Dixie Dean: A hero of the past who set the record Haaland aims to break
Just as Haaland scored his 51st goal this season in all competitions - surpassing the 34 set by Andy Cole for Newcastle in 1993/94 and Alan Shearer for Blackburn Rovers in 1994/95 - he was still some way short of the all-time record of 63 set by 'Dixie' Dean in the 1927/28 campaign.
Of course, it shouldn't undermine the Norwegian's amazing milestone, but it certainly highlights the attacking talent of a man ahead of his time and whose record remains unbeaten almost 100 years later.
Still, they set a new target for the 'cyborg', an insatiable predator who thrives on piercing opponents' nets.
Of the Everton legend's 63 goals, 60 came in the then First Division, so it is a given that the Manchester City player is not going to reach that target, at least not this season. He would need five per game for the remainder of the campaign.
Even more difficult will be to reach his calendar-year record from that magical 1928 year. The Birkenhead man beat opposing goalkeepers on no fewer than 85 occasions, second only to Leo Messi's 91 set in 2012.
At the very least it offers a good reason for Haaland, who in his first year in England needed just 31 games to smash a record that previously took more than 40, to stay hungry for the future and to continue improving his skills.
Reason versus passion
"People ask me if anyone will ever break my record of 60 goals, but yes, I think someone will. Only one man can do it, the one who walks on water. He's the only one who can do it," Dean once said when questioned about the possibility of another player ever surpassing him.
These were the words of the man who felt untouchable, who moved through the world knowing that there is no one better than him. His faith only allowed him to think that only someone in contact with divinity was capable of equalling or bettering his feats.
He was not guided by reason, but by a passion that led him to score 349 goals in 399 appearances - including a remarkable 37 hat-tricks - for Everton, the team to which he gave his life.
When we say he gave his last breath to the Toffees, we mean it in the most literal sense possible. Good old Bill died on March 1st, 1980 in the stands at Goodison Park.
He was watching the Merseyside derby against Liverpool and his heart couldn't take the excitement of watching his team against their arch-rivals, so he ended up stopping in the place where he was happiest.
Respected by all
Dean was among the first 22 players to be inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002. Not surprising, given the admiration even his closest rivals had for him: "He belongs with the best. He should be up there with Beethoven, Rembrandt and Shakespeare," said legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly at the time.
His quality was beyond doubt. He did not fit in with the times in which he lived, which gave him an almost mystical superiority. This was understood by Everton, who paid £3,000 to Tranmere Rovers in 1925 to sign him.
It was one of the best moves in their history. They enjoyed him for 10 years and will remember him for eternity.
Lest anyone should forget him, his statue presides over one of the entrances to Goodison Park. Fans still pay tribute to him every time they visit, and on it is an inscription that defines him perfectly: 'Footballer, Gentleman, Evertonian'.
Even so, it will be difficult to erase his memory given the stories surrounding him.
He twice came close to quitting football, first, according to legend, after losing a testicle from a rough tackle during a match. Then, because of a motorbike accident when he had just signed for the Toffees, which almost cost him his life.
It is said he was the first striker to regularly wear the number 9 on his back and in 2019 a film was made about his life. A hero of another time, he is still present today for his achievements and is the latest hurdle for a Haaland born to break records.
