Revealed: Erling Haaland's alternative Manchester City shirt number before choosing number 9

Since Erling Haaland was officially confirmed as a Manchester City player, he has generated plenty of conversation from day one.

From a footballing standpoint, there were question marks around whether the 22-year-old would be able to adapt to Pep Guardiola’s system, especially after seeing Jack Grealish struggle in the side during his debut campaign at Manchester City.

So far, the Norwegian international has shrugged off all the doubts, with a staggering goal return of 13 in just seven games in total.

Several fans and pundits alike also expressed their excitement at what Erling Haaland’s arrival would mean for the Premier League as a whole, considering he is widely expected to rival Kylian Mbappe for the title of the best player in the world for the next decade.

Another point of conversation around the youngster was which shirt number he would select at the Etihad Stadium.

Considering his father and former Sky Blues midfielder, Alfie Haaland wore the number 15, a whole host of Manchester City supporters were pining for their blockbuster recruit to carry on a familial tradition.

The other school of thought was presented by fans that were not as romantically inclined, and instead were aching to see a world-class striker such as the former RB Salzburg goalscorer wear the number nine.

Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham

Ultimately, the latter ensued and up until this point of the season, there has not been a more prolific goalscorer in Europe than the Manchester City talisman.

However, fresh revelations suggest that it was possible that the Leeds-born forward would have carried on his father’s legacy at his new club.

As per a report by The National, Erling Haaland was initially set to take his father’s number 15 shirt at Manchester City.

Erling Haaland celebrates for Manchester City in Champions League action.

However, Gabriel Jesus’ transfer to Arsenal meant the Norwegian striker ended up taking the vacant number nine shirt.

It has been revealed that during his unveiling at the Etihad Stadium, the Premier League champions had both kits on standby.

As the saying goes, all’s well that ends well, as the number nine suits Erling Haaland, who is looking what a striker is supposed to be by stepping up, and scoring goals in abundance for his new side.

Most recently, the former Borussia Dortmund man scored the decisive goal for Manchester City in their dramatic Champions League victory over his former employers.

Erling Haaland goal vs Borussia Dortmund (Image: Xinhua/Alamy)

A Jude Bellingham header had initially put Borussia Dortmund ahead, before a John Stones strike from distance brought the Etihad club level.

Then, up stepped Erling Haaland, as he connected in acrobatic fashion to a sensational Joao Cancelo outside-of-the-foot delivery into the penalty area.