THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

A deep sense of contentment swelled within Zachary when he was presented with the match ball by the referee right after the final whistle. He had managed to bag three goals in a single match, accomplishing his first-ever hat-trick on the professional stage. Moreover, he'd moved closer to the pinnacle of the list of top scorers. Only Nicki Nielsen still lay ahead of him by a single goal.

"Zach," Mikael Dorsin, the acting captain, hollered out to him. "You don't have to keep gawking at the match ball. It's not going anywhere."

Zachary could only smile wryly in response to the acting captain's verbal jabs. He didn't want to respond since any reply from him would elicit more teasing by the eccentric veteran defender.

"Anyways," Mikael continued after seeing him remain silent. "Jokes aside. Come, join us. Let's thank our fans for traveling so far to support us."

All the players on the squad, including substitutes and training staff, joined hands and raised them towards the stands occupied by the few Rosenborg fans that'd managed to travel to Oslo.

The passionate fans responded in kind by chanting "Shalalalala Oh Rosenborg" — over and over again. They sang at the top of their voices, clapped their hands, and stamped their feet—until the whole stadium was shaking. At that moment, it felt like the stadium was weathering an earthquake.

After celebrating with the fans, Zachary immediately headed to the press area. Since he'd scored three goals and became the man of the match, the coach had delegated him the role of handling the post-match interview once more.

He was under no pressure as he already had plenty of experience dealing with the press. Be that as it may, he was still shocked stiff when he reached the press area.

Olav wasn't the only one waiting for him. Instead, he found a chaotic horde of journalists armed with cameras and microphones waiting to interview him. Even stadium security was involved in trying to bring order to the area.

"Order, order, please," Zachary heard one of the security personnel yell out loud. They were doing their best to organize the reporters while he was only a few steps away. "Only the TV2 Sporten people have rights to all post-match interviews. Everyone else, please vacate immediately."

He stopped in his tracks on hearing that. The entire chaotic situation forced him to wait a couple more minutes for security to finish clearing out the other reporters before he could step up for his interview.

"Welcome, Zachary," Olav Brusveen said, officially starting the post-match interview. "Well played. You got the match ball by scoring those three goals and achieved your first hat-trick in your professional career. How special a night is this for you, Zachary?"

"Well," Zachary said, scratching his chin and smiling slightly. "Scoring three goals makes the night special, sure. But what makes it even more special is that Rosenborg, my team, won. The fans are happy, my teammates are happy, and the coach is also happy. Everyone is happy, and that makes me even happier."

"Nine goals for you this month, including eight in the Tippeligaen and one in the Cupen this season, so far," Olav said, maintaining his signature professional smile. "If Nicki had not managed to score in the final minutes today, you would be leading the list of the top scorers for this season. Moreover, you even have three assists in the Tippeligaen alone. What a month this has been for you, Zachary! How did you manage to achieve all these feats in your debut month? What's your secret?"

"The secret is simple," Zachary replied, grinning. "Hard work and luck."

"Hard work and luck," Olav repeated as if mulling over the words, his smile never wavering. "I think you're the first player I've interviewed who keeps on mentioning luck as a contributor to some of your achievements. You're an odd player, Zachary."

Zachary chuckled slightly at that. "But luck is a factor that plays a major part in one's achievements," he said. "If I hadn't been lucky in today's match, that corner ball wouldn't have come towards my position. Then, I wouldn't have scored that header. So, I still believe luck is a major factor in any player's success."

"What are the other factors, then?"

"Of course, talent and hard work."

"So, do you believe that you have all the three factors on your side? Is that the reason you have had a very successful debut month?"

"Well, yes, in a way," Zachary replied, nodding. "I've been working hard on and off the pitch. And I truly believe that with the way I'm playing, I've got a bit of talent. And we can't forget that luck has also been on my side. But of course, I've also received lots of support from my coaches, agent, and teammates. They have been very supportive and greatly encouraged my growth with the team."

"Oh," Olav said. "With all those factors backing you, do you have hope that you'll be able to score more goals and win the Golden Boot this season? Or maybe, will we see you become the youngest MVP or player of the season—ever in the Tippeligaen?"

Zachary could only smile wryly at that. "I've got no definite answers for that question, Olav," he replied. "Football is a team sport played by eleven players. Anyone on the pitch can score the goals and help the team win. So, I cannot stand here and claim I'll be the top scorer for sure. But what I can say is that Rosenborg will continue doing its best to win all matches and emerge as the Tippeligaen champions this season. At least, I have some confidence when saying that."

