Erling Braut Haaland’s former coach Alf Ingve Berntsen has indicated that he has been surprised at the rapid rise of his former player in European football.
Haaland scored a bagful of goals for Red Bull Salzburg this season before he left the club to join Borussia Dortmund in the January transfer window.
The teenage Norwegian has not stopped scoring at his new club and his brace helped Dortmund to beat Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.
Haaland has scored an astonishing ten goals in just seven games in the Champions League this season and Berntsen conceded that he did not expect his former player to make such rapid progress.
The Norwegian coach, who is widely regarded as the striker’s mentor, stressed that he always felt that Haaland would play at the top level but admits that he did not expect the rate at which he has risen through the ranks.
Berntsen said in an exclusive interview with Inside Futbol: “Four years ago I was expecting to see him as an international player, but not in such a short space of time.
“Actually, eight years ago, when he was eleven or twelve, I thought he would be an international player. He actually scored at all levels from day one.
“I've always known he wanted to get this far, but I cannot believe he is achieving that already.”
Haaland has scored an astonishing 39 times in 29 games in all competitions this season.
