Every boy’s dream: A mixed method study of young professional Danish football player's transnational migration

Objectives: To examine the transnational migration experiences of adolescent and young adult Danish professional footballers’ moving to top-level European clubs; and to investigate how and why the relational support impacted the process of transnational migration. Design and method: The study incorporated a mixed method design grounded within critical realism. Based on a database search, we administered a survey to 73 players who migrated to high-level European Leagues between 2007 and 2017, of which 36 responded to the survey. We further interviewed eight players and three sets of parents. Quantitative data were analyzed through basic descriptive statistical procedures, while interview data were thematically analyzed and guided by the three phases of the cultural transition model (Ryba et al., 2016). Results: In the pre-transition phase, the agents were integral and facilitated player mobility, while parents were the most influential for coping with personal and mental challenges. Adjustment in football was prioritized during the acute adaptation phase that encompassed social positioning among teammates, loneliness and earning respect. The socio-cultural adaptation phase was entered only after the players had adjusted on the field and were resourceful enough to meet the challenges in the new context. The performance culture of football weaves through and in social interactions. Conclusions: In order to promote healthy player development, there is a significant need for home and host environments to fill the social support vacuum created as a consequence of the migration.