Erling Haaland's first football coach wants him to join Liverpool
20-year-old Haaland is one of the hottest prospects in world football and has been repeatedly linked with a transfer to several elite clubs around Europe this summer, including Liverpool.
The Norwegian striker has scored 33 goals and provided eight assists in just 32 games for Dortmund this season, which has naturally caused interest to peak around the young talisman.
And now, Alf Ingve Berntsen - Haaland's coach at Bryne FK - has opened up on his wish for the player to move to Anfield amid competition from the likes of Man City, Manchester United and Real Madrid.
He said: "If I had to decide, I’d go for Liverpool because that’s my club - but I don’t decide!
"I don’t have a clue what they will do, Erling and his team have made very good choices and shown great knowledge in choosing the club that’s best for him in the past."
Berntsen also explained his thoughts after first seeing Haaland play at Bryne FK when he was just seven years old.
"It’s a very small town and we have only about 12,000 who live here," the coach told BBC 5 LIVE . "Pretty much everybody knows each other.
"The first time I saw him playing football was when he was seven and he was good from the start. We couldn’t tell how far he would go but now and then you have some young players who show something special from an early age.
"It’s unusual to continue at that level though, most of the youth with such quality can fade away. We couldn’t tell when he was seven where it was going.
"He still has the same playing style like when he was 11 or 12. He’s very smart in the box and moves very smart. He has a good technique when it comes to scoring goals and the technical, tactical and physical aspects are just at the highest level. He’s also mentally very strong and the combination of these four make it special with Erling.
"It’s always difficult to tell how it’s going to be, it’s not always going to be a constant increase in quality. He is at a very high level now but he is only 20 and most of his game can improve. If he enjoys his club now or potentially a new club, I think he will just increase his progress. He just needs to avoid injuries. But usually when you’re 20, you get better.
"I haven’t seen him for a long time because of the coronavirus situation but I sometimes contact him. He was part of a group of players that trained together for many years. He has a big part in my heart. Now and then we speak over messenger and such.
"I don't give him advice anymore, I’m not the old grumpy coach anymore! He’s managed by himself and very good people around him.
"We are very proud of the way he presents our region and our part of our country and who he is, not just the football but the person he has become."
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