‘You create your own luck, in a way’ About Norwegian footballers’ understanding of success, in a world where most fail

The article is based on interviews with twelve young footballers who turned pro with the Norwegian top-flight club Odd BK. After asking why they succeeded in making the transition from promising talent to established top-level footballer, we investigate how the players’ own explanations tally with the two predominant theories in research on talent development, namely deliberate practice and successful talent development environments. We shall...