Haaland’s heartwarming gesture to grieving household leaves ‘goosebumps’
Erling Haaland left a heartbroken family stunned with an incredibly unexpected and touching surprise – sending them a beautiful gift after they shared their devastating loss
Erling Haaland celebrates Round Of 16 match between Brazil and Norway at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 05, 2026(Image: Getty Images)
Norway goal hero Erling Haaland has made a heartwarming gesture to a grieving family back home they lost their little boy in a horror hit-and-run.
Two weeks ago, the Skjørestad family suffered an unimaginable tragedy when their son Dennis, 6, was struck by a car in their neighbourhood in Kvernaland, less than a 10‑minute drive from Bryne, where Haaland grew up, in the same tight-knit Jæren community.
Dennis was reportedly taken to Stavanger University Hospital but was pronounced dead later the same afternoon. He was laid to rest last Thursday, on July 2.
Now his dad Thomas Skjørestad has shared an emotional Instagram post thanking those who have supported the family. And he revealed an unexpected message from one of Norway’s biggest stars.
In an Instagram carousel posted over the weekend, Skjørestad shared photos of Dennis alongside a picture of a Norway national team shirt with the number 9 on the front, which is Haaland’s number, Stavanger Aftenblad reported. The shirt, which was signed by the football star himself, was also sent with a handwritten card.
In the Instagram caption, Skjørestad wrote: “We just want to thank all friends and family for all the support and everything you have done for us lately. We would have loved to write about each and every one of you, but it would have been such a ridiculously long text, so to all friends, thank you so much.
“Family, thank you so much. Nursery staff/teachers, thank you so much.
“And not least our fantastic workplaces @bjelland_as and @kraftbanknorge. And one of the most unexpected things was when we received a signed national team shirt and a personally written card from Erling Braut Haaland/the Haaland family.
“It gave us goosebumps we had never felt before, and if Dennis had been here he would have been so proud. You @erling were his idol, so thank you so much.”
In the card, the Haaland family had written, as reported by Stavanger Aftenblad: “We express our deepest condolences to the Skjørestad family in connection with Dennis’ passing. It is impossible for us as parents and siblings to put ourselves in your situation, but know that we, like many others, feel with you in a difficult time.
“We have understood that Dennis loved football, therefore a little thing from us.” Haaland himself has a son who is around one year and seven months old.
He shares the youngster with his long-term girlfriend, Isabel Haugseng Johansen. Johansen, 22, is also a footballer and comes from the same hometown as the Manchester City striker: Bryne, in south-west Norway.
The pair are understood to have met as teenagers when they were both involved in the local youth set-up at Bryne FK, before later beginning a relationship around 2021. Haaland and Johansen have never publicly revealed their child’s name and have avoided sharing photos that show his face.
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