Erlin Haaland may only be 22 years old, but his place on the global top scorer list is unquestionable.
The Norway international joined Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in time for the new Premier League season, kicking off the season with a second premier league debut against West Ham.
Over the past few years, Haaland has put himself into the scoring universe – first at Red Bull Salzburg, where he scored 17 goals in 16 league games, and then spent two years at Borussia Dortmund, scoring 62 goals in 67 appearances in the Bundesliga.
In just 19 games, he has also scored 23 Champions League goals, and City hope he can add to that number and help them finally achieve their previously unfulfilled European potential.
While establishing himself as one of the best goalscorers in the world, Haaland naturally built quite a few goal celebrations. Here, Sporting News brings you inside scoop on more of the moves you can expect to see in the Premier League this season:
What does Haaland's goal celebration mean?
Yoga meditation postures
Haaland's most iconic goal celebration was when the Norwegian sat on the ground in a meditative posture, wrist on his knee and touched his thumb with one finger. This posture is known in yoga as the "lotus" pose and is used when one seeks peace, zen, and inner peace.
The celebration is iconic and has been included in the last few versions of the FIFA video game.
The 22-year-old Manchester City striker recently sat on the pitch at the London Stadium after scoring his first Premier League goal against West Ham United, which became the focus of attention.
"I love to meditate," Haaland said in a March 2020 interview with Esporte Interativo. "Meditation helped me a lot and found inner peace, so it was good for me.
"It calms me down and calms me down. That's why I sometimes celebrate like that when I score goals. ”
Place your fingers on his ears
Another celebration that has already entered the Premier League, Haaland is also known for pointing one finger to his ear while the other to the sky.
The Norway international did so to celebrate his second goal in Manchester City's debut against West Ham.
Haaland has made the most of the festivities to the point where it has become a second signature move, even when he posed for a photo at The Manchester City unveil.
Haaland didn't really talk about any particular meaning behind the celebration. Footballers often put their hands on their ears to celebrate goals, signal to home fans and shout out for the team when they find the goal.
On an away game, asking where the noise from the opposing home fans went is usually a satirical gesture.
Prolific Serbian striker Alexander Mitrovic of Fulham has developed the habit of using similar celebratory moves as his signature move, when fans chant "Mitro is on fire!" He covered his ears with his hands and turned his wrists back and forth.
Leap through the air
Sometimes Haaland would simply let it fly in unchooled jumps, jumps, and other high-altitude acrobatics.
The 6'4" (1.93 m) striker will leap high into the air, often uttering primitive shouts.
The festivities resemble cristiano Ronaldo's famous "siuuuu", who also jumped into the air, turned 180 degrees and ended with a push of both arms downwards.
Haaland has previously expressed admiration for Ronaldo, even saying he played football because of the Portuguese superstar.
In a 2020 interview, Haaland said: "I would love to meet him and tell him that thanks to him I was able to become a footballer. For me, he has always been a role model. ”
Other celebrations
While Haaland has plenty of celebrations that are special to him, the young striker also improvises at times.
He went viral in a Bundesliga match in November 2021 when he scored away to Wolfsburg. He ran to the sideline, got down on one knee and pointed directly at a Wolfsburg female fan in a winter coat and gloves.
Given the woman's reaction, the festivities were particularly interesting as the camera panned in time to capture her hostile response, giving Haaland an X-rated gesture.
Haaland also made a pistol gesture after scoring his second goal for City in his Premier League debut against West Ham, pointing his hands at the crowd continuously. When asked about it after Sky Sports, Haaland did not answer, saying he did not understand the English word "pistols."