Haaland flies Norwegian salmon to UK because fish at City 'isn't up to scratch'

Supreme athletes are renowned for being picky eaters.

But Manchester City star Erling Haaland has taken his infamous tastes to another level after demanding the Premier League champions import his favourite Norwegian salmon – prepared only by the best chefs.

The 23-year-old Yorkshire-born striker is said to be so fed up with the fare at the Etihad Campus training ground that he has persuaded officials to source fish from where he grew up in Scandinavia.

The seafood switch-up has gone down well with club staff, too, as one insider told The Mail on Sunday: 'Haaland's been banging on about the fish.

'He wanted salmon, so he made the nutritionist arrange for the best fish restaurant in Norway to have their kitchen staff fly over. It's cost the club an absolute fortune – but it's the best salmon I've ever had.'

Haaland's peculiar diet is well-known, consuming 6,000 calories a day by eating cow heart, liver and drinking specially filtered water.

The striker credits Torbjorg Haugen, the retired club chef at Molde FK, for changing him from a lean teen to a mean machine.

Ms Haugen admitted to the MoS: 'When I first met Erling, he looked so fragile that I wanted to gather him up in my arms. I promised to look after him and became a sort of mother figure to him. He sends pictures to prove he's eating properly.'

Haaland is also a fan of ice baths and abstains from using gadgets before bed to improve his sleep.

Victoria Braathen, UK director of the Norwegian Seafood Council, said: 'I'm happy two of Norway's most famous treasures have found each other in the UK. Our salmon is the world's most popular fish, globally recognised for its quality and nutritious credentials.'

The prized produce contains Vitamin D, B12 and A as well as selenium and iodine.