The £3.5m man has already impressed Haaland and co with a goal and an assist on his international debut
19:35, 05 Jul 2025
Thelo Aasgaard celebrates with Erling Haaland
Thelo Aasgaard celebrates with Erling Haaland(Image: Getty Images)
Thelo Asgaard took just 38 minutes on his Norway debut to show he belonged on the pitch with the likes of Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard.
And now he's determined to bring what he's learned from those international superstars to Rangers and deliver a trophy rush for Russell Martin.
The new £3.5m man checked in from Luton Town and he's the latest part of a transfer drive that's seen Martin revamp the Ibrox lineup.
Aasgaard joins fellow new boys Emmanuel Fernandez, Joe Rothwell, Max Aarons and Lyall Cameron at the Rangers Training Centre and brings some international pedigree to Ibrox.
He's Liverpool born with a Scouse accent to rival Steven Gerrard's, but with a surname picked straight from Norse mythology, it's no surprise he chose Norway, for who he qualifies on his father Jonathan's side.
And back in March, he was given the nod by Stale Solbakken to start a World Cup qualifier against Moldova.
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He joined Arsenal star Odegaard in midfield with Man City megastar Haaland leading the line. But it was Aasgaard who stole the show in the 5-0 rout; he assisted Julian Ryerson for the opener within five minutes, and got the moment he'd been waiting for roughly half an hour later when he slammed in his first goal for his country.
Haaland certainly approved; he was straight over to shake his hand as Aasgaard took the acclaim from his new teammates.
And on sharing a dressing room with Haaland and Odegaard, he told Rangers TV: "They really took me in well. I feel like part of the group. We've got a top, top group and we've had a strong start to the World Cup qualifiers.
"To play in the World Cup next year is a big goal for me and hopefully I can show the manager I'm ready with some of my performances here.
"I'll add a bit of flare. I'm full of confidence, not afraid to shoot from distance. I like to link up with my teammates and form connections at the top of the pitch.
"I like to be part of the buildup phase as well as getting in the box and scoring goals."
Thelo Aasgaard after signing for Rangers
Thelo Aasgaard after signing for Rangers(Image: Rangers FC)
Aasgaard is an admirer of new Ibrox boss Martin's and, having been given the runaround by his Swansea team while playing for Wigan, he's looking forward to being on the other side of the stick.
He's only been in the building one day but the new No.11 already understands exactly what the Englishman wants from him.
And the 23-year-old is determined to prove he's worth the £3.5m price tag.
"I think just to have the trust from him (Martin) is really important," he went on. 'Even being here for only one day, I can already see that he wants me to express myself within his system. I'm just looking forward to being part of this successful year.
"I remember when we played his Swansea teams, we didn't really tough the ball. I always thought it would be fun to play in that sort of team!
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"I feel at home already. The facilities are fantastic. It's a really good changing room, I can't wait.
"It just feels like the right thing for my career to be playing in front of some amazing fans at an amazing stadium. This is what I've been dreaming of."