Norway's Finest

The Blue Devils have 13 freshmen on their roster this year, each with their own unique background and upbringing, but Markus Fjortoft’s story might just top them all.

Fjortoft was born in Swindon, England but spent most of his childhood in Norway and went to WANG Toppidrett High School in Asker, Norway. Playing soccer was in Fjortoft’s blood; his father, Jan Age Fjortoft, had a decorated professional career and started for the Norwegian national team in the 1994 World Cup. The elder Fjortoft tallied 20 goals in 71 international appearances, and also enjoyed a stint in the English Premier League.

Markus realizes his passion for the beautiful game is no coincidence given his father’s background—anyone whose dad is an international soccer star is bound be pretty adept with the ball at his feet. Yet he commends his father for never forcing the game upon him or being overly demanding, but instead acting as any parent would, albeit one with an expert-level knowledge of the game and its nuances.

“Often many people become a product of what their parents have been. Naturally I got into soccer because of my dad,” Fjortoft said. “I was born abroad in England because he played there, and I was presented to the game early on. My dad has helped me, but there’s never been any sort of pressure or anything from him. He’s been there because his expertise is very valuable for my game and I just use that, but other than that he’s just been a normal dad and been engaged in my soccer.”

Fjortoft spent the past eight years playing with the renowned Baerum Sportsklubb of Adeccoligaen, finally moving up to the senior U19 team in 2011 following five years on the junior teams. After being named captain prior to the 2013 season, Fjortoft led the squad to a Second Division championship—its second in three years—and a promotion to the Norwegian First Divison.

At that point, Fjortoft—who turned 20 in January and had exhausted his eligibility for Baerum— knew it was time for another chapter in his life. He hired an agent—a common practice for Norwegian players—to compose a highlight tape and get him on the radar of college coaches.

Duke head coach John Kerr came across Fjortoft’s video, and was intrigued enough to give Markus a more in-depth look. He traveled to Spain to see Fjortoft play in person and gauge the level of competition he faced with Baerum, and was sufficiently impressed with what he saw to offer him a spot on the Duke roster.

“I went to see him play in Europe last spring,” Kerr said. “I was able to see him in-person and that sold me on his ability to come over here and play in the ACC. After seeing his transcript, I knew he was an excellent student as well. So he kind of ticked off a lot of boxes and he’s very interested in every dynamic of the game and has a lot of passion for it.”

At that point, all that was left was for Fjortoft to make sure that Duke was a good fit for him on both a personal and athletic level. He came to visit Durham in February, where Kerr showed him around the facilities and introduced him to the rest of the staff.

During the search for a college, Fjortoft placed an emphasis on academics and culture as well as athletics. For him, it was quickly apparent that Duke balanced all of these aspects, making it any easy decision for him to don the blue and white.

“I came here in February and I met Coach Kerr and Coach Brady, they showed me around, which was great. They came down to Spain and watched me on my training camp with my team,” Fjortoft said. “When I looked into the opportunity of going to college, I was so impressed by how well integrated the athletic, social, and academic aspects of Duke was.”

Fjortoft has adjusted seamlessly to American soccer and life at Duke, aside from jokes from his teammates about his distinctly European fashion style. Fjortoft has earned a place in the starting lineup in each of the Blue Devils’ first 12 games, and although the fast pace and physical nature of ACC soccer initially took him by surprise—Fjortoft admitted that he’s “never been more tired” than after his first few games in a Blue Devil uniform—he credits the captains and upperclassmen for helping him with the transition and making him feel welcome.

With roughly two months at Duke under his belt, Fjortoft had no trouble picking out a defining moment for his time here. After participating in the storied Tobacco Road rivalry for the first time—and helping the Blue Devils to a 2-1 upset of the then-No. 1 Tar Heels—Fjortoft feels as if he’s really found a second home here in Durham.

“I’ve never had as much of an adrenaline rush during a soccer game as I did against UNC,” Fjortoft said. “The fact that we turned it around against UNC, who was ranked No. 1, it was just that those are moments you live for, because you get that adrenaline rush, and it was indescribable… The college experience has definitely been up to what I expected and more so, it’s just been great. Honestly, I feel so much at home here.”