Scandinavian 'Number 9 Empire' sweeps English football

Haaland is dominating the Premier League.

Arsenal have just made waves in the transfer market with a £64m deal for Viktor Gyökeres, who scored 54 goals in 52 games for Sporting Lisbon last season. Meanwhile, Alexander Isak, Gyökeres' compatriot who played alongside him for Sweden, is being pursued by Liverpool with a price tag that could reach £150m.

Meanwhile, Erling Haaland remains Manchester City’s unstoppable goal machine. As English football struggles to find a successor to Harry Kane, the question is: Why does Scandinavia – a region not considered the “heart” of world football – continue to produce top-class strikers?

From suburban football pitches to the Premier League

The story of Gyökeres and Isak began in the cold, Swedish U19s almost a decade ago. They did not have the same lofty backgrounds as the young talents of English academies, they were 16- and 17-year-olds playing in modest facilities. Yet it was this environment that produced killer instincts in number nines – something English football was lacking.

While Gyökeres took a steady path through Brighton, Coventry and Sporting Lisbon before shining, Isak went through Dortmund, Willem II, Real Sociedad and is now a mainstay at Newcastle. They have something in common: they did not rush into top clubs at a young age, but gradually perfected their skills, physical strength and tenacity - something rarely seen in young English players, who are thrust into the limelight too early.

Nordic football is experiencing a rare boom. Alongside Gyökeres and Isak, Norway has Haaland and Alexander Sørloth, who has had an excellent season with Atletico Madrid. Wolves have Jørgen Strand Larsen, an emerging striker. Denmark also contributes with Rasmus Højlund (Manchester United) and a crop of promising youngsters such as William Osula and Chido Obi.

Gyökeres just joined Arsenal.

This boom is not accidental, but comes from a different training philosophy. Bryan King - a legendary scout in Scandinavia - once frankly said: "In England, academies turn young players into passing machines, playing safely. In Norway or Sweden, if a child wants to score, they let him be himself, freely collide and explode."

Leif Smerud, former coach of Norway’s U21s, calls this “freedom in training”. Instead of forcing young players to follow strict “patterns” like English academies (a form of “Pepification”), they let players discover their own footballing instincts – something that is vital for a striker.

What is English football missing?

When Theo Walcott exclaimed: “Why can’t we find a new No. 9?”, he was not just referring to the lack of a genuine centre-forward, but also to the failure of the training system. The Premier League has plenty of speedy wingers, creative No. 10s, but centre-forwards? There’s a dearth of them.

This stems from the “industrialization” of youth football in England. Coaches focus on tactics, ball control and versatility, rather than honing finishing skills - the specialty of a true No. 9. In many youth teams, training sessions are even without... the goal, due to concerns about injuries. The result: they produce players who are intelligent in passing and running, but lack the killer instinct.

One cultural factor that cannot be ignored is the influence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. While Nordic culture is famous for its modesty, Zlatan has a big ego, confidence and even arrogance. This has inspired a generation. Haaland once admitted that Zlatan is an idol, and Isak has also been compared to the "new Ibrahimovic".

Zlatan’s “arrogance”, combined with a strict training ethic – a typical Scandinavian value – creates a striker with both personality and a strong will. This is something that is rare in English football today.

Isak had a breakout 2024/25 season.

Arsenal’s signing of Gyökeres is not just a £64m deal, it’s a clear message: they need a genuine ‘goal machine’, rather than relying on wingers or interchangeable No. 10s. If Liverpool are successful with Isak, the Premier League could see two of the best strikers in Northern Europe clash next season.

Newcastle, due to financial regulation (PSR), are under pressure to sell. Although Eddie Howe wants to keep Isak, the £300,000-a-week salary and the chance to play for a title-contending Liverpool team could sway the Swedish striker.

The paradox is that English football, once the cradle of legendary “number 9s” such as Alan Shearer, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, is now falling behind. Meanwhile, countries with much smaller populations – such as Norway and Sweden – dominate the striker market.

Why? Scandinavia encourages “childish football”, does not restrict creativity, and creates an environment for young players to play in domestic leagues from the age of 16-17. In England, young talents of the same age have to wait, are held back by foreign stars and the pressure of achievement.

If English football wants to create a new generation of strikers, it needs to change its training mindset, restore the “goal-scoring instinct” instead of just producing technical players. The story of Gyökeres, Isak or Haaland is not only a success for Scandinavia, but also a wake-up call for the Premier League: No. 9s cannot be “programmed” - they must be nurtured with freedom, instinct and even dreams from small football pitches.

Source: https://znews.vn/de-che-so-9-scandinavia-quet-sach-bong-da-anh-post1572033.html