Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland is used to being the centre of attention on the football pitch, but he might find cameras focused on him for a different reason in the team’s Premier League opener against Bournemouth.Aside from his goalscoring prowess, the Norway international is extremely recognisable for his trademark long hair, tied up in a ponytail during games, a style he has had since 2021. On the eve of City’s first league game of the season however, Haaland has decided to chop off his iconic golden locks.It comes after successful summer off the field for the striker as he continues to cultivate a mainstream and online following as a ‘Gen Z’ celebrity.Haaland detailed the process in a vlog on his YouTube channel, explaining that he had been considering the move after Norway’s participation at this summer’s World Cup, where he scored seven goals as the nation reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by England, and earned him a significant following in North America.“This beautiful blonde hair…time to let it go,” Haaland said. “I was thinking about doing it straight after the World Cup, but I was so busy so I didn’t do it. The season starts now so it’s time to get a fresh start.“The only thing is, Zlatan (Ibrahimovic) told me never cut your hair, because your strength is in your hair.”Haaland said that he had not told anyone about the plans and while “nervous” to say goodbye to his hair, he was happy to take inspiration from his Scandinavian roots.“You know what, the vikings, they go short as well,” he said before finding a picture of a viking with a shaved head and a beard – the latter may be on the ambitious side for Haaland.In the video, his hairdresser called it “the most expensive haircut of all time,” adding “I’m a little bit stressed, it’s not a usual job.”“I look like Kevin from Home Alone with this haircut,” Haaland said midway through the haircut, before adding once the buzz cut was complete: “I can’t wait for the fans to sing ‘who the f—ing hell is that’?”