Seventh division club submit loan request to Man City for Erling Haaland | OneFootball

With the Premier League on hold until Boxing Day, attention now turns to the World Cup.

Unless, that is, you’re a lower league side in England, and in that case the fixture schedule will continue as normal.

And that’s also true of Manchester City star Erling Haaland, who now faces an extended break after his country Norway failed to qualify for the tournament.

What better way then, to keep match sharpness, than to lend a hand to a local side?

Ashton United – in the seventh tier of English Football – have had the same idea.

Their Hurst Cross stadium lies just six miles away from Manchester City’s Etihad, and the club have now submitted an official loan request to ask the Premier League champions if they could borrow Haaland while the World Cup is on.

“It just makes sense,” explained Ashton boss Michael Clegg.

“City aren’t playing, and we want to help by keeping Erling fit, it makes more sense than him playing golf for six weeks.

“We think he will be a great fit for us, and would slot in with our squad dynamic really well.”

Manchester City are yet to respond to the request, but it’s worth noting that legendary Everton goalscorer Dixie Dean played the last two matches of his career at Hurst Cross in front of a 5,600 strong crowd.

If it was good enough for Dixie …