Summary: Manchester City - Liverpool 2:3 (Sport1)
"I want to win the championship with Leeds United."
This statement was released by Erling Holland on several occasions as a young actor in his homeland, when his character began to attract attention from the local media, sometime in 2017 and 2018.
It was certainly an amusing statement, but it was not said to entertain the audience - it really is the Norwegian striker's dream, even if it is completely unrealistic.
His love for Leeds knows no bounds, and it's an extraordinary story by any standard - because he doesn't quite get along with basic logic.
So tonight (Wednesday, 22:00, Sport1), when Holland steps on the grass for the first time at Holland Road, it will be a particularly exciting moment for him.
He is currently aiming to win titles with another team, and he has always been a fan of Manchester City, but Leeds is even more important to him.
It is an integral part of his identity.
Her choice was conscious, and of course also stemmed from her family background.
After all, Erling was born in Leeds in July 2000, about a month after his father, Alf Inga Holland, ended his successful tenure at the club and signed for Manchester City.
For three years, the combative young man wore the white uniform, played a variety of positions in defense and midfield, and was very loved by the fans who appreciated his commitment and willingness to give his maximum at any given moment.
George Graham brought him to Elland Road in 1997, then David O'Leary upgraded the team and marched them into contention at the top.
In his last season, he was part of the squad that finished third in the Premier League and qualified for the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, but the Norwegian himself was sidelined, and felt it was time for a new challenge. Manchester City was then a significantly smaller team - the newcomer from the minor league. , Holland had a place of honor, and manager Joe Royle stated: "I have admired him for a long time, and his versatile abilities will be of great benefit to us."
Very popular among fans.
Alf Inga Holland in a Leeds uniform (Photo: GettyImages)
He also supported Leeds in the third division
This was indeed the case, until Roy Keane's famous tackle in the derby in April 2001. Erling Holland was less than a year old at the time, so he did not get to see dad star on the grass.
In 2003, after the failed rehabilitation attempts of the injured knee, Alf Inga Holland retired, and the family returned to Norway at the beginning of 2004. This was exactly the year in which Leeds, which had completely crashed financially, was relegated to the minor league and disappeared into the depths.
The offspring was only four years old, and was just beginning to understand who was against whom, so choosing a failed club was not trivial.
So it's true, Dad once played for Leeds, and he still loved it, but Manchester City was a much more natural option given the circumstances.
Erling decided that he would not be like everyone else.
As a native of Leeds, he wanted to be primarily associated with Leeds United.
And so it was.
Erling remained loyal to the white shirt when Leeds were relegated to the Third Division in 2007, and Kern was delighted when they were promoted back to the Second Division in 2010.
He eagerly followed its results, knew all the players by heart, studied the history, and was even a member of the Leeds fans' circle in Scandinavia.
He talked about Leeds not only with Dad, but with anyone who would listen, and the dream of playing at Elland Road in time like Alf Inga was strong.
More in Walla!
Virtual reality therapy: a treatment for coping with anxiety
in collaboration with zap doctors
Roy Keane cuts Holland Sr
Gave up the opportunity to sign in 2018
Leeds maintained contact with Alf Inga, and at some point they also began to hear about the skills of the son who moved in early 2017 from Little Bryna to his homeland, which was coached by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Therefore, at the end of that year, contact was made with the agents, and the Holland family came to make an impression at the club's training facility, in order to examine the option of signing.
The coach at the time, the Danish Thomas Christiansen, hosted him in training, gave him a warm hug and told him about the plans for him.
There was talk mainly about integration into the young team in the first stage, because even in his homeland he was not yet in the team at that time.
As part of the visit, Holland even watched the Leeds games at Christmas.
It was only 5 years ago.
However, pure love for one, and career for the other - considerations for and against had to be taken into account, and the family took this seriously.
In 2018, there was a feeling that Holland would become Solskjaer's leading team player, and therefore the young Leeds squad was seen as a significant step back, even without taking into account that the team was then in the center of the table in the minor league.
Christiansen, by the way, was fired in the midst of a new crisis in February 2018, and as a good friend of Jordi Cruyff was considered a leading candidate for Maccabi Tel Aviv at the time, but even without him, Leeds continued to closely monitor Holland.
