Leeds defender Stuart Dallas has revealed details of his discussion with Erling Haaland following Northern Ireland’s Nations League clash with Norway on Monday, even suggesting that the striker could one day make a sensational move to Elland Road.
Haaland was of course born in Leeds when his dad Alf-Inge Haaland was playing for the Whites, and has since gone onto to become a global sensation even at just 20-years-old, something Dallas and his Northern Ireland teammates felt the brunt of this week.
But after Haaland had scored twice and assisted another as Norway ran out 5-1 winners at Windsor Park, the Norwegian wonderkid was spotted swapping shirts with Dallas, something the Leeds man has now opened up about.
Speaking about his interaction with Haaland after the game, Dallas was quoted by The Yorkshire Evening Post as telling PA: “It was a nice touch.
“Obviously there’s a Leeds connection there but I didn’t think he’d want to swap shirts with me.”
Leeds mark their long-awaited return to the Premier League with a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on Saturday, and it seems they will have an interested spectator watching on from afar in the form of Haaland, with Dallas going on to explain: “It’s nice that he keeps an eye on Leeds and he wished me all the best in the Premier League and that shows a lot about the type of person he is.”
Indeed, it seems Dallas is not ruling out playing alongside rather than against Haaland at some point in the future, as he concluded: “His performance was incredible. He’s only 20 and he has a big future ahead of him… maybe someday he’ll come to Leeds.”
It is good to see, given the remarkable rise and consistent speculation that has engulfed Haaland’s career so far, that he continues to look out for the fortunes of Leeds on a regular basis, and is still familiar with those involved at the club.
That is something that shows how much he cares about what happens at Leeds United, further adding weight to Dallas’ suggestion that the Borussia Dortmund striker could one day end up at Elland Road himself.
Given the experience Dallas had against him on Monday night, you feel the defender would rather be on the same side as Haaland, the next time the two find themselves on a pitch together.