A prolific young forward has been labelled the next ‘Erling Haaland’, but when he was asked about the goalscoring feats of a Premier League legend, he didn’t know who he was
A Ukrainian striker heralded as ‘the next Erling Haaland’ has gone viral after he admitted he didn’t know who a Premier League legend was – despite equalling one of his records.
Artem Stepanov, who plays for Dutch club FC Utrecht on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, started off the season by scoring five league goals in five consecutive games. This was enough to match a 25-year-old record set by former Tottenham and Netherlands star Rafael van der Vaart, who was the last player to score in five consecutive Eredivisie games, while he was playing for Dutch giants Ajax.
However, Stepanov, 19, wasn’t even born by the time the Dutchman had left Ajax for Hamburger in Germany. And when a reporter told him he’d matched the record, Stepanov responded: “I don’t know these people. No, no, no, no, no. I don’t know”.
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The stunned interviewer explained the former Ajax star had scored in five consecutive matches as a teenager, to which Stepanov ambitiously responded: “Then I will try to break this record.”
When advised to study footage of the Dutch icon ahead of his next game against Feyenoord, Stepanov said: “I have, I must, yes. Then I will go today to my bed and I will watch”.
Stepanov has been at Utrecht since the start of 2026, and despite a slow 2025/26 season, he’s started this one with considerable success, scoring five goals in just six games. This has led to the 6ft 3in powerhouse being dubbed the “Ukrainian Haaland”.
He has already faced a considerable amount in his life. Previously part of the Shakhtar Donetsk youth academy, at the age of 15 he and his family had to flee their native Ukraine in 2022, following Russia ’s invasion of the Eastern European country.
He excelled after transferring to Bayer Leverkusen’s youth academy following a collapsed move to Bayern Munich, scoring 18 goals in 23 matches for the Leverkusen U17 team. Then manager Xabi Alonso soon called him up to the first team and he played in the Champions League.
Now, having moved to the Netherlands, a big test is ahead of him as his Utrecht team will soon face second-placed Feyenoord, who could go top of the table if they beat Stepanov’s side.
Utrecht currently sit 14th in the table, and will be hoping their Ukrainian talisman extends his goal-scoring record to help lift them up the standings.