Erling Haaland Donates Rare Viking Book Worth £100000 to Bryne Library

Erling Haaland donated a rare 1594 Viking saga book, bought for £100000, to a library in Bryne, Norway. The only surviving copy, linked to historian Snorri Sturluson, will be publicly displayed. Haaland, aged 25, aims to inspire locals through history. He has 55 goals in 48 games for Norway.

In the latest inspiring gesture, Erling Haaland has gone beyond football to give back to his roots by donating a rare Viking-era book worth £100000 to his hometown. The Manchester City striker, who is Norway’s all-time leading scorer with 55 goals in 48 matches, purchased the historic book along with his father for 1.3 million Norwegian crowns in December, setting a national record for a book sale.

The book is a 1594 printed edition of a work by Snorri Sturluson, a 13th century historian, featuring stories about Viking kings, warriors, and everyday life. Haaland has donated the only surviving copy to a library in Bryne, the town where he grew up, so that the public can access and learn from it. Although born in Leeds, Haaland spent his childhood in Bryne, located near Stavanger in western Norway.

He expressed that books can inspire people to dream big and explore new possibilities, just as football helped him achieve his goals. On the field, Haaland continues to shine, leading the Premier League scoring charts this season with 22 goals in 29 appearances, while also topping the European qualifiers with 16 goals as Norway reached their first World Cup since 1998.