Ada Hegerberg parlays skills, smarts into stardom at Women's World Cup

OTTAWA - Just before the Norwegian soccer team touched down in Canada in preparation for the Women's World Cup, Ada Hegerberg posted a picture to her Instagram account of the “essentials” she was bringing with her.

Neatly laid out on a bed were a handful of items – a pair of Puma trainers, harmonicas, headphones, a Panini sticker album, a J Cole vinyl record and three books. Of the latter, one was Menn i mørket, written by Norwegian Asbjørn Sunde. It's a true story – an account of Sunde’s sabotage of Nazi occupation of the country during World War II.

Days later, she took to her Instagram again and uploaded a video of her placing the J Cole album – 2014 Forest Hills Drive - on a record player and moving the needle to the song “No Role Modelz”. In the wider context of Hegerberg, who she is and what she's accomplished, the lyrics are more than a little ironic.

“No role models and I'm here right now

No role models to speak of

Searching through my memory, my memory

I couldn't find one”

Hegerberg is 19 and is certainly an inspirational figure. When in her company, she stares intently as you ask a question and keeps staring as she answers. Eye contact is important. She enjoys the connection. She enjoys the conversation. She's very different, and refreshingly so. And like the two examples show above, she's full of surprises.

I ask her lots of things when we meet. I ask her about her pastimes, what she enjoys away from soccer, trying to find a pattern between her personality on and off the field.

“I like books. I read a lot, to be honest. I have two Norwegian favorites but I read everything from biographies to novels,” she tells me. “I don't study at the moment because I finished school last year. And as my Mom and Dad always told me, I try to suck in as much knowledge as I can when I don't study.

“And I think it's a good way to not focus on football all the time, to get away from thinking about yourself, your team. You're thinking about yourself all the time. ‘Did I get enough sleep, did I train enough?’ So just to relax a bit, I read.”

It's fitting. A deeply intelligent and thoughtful player, Hegerberg, much like Norway, has slipped under the radar at this tournament. She was magnificent in the opener against Thailand, scoring once in a 4-0 win. In the clash with Germany, she was a crucial element in her side's response to falling behind. Her technical ability and cleverness ensured Norway easily switched strategies in attack with Hegerberg effortlessly pushing up front and creating endless headaches. Facing Cote d'Ivoire next, Hegerberg scored twice.

England are up next in the sudden-death group of 16 and will need to figure out a way of curbing Hegerberg's influence if they have any interest in making it to the quarter-finals. Because as much as the teenager is a dazzling offensive threat, she's a leader, too. And an imposing one.

Against Germany, Norway suffered through much of the first half. And it was Hegerberg who was giving the orders. She barked instructions at her teammates to keep things calm, to not get frenzied in the face of relentless German attacks. She pointed at where they should be playing the ball. And when she took control, as always, her first instinct was to try and make something happen.

Her philosophy is clear but concise. She likes to attack but her move from German side Turbine Potsdam to French giants Lyon last year has seen her mold other facets into her ever-expanding skill set.

“I just think you need to believe in yourself – be offensive, but still have some nervousness in your body before any important game. You have to be offensive in your head, mentally prepared and loosen up a bit and enjoy the game.

“I think I've developed a lot in the last year in Lyon. We are a possession-based team and I play with world-class players every day. So, I can test myself every day. When I was little, I always loved scoring goals. That was the main key for me. To have that hunger to score those goals. And in the last while, I've been developing other skills too.”

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Norway used to be pretty good at this World Cup lark. They reached successive finals, winning in 1995. But outside of a fourth-place finish in 2007, there hasn't been much to cheer recently. Twenty years on from their last triumph though, they stand a very good chance of making another final. On the kinder side of the draw, a victory over the largely uninspiring England will lead to a quarter-final showdown with the equally-dull Canadians, reuniting Norwegian manager Even Pellerud with the team he coached for nine years.

But first, it's the English.

Hegerberg is a self-proclaimed Arsenal fan, identifying Thierry Henry as her biggest idol. The similarities are there - the power, the cleverness, the magic. There is also ability to lead from the front, and the ability to inspire everyone else with an innate and extraordinary talent.

“I think when people ask me, 'Who's your favourite player?', it's hard for me to answer,” she said. “But if I had to choose one, it's going to be Henry because it's the first name that comes to mind when I think of big players, big strikers. I watched him when he was probably in his best period for Arsenal. He scored from every position and for me that was awesome, amazing to see. And I was motivated because, like me, he was so big but he was so technical.”

Like Henry, she's also motivated by success, by becoming the best, by never standing still. And if Norway are to surprise people at this World Cup, Hegerberg will inevitably be the reason why.