Meet The Non-League Striker Who Is Outperforming Erling Haaland

Meet The Non-League Striker Who Is Outperforming Erling Haaland

Goalscoring is regarded as the hardest job in football and is no doubt the most important part of the game.

And with that, pure out-and-out goalscorers aren't the easiest to find.

In the modern game, players are asked to be dynamic in their duties, meaning those whose art is putting the ball in the onion bag are becoming increasingly sparse.

So when you do get one, holding onto them for as long as possible is a must.

The most potent example at the summit of world football is the Norwegian robot himself, Erling Haaland.

14 goals in 11 games for Man City in the Premier League is, quite frankly, an outrageous record. Add in the fact that he has been putting up those numbers across his entire career, and any striker, at any level, would die to have his ability and record.

But Haaland isn't the only one putting up disgustingly good numbers at his respective level.

There is a non-league striker, playing in the National League North, who is matching and possibly even exceeding Haaland's performances.

His name is Ricardo Rees.

Who Is Ricardo Rees?

Rees currently plies his trade at Merthyr Town, where he currently has a massive 18 goals in just 17 appearances in the National League North.

It isn't just this season, though; in the two previous ones, Rees managed 30+ goal tallies in both, making him one of non-league's most prolific and well-known bagsmen.

🔥 Ricardo Rees keeps making history with Merthyr Town!

📊 National League North: 9 games | 809 minutes | 7 goals⁰🏆 Joint 2nd top scorer in the league⁰⚽ Reached his 100th goal for Merthyr Town in 147 appearances over just 3 years this season

A striker in top form 👏… pic.twitter.com/IU2OONSz5V

— CSN Football Videos (@csnfootballvids) October 2, 2025

The forward never managed to make a senior appearance for Bristol and was sent on numerous loan spells before eventually moving into non-league at Yate Town.

Rees has since been vocal about falling out of love with the game during this time, a fate which stops way too many young players in their tracks.

He followed up this season at Yate Town with a move to his current club, Merthyr – which is where the magic has really begun to happen with his career.

So much so that there have been growing calls for a Wales call-up in the near future, and with the form he's in, could you blame Bellamy if he heeded those calls?

Magician in Merthyr – But For How Long?

With a record like he has, and at just 25 years of age, it is only a matter of time before bigger clubs come calling.

But Ricardo Rees has been vocal about how much he loves it at his current club, further shown by the offers he turned down in the summer transfer window in favour of staying for at least another year.

Rees has been quoted saying, "It's a fantastic run club. It's run by the fans, which is not done by many clubs."

Merthyr Town striker Ricardo Rees is the National League North's top goalscorer with 18 goals in 17 league games! ⚽️#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/IJfvyUTAZX

— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) November 20, 2025

So with all of that said, it may not be as much of a foregone conclusion as we think that Rees will be on the move in the near future.

But there is no doubt that any club that does have the blessing of his services will be investing in a goalscorer who is rivalling the top players across Europe right now.