Gary Lineker couldn’t resist putting Erling Haaland on the spot when the Manchester City striker admitted he grew up watching Newcastle United. For a club constantly searching for that elite goalscorer, the thought of Haaland pulling on the black-and-white shirt is enough to make any Newcastle fan wonder what might have been.
Right now, there is probably no striker in world football who scores goals as effortlessly as Haaland. Every season he seems to break another record, and with his 100th Premier League strike already behind him, people have started asking whether Alan Shearer’s famous 260-goal landmark is under threat.
Haaland says he doesn’t think about it, but the way he keeps scoring makes it seem more like a matter of time than an impossible target. The only thing that might stop him is if one of Europe’s giants, such as Real Madrid, decides to try and take him away from England.
Even Alan Shearer, Newcastle’s greatest goalscorer and still the Premier League’s all-time top marksman, must be looking at Haaland’s numbers with a hint of concern.
Shearer’s record has survived some remarkable talents over the years, but Haaland is different. He scores in every type of game, in every type of situation, and with an ease that doesn’t look normal.
While Newcastle have their own in-form striker in Nick Woltemade, imagining Haaland in their squad is enough to make anyone dream a little.
The latest reminder of that missed opportunity came during an episode of The Rest is Football. Haaland spoke about his early years in Norway and how English football dominated the television screens there.
He explained that almost everyone in Norway supports a Premier League team, and Newcastle were particularly well followed because the flight from certain parts of Norway to Tyneside is under an hour. Fans could travel easily, the club felt close, and for many Norwegians it became their second home.
Haaland mentioned that in his hometown there were loads of Newcastle supporters, almost as many as Leeds United fans. His father, Alf-Inge Haaland, spent time at Leeds, which is why Erling naturally grew up following them.
But the fact that he openly talked about Newcastle being one of the most supported clubs around him growing up was all the invitation Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer needed.
Lineker immediately asked him why he didn’t join Newcastle. Shearer laughed and admitted he was about to ask the same question. It was a light-hearted moment, but beneath the humour was a genuine feeling shared by many fans: how different could everything be if Haaland had chosen Newcastle instead of Manchester City?
Thinking about that alternative reality is irresistible. If Haaland had signed for Newcastle in 2022, the entire landscape of English football could look different.
He scored 36 league goals in his first Premier League campaign, guiding City to the title with 89 points. Newcastle finished that same season with 71 points. The gap looks big on paper, but when you consider Newcastle drew 14 matches, the picture changes.
If a player like Haaland had scored even once in many of those tight games, the extra points would have completely changed their season. It’s obviously speculation, but that shows just how massive his influence can be.
One player rarely transforms a club on his own, but Haaland is one of the rare exceptions. His goals bring wins, wins bring confidence, confidence brings signings, and suddenly a club grows in strength far quicker than expected.
If Newcastle had landed him, their entire project might have accelerated years ahead of schedule. A Premier League title or a deep Champions League run would have boosted their global profile instantly.
Their transfer strategy could have shifted dramatically, attracting players who dream of linking up with the best striker on the planet.
While all of this is only imagination, it highlights how close football can come to changing direction over the smallest decisions. Haaland followed the path he felt was best for his career, and it is hard to argue with the success he has achieved.
Newcastle also moved forward in their own way, building a competitive squad and finding new stars to carry their ambitions.
Still, hearing Haaland speak fondly about Newcastle from his childhood brings a twist of what-if to the whole story.
Maybe he was never close to joining the Magpies, but the idea that he grew up surrounded by Newcastle supporters adds an emotional layer to the fantasy. In another timeline, perhaps Lineker’s question would not be a joke but a memory.
For now, the record-breaking striker remains a distant dream for Newcastle fans, and the only thing they can do is imagine how different everything might have looked if a young Erling Haaland had chosen black and white instead of sky blue.
