Haaland welcomes new haircut for the extra privacy it brings

Norwegian striker Erling Haaland of Manchester City is pleased to have left behind his long blond hair and signature hairstyle. He says his new look gives him more privacy, even though the decision prompted plenty of reactions. “People don’t recognise me as much in the street any more,” he said of the change.

At the end of last August, before the season began, Haaland swapped his long hair and familiar bun for a short cut that looked very different from his usual appearance. He also enjoyed seeing his friends’ surprise, calling them on video after the transformation. Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimović had a reaction of his own, asking: “What have you done? What is this? Did you lose a bet or something?”

Haaland said he had not expected his haircut to attract so much attention. “I thought it would get people talking a little, but I didn’t expect the whole world to look at my new haircut. It was really funny,” he said. He also likes that his blond hair is less visible now and that people are less likely to recognise him.

The change in appearance has not stopped the striker from shining on the pitch: he has scored 7 goals in 7 matches for Manchester City across all competitions, while the club sits top of the Premier League table.