When Erling Haaland scored against Leicester last year to end a four-game goal drought, Pep Guardiola sought to explain the Norwegian’s erratic form by announcing some huge news about the striker’s personal life.

“He’s tired, he’s played a lot of minutes. He’s become a father for the first time in the last few days,” the Manchester City boss said. “A lot of emotions and an exciting few days for him.”

Anyone who has had children and can recall the manic few days after a birth would have immediately felt sympathy for Haaland. So on one level, Guardiola’s revelation put all discussions about the striker’s form into perspective. But it also begged another question: whether Haaland should have been playing at all so soon after such a significant life event.

Every father in the United Kingdom is entitled, by law, to at least two weeks of paternity leave. But in football almost no one takes it. Indeed, those who try to have any meaningful time off to care for their brand new arrival and their partner are vilified…