Life and death - how Erling Haaland became even better at Man City

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is in the best form of his life and a number of changes in the last year have helped that

There is a deep irony in Erling Haaland's route to happiness.

The Manchester City striker has searched the earth to reach perfection in his bid to make good on his generational talent, immersing himself in the science of biohacking to gain as many advantages as he can. He has incorporated raw milk and liver into his diet, used special glasses and tape over his mouth in evenings, yet one of the biggest things that has inspired his ridiculous run of form this season is something that he shares with about three in every four UK men: being a dad.

"I’ve never felt better than I do now," he said at Brentford after scoring his 18th goal of the campaign for club and country in his 11th game.

“I think it’s about preparation first of all, getting ready for the games. You can be physically ready but you need to be mentally ready as well.

“And to be honest I think with a kid, it makes me even better because I actually disconnect more than ever. I don’t think of football at all which sometimes when you’re younger you think of this and that and maybe worry a little bit about things.

"But when I go home I relax even more so I think I need to give a shout out to my son!"

Many will know all too well what Haaland means when he talks about his child leaving him too short of time to think about anything else at home, but it is curious nonetheless for someone as intrigued in performance as the Norwegian is that something that has been around since Adam and Eve can have as big an impact as the latest advancements that science and technology can offer.

Haaland's son is not the only reason for his form but it contributes to a life that is wholly more settled now than it was last season when he underperformed with a mere 31 goals for City. Such an assessment of last year may still seem harsh but it has to be for the talent Haaland has. And the fact he already has 12 goals for his club this season reflects that.

Haaland loves being a dad, and is even more settled with his partner Isabel in a leafier part of Greater Manchester than the city-centre apartment that they first lived in after he signed for the club in 2022. They are happier there for this stage of their life and while becoming parents changes things forever it brings stability as well as happiness after the worries that can come with pregnancy.

If birth is a life-changing event, so too is death. Haaland went unashamedly deep in a recent interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK when he covered a subject that doesn't tend to come up in a flash interview after a game.

"I'm actually a bit afraid of death because I don't know what happens," he said. "It's a little scary when you lie alone in bed before falling asleep and think: What will happen on the day I die? Will you go to heaven? Will you go to hell? Where will you go?"

Haaland has had to think about death over the last year because he has grieved for a close friend. Ivar Eggja, his dad's best friend and one of few people trusted to be a member of the footballer's inner circle, passed away last September at the age of 59.

Nobody knows how a 24-year-old will be impacted by the loss of somebody who was like an uncle to him, but those close to him suggest it did take a toll on even someone as mentally strong as Haaland. As he was trying to hold City together last season, he was also working through a lot of things in his personal life that he had no control over.

Being more settled off the pitch has brought about the best version of Haaland that he or anyone else have seen. He is in a happier place to be able to bring motivation for club and country; when that energy drops, a friendly shove from Brentford defender Sepp van der Berg can quickly raise his spirits.

As the No.9 feels better than ever, he is also more visible than ever after moving to a more private part of town. Regular updates on his Snapchat account in recent weeks have everything from threatening messages from fans of rival clubs to breaking Rayan Cherki's return to the squad and taking the mick out of teammates and himself.

Despite the danger that could be posed from Haaland being able to see all messages on his account, there are no worries about how he will take it. The Norwegian also gave up four hours of his time recently for a 45-minute documentary on Norwegian TV where he is asked questions by people with disabilities; Michael Sheen, Danny Dyer and David Tennant are among those to have filmed an English version, called The Assembly.

Time will tell how public he remains and how long his purple patch can continue, but everything looks lined up for Haaland to go big this season. If that can include leading Norway to their first major tournament and World Cup since before he was born - they face Israel on Saturday having won all five of their opening games in the qualifying group - that will only add to the feelgood factor around the player.

Van Den Berg learned last week that it is a bad idea to make Haaland angry, but City will want to keep him happy for 10 more years.