"Annoyingly likeable", "Can't hate him" - Fans react as Manchester City star Erling Haaland surprises kids as Santa Claus in new YouTube video

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland took the Christmas cheer to the streets of Manchester by going undercover as Santa Claus, surprising kids and giving them gifts.

The 25-year-old Norwegian forward, known for his prolific goalscoring, was seen dressed in Father Christmas regalia in a video posted on his YouTube channel on Tuesday, December 16. With the help of a make-up artist, Haaland was adorned with bushy eyebrows and a beard, rosy cheeks, and a large stuffed pillow under his coat for the iconic belly.

Determined to hide his identity, Haaland toyed with a Scouse accent and admitted feeling nervous before his first visit, comparing it to pre-match jitters. He visited three families in the Manchester area, knocking on their door undercover and giving out presents.

At his first stop, when a child admitted to supporting rivals Manchester United, Haaland quipped:

“He’s on the naughty list. It must be hard for United fans these days.”

A memorable moment unfolded when Haaland pulled down his beard, with a youngster pretending to faint in excitement. Haaland couldn’t conceal his identity for long at the second house, with one child saying:

“I’ve heard your voice on TV, so I knew it was you.”

His accent gave him away again at the final house, with a kid responding, ‘You sound like him’ after being asked, ‘Why do you think it’s Haaland?’

All the kids at the home Haaland visited expressed their admiration, with some naming him and teammate Phil Foden as their favorites.

Erling Haaland took to X to share a snippet of his Christmas surprise as Santa Claus and fans reacted to the forward’s thoughtful gesture.

One wrote:

“He’s so annoyingly likeable.”

Another tweeted:

“You just can't hate him😂😂.”

A third added:

“Facts. Proper good lad.”

One remarked:

“He’s probably the most approachable footballer.”

The stunt follows his appearance as The Joker on the streets of Manchester during Halloween.

Erling Haaland expresses his ‘love’ for Christmas

In the video, Erling Haaland expressed his love for Christmas, saying he enjoys the coziness that comes with it.

“I love Christmas. I love to coziness of Christmas. You sit inside and it’s warm and everything. Like to be with my friends and family around Christmas time, I love it,” he said.

On the pitch, Erling has kept up with his goal-scoring form. He leads the scoring chart in the Premier League this season and recently became the fastest player to score 100 goals in the league’s history.

Edited by Ezekiel Olamide