Erling Haaland becomes a father for the first time as Pep Guardiola accidentally leaks news

Manchester City star Erling Haaland has become a father, Pep Guardiola has announced. The Norwegian sensation returned to his best goalscoring performance against Leicester City on Sunday, and his manager revealed his success on the pitch was just the icing on the cake of an extraordinary few days for the striker.

Haaland scored his 14th Premier League goal of the campaign in a vital 2-0 win on Sunday, securing a crucial three points for the team. Guardiola sent his sincere congratulations to his leader, recognizing the whirlwind of emotions he must be experiencing.

Guardiola said: “Sometimes Erling has been misjudged but that's part of football. He's tired, he's played a lot of minutes. He's become a father for the first time in the last few days, a lot of emotions and an exciting few days for him.”

In October, Haaland seemed to hint at impending fatherhood when he posted a photo on social media while on international duty, imitating a pregnant belly with a soccer ball under his shirt and sucking his thumb.

The post was simply captioned with a baby emoji and an arrow indicating something to come.

Now, it seems Haaland has truly taken on the role of father. “I’ve known it forever,” Haaland’s compatriot Sander Berge told Dagbladet after the public reveal.

“I'm very happy for him. It's very nice to know that he will become a father with his partner, Isabel. I can't wait to follow their journey as parents.”

The Fulham midfielder is said to be a close friend and suggested he was informed of the news over the summer. “There are a lot of fathers in the team now. The manager of the national team in 25 years faces a bright future,” joked manager Stale Solbakken, with Haaland's message signaling that the rest of his teammates have discovered the news.

With her newborn reportedly arriving in recent days, Haaland has been taking part in a busy festive schedule. The 24-year-old played on December 21 and 26 before playing on the 29th against Leicester.

The sniper scored his first goal after three games without one. The imposing striker will now be able to spend more time at home six days before City's next match. They face West Ham United on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium.