like this – it’s something I’m always thinking of.”
Haaland has scored a sensational 27 goals in 24 games since joining Man City in the summer.
But he is yet to get off the mark in 2023 as City fell eight points behind league leaders Arsenal at the weekend.
Pep Guardiola’s men lost 2-1 to Manchester United, while Arsenal beat Tottenham 2-0 to open up a significant gap at the top.
However, Haaland insists he is not bothered by any outside pressure being placed on him.
He said: “I like to be under pressure, I like to be challenged. I think you are born with it, a lot in your head. To be focussed to be ready, to be relaxed in your head.
“I think that’s one of the most important things as a footballer.
“I’m not sitting on social media reading about myself. You cannot control what people say, think and write about you. So there’s nothing I can do about it. I don’t care.”
British GQ’s global sports issue is available via digital download and on newsstands on 31st January.
4Haaland is on course to break the Premier League record for most goals in a single seasonCredit: Getty
