Soccer is in the genes.

It’s true, success comes with hard work, and if you do not exercise and
push yourself daily you will not reach the highest most elite level, but it is no less true that
some footballers seem blessed by a wand and that many family members of stars repeat the
good work with the ball at their feet. Something similar happens with a Norwegian family full
of tall, physical forwards with an impressive goal-scoring capability. Yes, we are talking about
Erling Haaland and his smaller cousin, Albert Braut Tjaaland. The young promising forward
accumulates 64 goals in 37 games in lower divisions.
However, can Erling Haaland’s little cousin be better than him?

For those of you that did not know, these two aren’t the only professional footballers in the
family. Erling Haaland’s father, Alf-Ing Haaland, reached 34 international caps for Norway, and
played in the premier league for the likes of Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Manchester
City, after forcing himself to retirement after a horrendous tackle by Roy Kean, which definitely
built up some controversy.
Although Erling has already proven to be better than his father at only 20 years of age, there
sure are some genetic factors determining the success they have as football players, and it
seems like Alf-Ing’s nefew, Albert, is on is way to being an elite player too.

All of Europe has set their eyes on Erling Haaland and is amazed by his performance at
Borussia Dortmund. The Norwegian scored two goals against Sevilla in the Champions League
and this weekend he repeated a double against Schalke 04, a fantastic goal from an acrobatic
shot included. However, in Norway they look beyond Germany. There they are attentive to the
lower divisions, a place where Haaland’s cousin has become the nightmare of every nobleman
goalkeeper, for resorting to a defining classic of lethal players.

Seventeen-year-old Albert Tjaaland is already starting to show a similar knack for goals as his
older cousin and scored 64 goals in 37 matches for club side Bryne FK last season. These
statistics surely helped him as he follows his cousin’s footsteps, signing for Molde FK. Before
jumping into conclusions, it must be said that Erling Haaland played his first official match for
Molde at just 16 years and 9 months of age, whilst Albert has yet to officially debut at 17 years
and 1 month. Nevertheless, that date might not be too far away, as, according to Norwegian
football database, he has scored 7 goals in 7 games for the under 19s already.

Albert Tjaaland draws a lot of attention for his physical resemblance to his cousin, but also for
his similarity on the field. He measures 1.86 meters, he’s fast, strong on the ball and has high
shot power. The forward signed for Molde last summer, a club in which Erling also forged
himself as an elite striker, and at the club, comparisons are the order of the day. Beyond the
scoring ability and the physical resemblance already mentioned, Albert Tjaaland also stands
out for his stride and, despite his height, he has skill with the ball at his feet.

Therefore, it is normal for him to be compared to his cousin, as much as Albert himself, on
occasion, has requested that they not do so. Although he has also acknowledged, as is obvious,
that Erling is his great reference. There is no doubt that goals go in this family’s genes.

With Norway also able to call on Martin Odegaard, their future looks pretty bright, after all
they also have Joshua King, Sander Berge and Alexander Sorloth in their squad too.

The question is, will Albert Tjaaland join them?

Norwegians already dream of a double attack Haaland - Tjaaland. In elite European football,
too. Personally, we hope that Tjaaland does not see himself affected by the pressure of living
up to his cousin’s potential and we sure hope to see him playing in the top leagues.

What do you think? Leave a comment down below, we would love to read your opinion!

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