Thelo Aasgaard (right) with short hair and a centre parting lines up alongside Erling Haaland with his distinct blonde ponytail in Norway's marroon, red, white and blue kit.Getty Images
Marc Gaier,andPaul Burnell, North West
Twelve years ago Thelo Aasgaard's dreams were in tatters when he was released by Liverpool FC's academy.
His father Jonathan recalled: "I remember him being obviously a bit upset and I remember sitting him down and I said, 'Are you sure this is what you want to pursue?'
"He didn't budge at all. He was clear that that was not a question at all. He was going to entertain.
"Then we helped him to get on to the next step of his learning curve, which ended up being at Wigan Athletic."
Aasgaard is now in Norway's World Cup squad, with the Rangers midfielder training alongside his celebrated teammates including Manchester City's Erling Haaland, and Martin Odegard, one the key players behind Arsenal's Premier League title success.
He played for Wigan and Luton before heading to Ibrox Park, also lining up for Norway's Under 16 and Under 21 sides.
"It was when he played for Luton Town that he got a call up for the first time, in March last year. And that took both him and us a little bit by surprise.
"He kept his place in the squad ever since," said Jonathan.
His family waited in suspense in Liverpool as the King of Norway announced which of the country's players would be travelling to the finals.
'Fantastic players'
"The King was broadcast live - via my brother in Oslo - and the family was here in Mossley Hill, and watched it as it happened.
"It was a very exciting moment in the house that's for sure," said Jonathan.
'Absolutely manic'
Aasgaard is one of four players in the tournament who once played for Liverpool schoolboys, the others being England's Anthony Gordon, Tony Barry, who is part of the England coaching team, and Ipswich striker Ali Al-Hamadi, who is in the Iraq squad.
It is possible Al-Hamadi and Aasgaard could face each other when Norway play Iraq on Tuesday in an opening group game.
Jonathan, who was principal cellist with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, will have to watch the game in a London hotel at 23:00 BST, because he is playing a concert in the capital.
"Then I am flying over for the second game against Senegal. But my wife and my other children, they will be there for the first two games, so that's very exciting," he said.
He added: "It's absolutely manic at the moment in Norway. My brother, Oliver, in Oslo, he made a little film from the supermarket and he was kind of just filming all the products they sell, and every single product in the whole shop will have the face of one of the Norway players in the squad.
"So the expectations are very, very high. I've been racking my brain to see if I can link any cello music to the World Cup and football.
"The closest I've come is, I think, Zadok The Priest by Handel, which is used for the Champions League theme.
"I think if Norway was to win the tournament, I think Beethoven's 9th symphony or something like Ode to Joy is in order."
Get in touch
Tell us which stories we should cover on Merseyside
Contact form
Contact form
Listen to the best ofBBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside onFacebook,X, andInstagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Who will win the World Cup? BBC pundits make their predictions
BBC pundits World Cup predictions, clockwise from top left: Micah Richards, Wayne Rooney, Olivier Giroud, Steph Houghton, Alan Shearer and Rachel Corsie
Related internet link
Norwegian Football Federation