Standing at 191cm tall, you’d be forgiven for not realising Christchurch footballer Flynn Holdem is just 16.
Despite this, he gives fully-grown men a serious challenge when they try defending against him week-on-week.
“It’s quite uncommon for someone so young to be able to step into men’s football and be effective almost immediately as he has,” said Matt Jansem, his coach at Nomads United.
With eight goals to his name, the teenager has scored more than a third of Nomads’ Southern League goals this season.
But what has also caught people’s attention is his resemblance to Norwegian striker Erling Haaland wreaking havoc for Man City in the English Premier League.
The size, the power, and the bright blonde hair are just some of the characteristics Holdem shares with Haaland, a player he takes some inspiration from.
“I do like Haaland’s movement in the box, so I aspire to that a lot.
“He scores so many goals at an unbelievable rate and I feel that if I implement some of the things he does, it could translate to my game.”
The opposition coach that day, Ryan Edwards, thinks highly of the young attacker.
“He’s a top young local talent. He’s mature for his age and is physically, psychologically, a strong player. He doesn’t look like he’s overawed by playing against any opponent,” Edwards said.
“It’s hard to believe he’s the age that he is, so I can see a good future ahead of him in the game.”
Jansen recalls first seeing Holdem training in the club’s academy teams.
“I first saw him when he was 13. He was a big kid and was scoring lots of goals. We moved him up an age group – he went from 13s to 15s the following year and was still scoring lots of goals, so we definitely started to take notice.”
“It was unexpected. Matt (Jansen) talked to me during the week and said that I was training with the first team, and I didn’t think much of it.
“But then he put me in the squad for Sunday’s game against Nelson [Suburbs] so travelling away, it was a pretty special moment for me.”
Holdem has made huge strides since his debut season last year, lifting his tally from three goals in 11 matches to eight goals in 15.
Jansen believes this could be just the beginning of Holdem’s football career.
“Larger players get labelled a bit as if they can only have physicality, but he offers so much more in his movement and his quality on the ball.
“Time will tell where he goes, but I’m hoping he can push higher than the New Zealand leagues.”
