The parents of Mossley Hill-born Norwegian international Thelo Aasgaard have revealed how their son's unique upbringing, shaped by their careers as professional cellists, has helped him reach the World Cup quarter-final against England tonight in Miami.
From Calderstones to the World Stage
Aasgaard, 24, attended Calderstones School and rose through Liverpool FC's youth system before playing professionally for Wigan Athletic and later signing for Rangers in Scotland. His steady club progress earned a surprise call-up to Norway's World Cup squad, representing his father's birthplace.
Thelo is the eldest child of Georgina, originally from France, and Jonathan from Norway. He has two younger siblings, Ismael and Olga. While he is the first in his family to play football professionally, his parents believe their own careers as cellists helped shape his rise.
Discipline and Repetition: The Musician's Ethos
Georgina Aasgaard told the ECHO: "I think there are lots of similarities between the disciplines, the self-discipline, and the hard work that we do, both as musicians and as athletes or as sports people. I think with his upbringing he got some of this from both of us, as we're both performing cellists. And this thing of every morning, get up, go to your [music] scales, repeat things a hundred times until you get really good. This is what we do as practicing musicians. We repeat things, and in a way it's not so dissimilar to what Thelo's been doing as well."
She added: "Practicing his skills in and out hundred times, thousand times, a million times until you think they're good enough. But at the end of the day, very often you think they're not quite good enough, and you always have to start again the next morning. Start again from scratch every day and just work really hard."
Teamwork and Self-Expression
Thelo's father Jonathan said: "When you talk about playing music in an ensemble, for example, you've got to play on the same team. You can't be pulling in different directions. You've got to have the same idea and same plan and passion. I think when you see Thelo is really enjoying himself, in his absolute element, it becomes more than just the kicking of a ball. It becomes a kind of self-expression, as if it was a type of performing arts."
Georgina highlighted Thelo's creativity: "Thelo has always been a very creative child, I think he can really create these moments of magic on the pitch. What makes him a really special player is his creative side, I think he can really create moments for a team from his midfield position. He creates these kind of magical moments and then come up with the most incredible technical skills as well, which end up in some of the incredible goals we have all witnessed throughout his career."
A Goal Against France: A Surreal Family Moment
One such goal came weeks ago when Norway faced France, his mother's national team. Georgina said: "I don't think I have any words to describe what it felt like when the goal went in, especially as I was in the middle of both our families from France and Norway. It was just the most surreal experience. Throughout the World Cup, I've been Norway all the way. Obviously, I had lots of banter with my French family, and they are all so supportive of Norway as well. And it was just like an incredibly emotional moment. That's all I can say. It was just tears all around. In the end all that mattered in that moment is to see my son happy, whether it was France or Norway, it was just an incredible moment."
Family Support from Afar
As Thelo prepares to face England, his mother and girlfriend Ellie will be in the crowd in Miami. However, work commitments mean his father will watch on TV. Jonathan said: "I'm giving concerts at the Cheltenham Festival on Saturday and in a festival in York on Sunday, and I would just let too many people down if I didn't do it. I'll watch the whole game. It starts at 10 pm, and I've already planned a pub to watch it in with a few friends."
Despite close contact throughout the tournament, the family avoids discussing the game with Thelo. Georgina said: "We never speak about the game. We usually speak about other things. When it comes to preparing his mind for the game, that's completely up to him, he's the master of this."
