"Discover the Norwegian Star with a Scouse Accent Aiming to Knock Out the Three Lions While His Family Cheers from England!"

AFTER being born in Liverpool, playing for the Reds academy and then spending nine years at Wigan, you would be forgiven for thinking he wants England to win on Saturday.

But Thelo Aasgaard, 24, hopes to send the Three Lions back to his country of birth on Saturday night.

Norway star Thelo Aasgaard was born on Merseyside and has a Scouse accent Credit: Getty Aasgaard made his senior debut at Wigan after his Liverpool academy release Credit: Getty

Because despite his Scouse accent and middle name of Gerard, Aasgaard is part of .

Of course, he is not the .

arrived in Leeds in the summer of 2000 when his dad Alf-Inge swapped Elland Road for Manchester City.

But midfielder Aasgaard’s family still live in the Mossley Hill area of Merseyside and watched the live stream of the King of Norway’s squad announcement there.

Their joy came more than a decade on from Aasgaard being released after six years in the academy, which also featured a certain fellow Liverpudlian , who is 15 months older.

Thelo’s mum Georgina has French roots but his dad Jonathan – a professional cellist – is Norwegian.

Jonathan had to watch the opening Iraq match from a London hotel as he was playing a concert that night.

But reflecting on his son’s journey from Anfield anguish to the American dream, Aasgaard Sr told the BBC before the started: “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?’

CLICK ON PIC TO SEE STAR’S PROFILE

“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.

“It was when he played for Luton Town that he got a Norway 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.

“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.”

Aasgaard swapped the Liverpool academy for the youth set-up at Wigan aged 14 and progressed into the first team as a teenager in late 2020 as Wigan fell into administration.

After 164 appearances and 32 goals across four-and-a-half seasons, he had a brief stint with Luton as they suffered back-to-back relegations.

Erling Haaland was also born in England but plays for Norway Credit: Getty Aasgaard was sent off against Celtic last season Credit: Kenny Ramsay He scored his sixth goal for Norway in the 4-1 defeat to France Credit: Getty Aasgaard is hoping to send England home from Miami Credit: Reuters

But the six-month stint in the Championship coincided with his maiden Norway call-up, having played through the youth age groups for his father’s country.

He then signed for last summer in a £3.5million transfer, making 48 appearances in his debut Ibrox season – although he did get sent off in an Old Firm cup semi-final – and continued to shine for Solbakken.

None more so than in a World Cup qualifier against Moldova.

Aasgaard scored four of his six senior Norway goals in the 11-1 thrashing despite only coming off the bench in the 65th minute.

Incredibly, he was still not even the top scorer in the match as you-know-who grabbed five for himself.

Norway goal No6 for Aasgaard, meanwhile, came in this , between Ousmane Dembele’s second and third of France’s 4-1 win in Boston.

And he surely won’t mind Haaland outscoring him again here in Miami on Saturday if it sends the Vikings into the semi-finals.