Lovely story in The Times, by Henry Winter, on the non-league Haaland. I honestly can’t remember another time when we’ve had so much positive media coverage:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/i...-you-mm2dlqtff

‘I’ve got people messaging me every week saying: oh, Erling Haaland’s catching you’

Notts County’s Macaulay Langstaff tells Henry Winter what it’s like to be compared to the world’s hottest striker and how he tries to replicate the Norwegian’s dedication to the game

Macaulay Langstaff used to play for £50 a week for Billingham Synthonia in the tenth tier of English football, turning out in front of 132 spectators at places such as Ossett Town in the FA Cup first qualifying round (he scored). Even then, Langstaff was focused totally on his football, eschewing nights out, just dreaming of climbing up the ladder. So now that his prolific feats for Notts County have led to him being dubbed “the non-League Haaland”, the amiable, ambitious Teessider is absolutely loving it.

After every goal Langstaff scores for County in the National League, the same merry messages keep flooding in from family and friends reminding him how Erling Haaland has done for Manchester City in the Premier League. Langstaff, 25, and Haaland, 22, both moved in the summer (from Gateshead and Borussia Dortmund respectively). Both hit the ground running and scoring. Both have 15 goals and three assists in their respective leagues. “It’s a little bit of fun,” Langstaff laughs when asked about the comparisons with the feted, remarkable Haaland (who also has five goals in three Champions League appearances for City).

There is a serious, significant side to this enjoyable narrative. The pyramid matters. There is good football being played “down” there. Dreams matter. There are good, young managers acquiring the skills of their trade, such as County’s Luke Williams. There are good players, such as Langstaff. He made National League history as the first player to win back-to-back player-of-the-month awards. His form has helped propel Williams’ attractive side to the top of the table, even beating big-spending Wrexham 1-0 last week (he scored).

It is more than footballing historians taking interest and pleasure in watching one of the founder members of the Football League finding their feet again after some dreadful years. County are rebuilding sensibly under a Danish consortium led by Chris and Alex Reedtz. “They’re so level-headed,” Williams says of the owners. Fans are flooding back to Meadow Lane. “We had nearly 11,000 against Wrexham in the fifth tier of English football,” Langstaff says of the 10,741, including the near-2,000 following from Wales. “That doesn’t happen in any other country. That just shows the size of the club and that the quality of the league has gone up a level.”

Langstaff’s prominence is a reminder of the gems that can be found in non-League (and credit to his coaches at Gateshead). For all the happy headlines about the “non-League Haaland”, Langstaff wants to be the next Jamie Vardy, who signed for Leicester City (then in the Championship) for £1m from non-League Fleetwood Town a decade ago, and has famously gone on to Premier League and FA Cup glory and England recognition. Vardy was the same age then that Langstaff is now.

As for the Haaland comparisons, Langstaff laughs again and emphasises “being mentioned in the same breath or sentence as him is a massive privilege in itself”. He adds: “It’s a little bit of fun. We’re levels apart at the moment. He’s at the very top level and I have ambitions to get there but, yes, it’s a bit crazy, seeing articles with my name next to his, it’s a bit surreal.

“I’ve got people messaging me every single week, ‘oh, Haaland’s catching you!’ It’s a good motivation to try and stay ahead of him!

“In comparisons, it’s probably only in the numbers. In terms of the way we play, we’re not very similar. He’s got a physical stature that’s a lot different to me. He’s very tall, powerful, strong. He shrugs off the defender, leaves them on the ground and puts the ball in the back of the net.

“I’ve scored a lot of tap-ins this year, got on the end of team build-ups. That’s the same with him sometimes, he doesn’t touch the ball for 30, 40 minutes and then he will pop up and score. The gaffer [Williams] points out some goals he gets at the back post, where he gets inbetween the full back and centre half, where you can’t be marked. He will score plenty more goals and if I can stay ahead of him, that will be unbelievable.”

Even Haaland won’t be able to score when the Premier League pauses during the World Cup. “I have thought about that!” Langstaff replies. “It would be a good time to get ahead of him.”

Langstaff reflects on their respective journeys. Haaland’s pathway from Bryne, in Norway’s second tier, to Molde, Red Bull Salzburg, Dortmund and now City has been well-planned with his father, Alfie, the former Leeds United and City player. “The advice that Erling’s had in terms of his father, and the experience his father had, could lead him on the same path, and I’ve not had that,” Langstaff says.

“But my family’s been brilliant with me. They’ve believed in me. We were not really a football family. None of my parents or grandparents played at any sort of level. But they’ve been massive in supporting me every single game since I was 10, 12, travelling up and down the country following me.

“I was at Billingham, which was the 10th tier. Then I got a move to Gateshead and went from part-time football earning £50 a week to playing full-time professional football. When I was going on loan to Blyth Spartans I was still so far ahead of where I’d been that I appreciated every single moment.

“There were times when I wasn’t playing as much and I was coming off the bench. I was going home a little bit down because I wasn’t achieving what I wanted to achieve. That is why I worked so hard because I appreciated where I came from and the effort I had put in to get where I was.”

So he admires Haaland’s dedication. “With the way the game’s going, you’ve got to sacrifice everything,” Langstaff says. “Sports science is massive and you see what you have to sacrifice to get to the top level, you see what Haaland’s doing now, it is no coincidence why he’s so successful.

“He’s lived the life right, he’s parked all that noise and nonsense that surrounds being a professional footballer, he’s focused on being the best he can, and improving. He’s doing the right thing off the pitch, and that’s what I am trying to do. He deserves the rewards because he’s a top player.

“I’ve sacrificed so much over the years to play football. I’m living the life a professional footballer needs to live. Friends socialise and as young lads it’s easy to get caught up in that and drink alcohol on a weekend. I don’t do that. Every now and then it’s good to let your hair down but you can’t do it regularly as a footballer otherwise it’ll catch up with you.

“I eat all the right foods and live my life right through the week leading up to a Saturday. If I don’t, I feel it in performances. I’m seeing the rewards on the pitch.”

Like Haaland, Langstaff contributes off the ball. “As much as Macca has scored a lot of goals, his work for the team has been equally as impressive,” Williams says. “He shuts people down, recovers back with the team. He’s incredible. You can see Macca almost on the edge of our box when we’re under big pressure and then he’ll drive the team forward in the next moment and be pressing the back line.”

This Saturday brings an FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie against Coalville Town at Meadow Lane. “The FA Cup’s probably the most prestigious competition in the world,” Langstaff says. “I grew up watching the FA Cup. I want a run in the FA Cup. Last year I had a run to the second round where we played Charlton on ITV for Gateshead. That was an unbelievable occasion.

“Getting to the third or fourth round would be unbelievable but the bread and butter is the league. A club this size… we need to be aiming for promotion.”

Inspired by the non-League Haaland, things are looking up for County.