Olav chuckled. "I like your team spirit, Zachary," he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "But the match aside. A little bird told me that you might be thinking about leaving Trondheim for the bigger stage during the upcoming Tippeligaen break. Is this true, or is it just some rumor flying around?"

Zachary frowned slightly on hearing that. "That little bird of yours must have fed you some misleading information," he said, sighing and shaking his head. "The last time I checked, which is now, I've got no plans to leave Rosenborg. I hope you didn't pay for the info since it's completely false."

"Is that right?" Olav said, raising a brow. "Then, I guess that little bird surely gave me some wrong information. Anyway, Zachary, thank you for your time once again. Congratulations on your incredible performance in today's match. And we hope to see you many more times here next month."

Zachary immediately trekked to the dressing room after the interview. On the way, he kept wondering where Olav had gotten the information that he was transferring out of Rosenborg. Was Red Bull spreading rumors about him to encourage his transfer? Or was there another party intent on harming his reputation with the Rosenborg fans? He kept mulling over the issue as he walked through the tunnel—but no answer came to mind until he reached the visiting team's dressing room.

"There comes today's star," Nicki shouted as soon as Zachary had entered the locker room. "First hat-trick! How are you feeling?" He asked, taking on a reporter's tone.

"Great," Zachary replied, deciding on humoring him. "And how did you feel when you scored the fourth goal in the final minutes, Nicki?" Zachary countered with his own question, also imitating Olav Brusveen's tone.

The rest of the players in the dressing room either whistled or laughed at that. They were all still in a celebratory mood after securing their seventh consecutive win. They'd managed to maintain their position as second on the Tippeligaen table—just one point behind Strømsgodset IF, the table leader.

"So, where are we celebrating today's victory?" Nicki probed after a while. "Since we've got free days ahead of us, we should make this night something memorable. Don't you think so, guys?"

"Well," Mikael said, grinning. "A small get-together at the usual place when we get back to Trondheim is not a bad idea."

Zachary continued undressing and opted not to join the conversation since he usually didn't participate in any team after parties. At that moment, he was only thinking of getting back to Trondheim quickly to prepare for his trip with Kristin to Bergen the following day. But his teammates had other plans for him.

"Zachary," he heard Mikael call out to him. "This time, you should also attend. We haven't gotten a chance to initiate you properly into the Troll Kids family. So, this is your chance."

"A party!" Zachary mumbled, shaking his head. "That's not for me. Moreover, have you forgotten that I'm below the legal age for entering most bars in Norway? Even if I go with you, I won't be able to enter any night parties with you." He added, sounding defensive.

"Come on, Zachary," Nicki said. "We're not going to bars to drink hard liquor or anything. FYI, we're also professional athletes. We're only going to some other interesting place to celebrate our win and have a get-together before our break. There will be some nice food, a few lighter drinks, and beautiful girls to help us wind down after our hectic schedule this month. You have to come this time around. That'll be a good way for you to relax and bond."

"He'll be there," Zachary heard someone else reply even before he could deliberate the issue. He turned around, intending to confront the person making decisions for him but changed his mind the next instant.

"Coach," Zachary said, locking eyes with Coach Johansen.

"Don't give me that look," Coach Johansen said, grinning. "Since it's a post-match team get-together, it doesn't hurt for you to be there. That way, you'll be able to relax before you head into the break. For your information, I also plan to be there."

Zachary noted that Nicki's expression changed slightly when the coach said he would also be at the post-match get-together. But since the coach was nearby, he let the matter slide and returned to the issue at hand.

"If I attend," he said, "I can only be there for an hour. I've to return home early and prepare for a trip tomorrow."

"That's okay," Coach Johansen said, smiling. "We'll only have a one-hour dinner at the place organized by Mikael when we get to Trondheim. After that, you're free to go anywhere you like."

"Then great," Zachary said, pulling off his boots and stockings. "But won't we arrive in Trondheim very late? For your information, it's already 8:20 PM."

"There's no need to worry," Trond Henriksen, the assistant head coach, chipped in. "Our flight is at exactly 9:15. We shall be in Trondheim by 10:15 PM and have dinner. By 11:30, we should be releasing you to do your own things."

"Please note," Coach Johansen cut in, starting to move around the room. "I'm only fixing this dinner into our schedule so that we can get time to discuss a few relevant issues before heading into the break. That way, we won't have to meet tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Are we together?"

"Yes, coach," all the players in the dressing room replied, more or less in sync. They seemed to have gained more energy after hearing that the coach would be releasing them for the break that very night.

"Then, that's great," Coach Johansen said, smiling. "Hurry and wash up so that we don't miss our flight back. Remember: the earlier we head back, the sooner we can finish the dinner, and then—you can do our own things. Okay?"

"Yes, coach."