Erling Haaland has revealed the key advice advice Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the early part of his career.
The striker opted to join Borussia Dortmund over Manchester United in January, but worked under Red Devils boss during his time with Norwegian side Molde.
Haaland remains one of the hottest properties in European football after making an incredible start for Dortmund in the Bundesliga.
And the 19-year-old admits he owes a lot to former boss Solskjaer, and pinpointed a miss for Molde against Kristiansund in early 2018 that prompted an important conversation.
“When I look back, it was really a pretty strange time, the start of 2018. That match somehow became a kind of turning point for my career, if you can say it that way,” Haaland told Eurosport.
“Now I can tell you what it was like for me. I’ll try to remember, we played away against Kristiansund and lost 1-0. I missed against the keeper before the end.
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“Then we had a little holiday week. We were at Marbella training hard together, refining the combinations and relationships and getting sun.
“The game afterwards was Stabaek at home, if I remember correct. I remember I had a chance and hit really well, but shot in the middle of the target. I felt something stuck in me.
“I remember it was frustrating as a young striker, everything goes against you on training. I was alone with the keeper and the bar, got crosses from Ole Gunnar but I missed on every opportunity. I remember Ole then said ‘I think you start this game, so just be ready’.”
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And despite the fact Haaland had not trained well and had been missing chances, the work he did with Solskjaer paid off. Then 17, he scored in a 3-2 win over Viking.
He added: “I had not had the best training week, but then it was good atmosphere in the room that I shared with Hestad. And I remember from the warm-up that I felt pretty light.”
A Norwegian TV commentator then asked Haaland: ‘have you learned a lot from Ole Gunnar?’ and he responded: “I forgot to tell you this, but before that game, Solskjaer and I did some practice on finishing. Not just crosses. I remember he taught me some easy rules.
“The first one, was on touch. That I don’t use too much power and trying to destroy the goal or the goalie with ball. I think that I was thinking about doing that and it was something new that he told me. I trained a bit on that, but without scoring. But at least I had it in my head after that training session.
“That was something he taught me in the days before that game and he has taught me a lot to be calm, and also be on your toes and come to those situation where the ball is coming.
“It is then you have the chance to score. He deserves a lot of credit for teaching me that.”