The world may be standing up and salivating over Erling Haaland's extraordinary goalscoring feats for Manchester City but the Norway striker always felt he was destined to bag hatfuls at the club he supported as a boy.
"I knew I was going to score goals because last season... how many did they score? Probably 100," he said. "So when I saw them without a striker and they were crossing the ball in, I was like, 'Ah, I'd love to be there'".
Haaland's five goals in City's 7-0 Champions League rout of RB Leipzig on Tuesday saw him eclipse Tommy Johnson's 94-year record to become the club's highest scorer in a single season with 39 goals in just 35 appearances.
With City having a potential 19 matches still to play this term, a half-century of goals and perhaps more is firmly in sight.
So how did the footballing world react to Haaland's latest record breaking escapades? And what do the mind-boggling statistics tell us? Telegraph Sport takes a look.
Sergio Aguero
"How crazy this kid is. Pep subbed him off on 63. I would've left him on the field because we don't know β this kid could've scored six or seven goals."
City's all time leading scorer suggested he would have given Haaland the chance to become the first player to score six Champions League goals in a single match had he been in manager Pep Guardiola's shoes.
Jack Grealish
"An absolute ball magnet."
Grealish had coined a new nickname for Haaland by the time the players were back in the dressing room at full-time.
Stat attack 1: With 28 Premier League goals this season, Haaland has scored more than the entire Chelsea team put together
Michael Owen
"And they say @ManCity are a worse team with @ErlingHaaland ππ"
The former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker Michael Owen scoffed at questions about Haaland and City's compatibility.
L'Equipe
French sports newspaper, L'Equipe, awarded Haaland a 10/10 rating β only the 16th time that has happened β and in doing so he became only the second player after Lionel Messi to receive that accolade twice and likened him to ET on their front page.
Stat attack 2: Haaland has taken a total of 623 touches in the Premier League this season, meaning one in 22 touches results in a goal
Rio Ferdinand
"What Haaland is doing in football right now is astonishing"
Champions League winner with Manchester United in 2008 suggested Haaland's exploits were hard to digest.
John Stones
"How do I go about this without putting pressure on Erling? He'd probably thrive off it. I believe he really could do what he wants, just from his hunger and his attitude and his professionalism and I'd love to see him do it, definitely."
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both scored 50 or more goals in a single season on six occasions each for Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively and John Stones believes Haaland could rewrite the rulebook by posting a similar total despite being Premier League-based.
Stat attack 3: Haaland is averaging a goal every 75 minutes this season and has a 31 per cent shot conversion rate in the Premier League
Peter Crouch
"Haalands taking the p--- now"
Crouch, once of Liverpool, suggested Haaland was starting to take the mickey.
Stat attack 4: Haaland, the youngest player to hit 30 Champions League goals, is also just the third person to score five goals in a Champions League game, after Messi and Luiz Adriano
Other players past and present just opted for a bunch of emojis to emphasise Haaland's feats:
Jude Bellingham (Haaland's former Borussia Dortmund team-mate): π€―
Carles Puyol (Messi's old Barcelona team-mate): π³π³π³ππ
Alan Shearer (the Premier League's all-time top scorer with 260 goals): πππππ
Stat attack 5: Haaland and Messi are the only players to score a first half hat-trick in the Champions League
Noel Gallagher
"Words fail you, you know. He's crazy. He got four taps in and a penalty. He's just there."
Rock star and City fan Gallagher is rarely lost for words but Haaland almost left him speechless.
Hocbcdkmrz
0
just say you're a city hatter, the game is all about scoring goals being in the right place and right time to score, taking every chance, I bet u dnt know hoelw to score yourself
Bedcerstuz
0
next time this kid will score 10 goals
[image]
Amenππ½
yodeklmnry
0
I don't get why people are going gaga bout the goals he's scored.yes he has scored a lot but look at the quality of goals:rebounds.tap ins.goalkeeper spillages.noQuality.take for instance goals scored by Messi, Compare.and then u can say what is better.a ton of these nonsense knocking or the goals u applaud for quality in execution
Goals only win matches but your quality of playing win Hearts, Trophies & Individual awards. Goals make you good player but ur quality of playing makes you Goat, Legend
Cityzens17CampusD
0
The dude shows youngsters how to be a striker no pretty footwork like Messi or Renaldo but in the right position at the right time to place the ball in the back of the net that's what counts
well said brother
Pemabclmot
0
I don't get why people are going gaga bout the goals he's scored.yes he has scored a lot but look at the quality of goals:rebounds.tap ins.goalkeeper spillages.noQuality.take for instance goals scored by Messi, Compare.and then u can say what is better.a ton of these nonsense knocking or the goals u applaud for quality in execution
a goal is a goal.. even own goal is a goal
viucdelnz
2
If scoring Tap ins is easy then why don't Every team try scoring Tap Ins
Jusbdlmrty
1
The dude shows youngsters how to be a striker no pretty footwork like Messi or Renaldo but in the right position at the right time to place the ball in the back of the net that's what counts
Jusbdlmrty
0
I don't get why people are going gaga bout the goals he's scored.yes he has scored a lot but look at the quality of goals:rebounds.tap ins.goalkeeper spillages.noQuality.take for instance goals scored by Messi, Compare.and then u can say what is better.a ton of these nonsense knocking or the goals u applaud for quality in execution
You should contact your household so that you can get a like otherwise you would not receive any unless you get up off your nuts
Hitcinpsu
0
I don't get why people are going gaga bout the goals he's scored.yes he has scored a lot but look at the quality of goals:rebounds.tap ins.goalkeeper spillages.noQuality.take for instance goals scored by Messi, Compare.and then u can say what is better.a ton of these nonsense knocking or the goals u applaud for quality in execution
exactly my brother
leceklmpr
2
I don't get why people are going gaga bout the goals he's scored.yes he has scored a lot but look at the quality of goals:rebounds.tap ins.goalkeeper spillages.noQuality.take for instance goals scored by Messi, Compare.and then u can say what is better.a ton of these nonsense knocking or the goals u applaud for quality in execution
mokubetS0
6
next time this kid will score 10 goals