It really had nothing to do with the coach.
Holland did burst onto the scene during Norway's 2018 season, including a blistering fourth in 21 minutes against the mighty Brann Bergen in July in front of the Manchester United scout commissioned by Solskjaer.
The coach believed that his apprentice should eventually reach Old Trafford, just like him, but it turned out that this was not immediately relevant.
Juventus actually expressed a great interest in the Norwegian prodigy, and the talks with the old lady were quite serious.
Leeds then entered the picture again, and this time naturally offered a place in the senior squad, as well as in the squad, along with a not bad salary and the top earners in the team.
The club hoped that the great sympathy for Leeds would convince Holland to take the necessary step for him, but then the offer arrived which was many times better in all possible respects.
Almost moved to Leeds early in his career.
The young Holland in his home uniform (Photo: GettyImages, SVEIN OVE EKORNESVAAG/AFP)
Burst at Jesse Marsh's in Salzburg
Salzburg played the cards.
She was also willing to pay more to the motherland, also kept Holland in his Norwegian team until the end of 2018 to complete the season, also gave him better financial conditions, also guaranteed him a central stage in a team that is known as a wonderful springboard for young people, and also allowed him to play already in 2019 in the Champions League.
When all that was put on the table, Leeds United didn't stand a chance.
It is impossible to compare the home stage in the Champions League to the struggles in the second division in England, even if you are an ardent fan of the team.
Holland had high self-confidence, he was aiming high, and Salzburg gave him the right runway to take off.
So he arrived in Austria, sat on the bench for several months, and then in the summer of 2019 replaced Moes Davor in the lineup, who moved to Sevilla.
American Jesse Marsh had just been brought in as coach, and his fast and adventurous style suited the Norwegian like a glove.
After scoring 8 goals in 6 group stage games in the Champions League against Liverpool, Napoli and Genk, he moved to Borussia Dortmund, and the rest is known.
Holland became a superstar at breakneck speed, and Leeds was no longer in his league.
However, this really does not cancel his infinite sympathy for her.
Holland continued to follow every Leeds result on a weekly basis.
He was over the moon when Leeds finally returned to the Premier League in 2020 with Marcelo Bielsa in charge, and longed to move to England to play against them too.
The appointment of revered boss Marsh as manager at the beginning of the year only made the plot even more spicy.
Tonight they face each other.
Holland and March in Salzburg (Photo: GettyImages, BARBARA GINDL / APA / AFP)
Connect immediately with Calvin Phillips
And he continued to tell everyone about his love.
When Norway played Northern Ireland in the Nations League in the autumn of 2020, Holland swapped shirts with Leeds star Stuart Dallas, singing in his ear the anthem Marching on together played in the stands at Aaland Road.
When he signed for Manchester City this summer, the striker was especially excited that Leeds native and Leeds United legend Kelvin Phillips also joined the team with him.
He suggested to the England midfielder to perform Marching on together when they were introduced in the dressing room, and since then he had countless conversations with him about the club, the crowd, the heritage and everything around.
Holland and Phillips even decided that they would go to watch Leeds' home games as simple fans - and as much as possible, as this would be possible for them.
Meanwhile, Phillips' tenure at City has not exactly been successful, and Pep Guardiola has even accused him in recent days of returning overweight from the World Cup.
The midfielder is not included in the manager's plans, therefore, and will not be able to play against his favorite team.
The commentators associated with Leeds resented the Catalan's choice to publicly criticize the player on such a sensitive subject, and one can expect that Leeds fans will voice their opinion about Pep blatantly.
Still, their main attention will be directed to Holland, who will step on this grass for the first time, hear the fans cheering for him, and probably hug Marsh as well.
Everyone in town knows where the Norwegian was born and where his heart is.
They adore him, and wait that maybe - sometime in the future - this shared dream can be divorced, and he will wear the white shirt.
Who knows, maybe they'll even win a championship together?
History knows more bizarre and unusual stories, and you should never lose hope for a miracle.
But tonight, despite the close relationship and the strong emotions, Holland still wants to score.
And it will be very interesting to see how he reacts if he finds the net.
Follow Yochin on Facebook
sport
world football
English League
Tags
Arling Holland
Manchester United
Leeds United