Alf-Inge Haaland

Norwegian footballer (born 1972) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alfie Haaland (born Alf-Inge Rasdal Håland; 23 November 1972) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played as a right-back or midfielder. Haaland played in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Manchester City, and won 34 caps for Norway.

Quick Facts Personal information, Full name ...
Alfie Haaland
Personal information
Full name Alfie Haaland
Birth name Alf-Inge Rasdal Håland
Date of birth (1972-11-23) 23 November 1972 (age 52)
Place of birth Stavanger, Norway
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Right-back, midfielder[2]
Youth career
1979–1989 Bryne
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1993 Bryne 0 (0)
1993–1997 Nottingham Forest 75 (7)
1997–2000 Leeds United 74 (8)
2000–2003 Manchester City 38 (3)
2007–2008 Bryne/Rosseland 3 (0)
2011 Bryne 3 1 (0)
2012–2013 Rosseland 6 (1)
Total 197 (19)
International career
1990 Norway U17 1 (0)
1991–1993 Norway U21 29 (3)
1994–2001 Norway 34 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
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Haaland joined the youth academy of his hometown club Bryne in 1979 and made his first-team debut in 1989 aged 17. He signed his first professional contract with the club a year later. Haaland then moved to Premier League club Nottingham Forest in December 1993. After a four-year spell at the club, he moved to Leeds United. He was part of the Leeds team that reached the semi-final of the UEFA Cup and qualified for the UEFA Champions League. Haaland then proceeded to make his final transfer to Manchester City. In the same year, Haaland took an eight-year break before returning to Bryne's third team and ending his career in 2013 with Rosseland.

Club career

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Perspective

Early life and career

Alfie Haaland[3] was born Alf-Inge Rasdal Håland[4] on 23 November 1972[1] in Stavanger, and was raised in nearby Bryne.[5] He joined the youth team of his hometown club Bryne in 1979.[6] He made his first-team debut in 1989, aged 17,[5] and established himself in the team the following year[5] after signing his first professional contract with Bryne.[6]

Nottingham Forest

Haaland moved to England, joining First Division club Nottingham Forest after a protracted transfer. Attempts to sign Haaland started with Brian Clough in October 1992 but was completed under the management of Frank Clark in December 1993.[7] He made his debut for Forest against Leicester City.[8]

Leeds United

In July 1997, Haaland joined Leeds United under George Graham. He made his Leeds debut against Arsenal on 9 August. In September, when Manchester United were losing 1–0 to Haaland's Leeds United at Elland Road, Roy Keane injured his anterior cruciate ligament running for the ball with Haaland. As Keane lay prone on the ground, Haaland, unaware of the seriousness of the injury, stood over him and criticised Keane, suggesting that he was merely feigning injury to try to gain a penalty.[9] Haaland was booked as Keane was stretchered off the field and was out of action for nearly a year afterward. On 26 December 1997, Haaland scored a goal in a 3–1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield,[10] a feat later achieved by his son, Erling Haaland, on 2 October 2019 while playing for Red Bull Salzburg.[11]

He was part of the Leeds team which reached the UEFA Cup semi-finals during the 1999–2000 season and which also qualified for the Champions League. Haaland was mainly used as a utility player, playing in both midfield and defence under David O'Leary.[citation needed]

Manchester City

In 2000, Haaland left Leeds to join Manchester City for a fee of £2.5 million.[12][13] In April 2001, during a match against Manchester United, Roy Keane tackled Haaland, kicking him high on his right knee, for which he was immediately sent off. Of the incident, Haaland said: "I'm only glad my leg was off the ground, otherwise he would have done me a lot of damage".[14] Keane was subsequently fined £5,000 and received a three-match ban. In his autobiography, published a year later, Keane stated that the tackle was a pre-meditated, deliberate act of vengeance against Haaland for the on-field criticism he received from him three and a half years previously. After this revelation, Keane found himself subject to an FA inquiry. He claimed inaccurate paraphrasing by his ghostwriter but received an additional five-game ban and a £150,000 fine for bringing the sport into disrepute.[15][16] Following the tackle, Haaland had initially claimed Keane would not dare to look him in the eye, and he once said: "I really dislike [Manchester] United and I can't stand their players".[17]

