In Bryne, they are a modest, industrious, and reserved group of people.

When they do start, though, each person has a favorite topic.

7Erling Haaland got his start in football with BryneCredit: Sven Olav Sele – Bryne FK7Haaland spent most of his upbringing in the Norwegian townCredit: instagram: @erling.haaland7Haaland feels most at ease in his hometownCredit: instagram: @erling.haaland

The new £51.4 million star of Manchester City, Erling Braut Haaland, towers over this little area in southwest Norway.

In fact, a gigantic mural of the former Norway striker from his days at Borussia Dortmund, painted on the wall of an ancient dairy, dwarfs tourists leaving the train station.

It is impossible for Haaland to leave his hometown.

Erling’s birthplace in Leeds in 2000, during the final years of his father Alf-Inge’s playing career at Elland Road. However, the family returned to Bryne when Erling was three years old.

That farmer was Gabriel Hoyland, his maternal great-uncle, whose pig and potato farm the six-foot-five hitman helps out on when he can return home.

The two elder family members are legends at Bryne FK; Alfie is still a fixture at home games, while Hoyland is known as Mr. Bryne.

At the age of five, Haaland joined his local team, and ten years later he made his debut. He left at age 16, agreeing to play in the top division for Molde, but he had made an impression.

In order for Haaland to make his debut in 2016, he had to replace Robert Undheim, a winger who was still active at Bryne in Norway’s second division.

“Everyone knew he was a childhood star,” he said to SunSport.

“When I first saw him, he was just a young child, but you could tell there was something unique about him because of how quick he was. He possessed everything.

A few years above Haaland in the local school, Sondre Norheim, a defender at Bryne, remarked: “I knew that he was always with the age group above him, so that alone makes him stand out.”

“He was training with grown adults. He was 15 so he was always lacking a bit physically at that time, as anyone would.

“But you could see in his play that he made up for it with his positioning and ability in front of goal.”

7Erling Haaland often visits BryneCredit: instagram: @erling.haaland7He made his debut for his local club aged 15Credit: Sven Olav Sele – Bryne FK