At the time of Keane's tackle, Haaland's left knee was already giving him sufficient problems for him to have to play with strapping around it.[citation needed] After the tackle, Haaland finished the match and played a midweek friendly for Norway coming off at half-time,[citation needed] and the next league game, coming off in the 68th minute.[18] That summer, he underwent surgery on his left knee but only managed a further four substitute appearances the following season,[19] and finally retired in July 2003 after failing to recover full fitness. Haaland was originally contracted with Manchester City until the end of the 2004–05 season, but in his contract, it was stated that City could terminate the contract if medical conditions indicated that he could not play first-team football again, and decided to use this option.[20]

Following the release of Keane's autobiography in 2002, Haaland and Manchester City stated that they were considering taking legal action against Keane. However, it emerged that Haaland had stated on his website that he had been playing with the injury to his left knee for a few months, that his left leg did not receive a knock in the game (Keane kicked his right thigh), and that Keane did not cause his long term injury.[21][22][23] Legal action was dropped in February 2003 after the club reviewed the medical advice.[24]

Rosseland

Haaland came out of retirement after eight years, to play for the Bryne-based club Rosseland in the Norwegian Third Division in August 2011.[25] He retired for the final time in 2013.[26]

International career

Haaland made his debut for Norway in a friendly match against Costa Rica in January 1994. He was later named in Norway's squad for the 1994 FIFA World Cup where he played the matches against Mexico and Italy. Haaland was capped a total of 34 times, with his last international appearance against Bulgaria in April 2001.[27] Haaland is – along with Hallvar Thoresen, Dan Eggen, Espen Baardsen, Hans Herman Henriksen and Joshua King – among the few players to have played for the Norwegian national team without ever playing in the domestic top division.[20]

Personal life

Haaland met Gry Marita Braut, an accomplished Norwegian heptathlon athlete,[28] in the mid-1990s while he was in England playing for Nottingham Forest.[29]

They were married and had three children, Astor, Gabrielle, and Erling.[30] Astor is a finance student at the BI Norwegian Business School, Gabrielle is a medical associate, while Erling became a professional footballer like his father. Erling plays for Manchester City, a club which Alfie also played for.[31] Alfie's nephew, Albert Tjåland, is also a professional footballer, a striker who last played for Molde.[32] After his divorce from Gry Marita, Haaland married Anita Strømsvol and they have two daughters.[33]

Career statistics

Club

More information Club, Season ...
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Nottingham Forest 1993–94[34] First Division 30000030
1994–95[34] Premier League 2011010221
1995–96[34] Premier League 17020005[c]0240
1996–97[35] Premier League 3563030416
Total 757604050907
Leeds United 1997–98[36] Premier League 3272030377
1998–99[37] Premier League 29140003[c]0361
1999–2000[38] Premier League 13000006[c]0190
Total 748603090928
Manchester City 2000–01[39] Premier League 3533050433
2001–02[40] First Division 30100040
2002–03[41] Premier League 00000000
Total 3834050473
Bryne/Rosseland 2007[3] Norwegian Seventh Division 1010
2008[3] Norwegian Sixth Division 2020
Total 3030
Bryne 3 2011[3] Norwegian Fifth Division 1010
Rosseland 2012[3] Norwegian Fourth Division 413071
2013[3] Norwegian Fourth Division 200020
Total 613091
Career total 1971919012014024219
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  1. Appearances in UEFA Cup

International

More information National team, Year ...
Appearances and goals by national team and year[3]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Norway 199450
199580
199670
199750
199860
199920
200110
Total340
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References

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