Goalkeeper D.J. Countess opened plenty of eyes with his superb performance at the World Youth Championship in Argentina. Accordingly, the rumors are starting to swirl around him as clubs jockey for his services. The latest, straight from a Norwegian media report, has the UCLA and U.S. U-20 star heading for a trial with Norway’s Lyn. Senior Editor Scott French caught up with Countess at his parents’ home near Sacramento, Calif., to find out what’s going on. SOCCER AMERICA: So, what’s this we hear about you going to Norway? D.J. COUNTESS: There’s been a lot of opportunities, a lot of discussions, not only with Europe and Norway, but also MLS. Right now I’m just narrowing all the opportunities down, not making any definite decision at this point, really just looking everything over and taking it from there. Obviously, I’ve got a great opportunity because I have options. I have to make the most of this. SA: Is there anything to the Norwegian report? DC: There’s always rumors, rumors of people being interested, and definitely there’s interest over there. At this point, I’m keeping everything open. These opportunities [at various clubs] aren’t so much of a tryout situation. It’s an opportunity where some clubs have put down some very good opportunities. Financially, some stuff has been discussed and some stuff written. … That’s how serious things are. I need to wait, evaluate. I really have to look at every detail. The littlest details matter the most. I’m at a point in my career [where I must determine] what exactly I want to do and where I want to do it. Whether that’s UCLA, MLS or Europe, it’s a matter of figuring that out. SA: Have you given yourself a deadline to make your decision? DC: By the end of this month, I should have a good decision on pretty much what I’ll be doing, whether going to Europe, signing with MLS or staying in college. If I do decide to go somewhere [to check things out], I’ll be paying for it myself, keeping my college eligibility open. Even going back to UCLA is a great opportunity. They’ve developed great players, and there’s great players there now. MLS is growing — I’d love to be part of their development. And [American] players are doing well in Europe. The final decision is going to be mine because I’m the one who’s going to have to [live with the decision], but my parents are very involved. I’m getting my family’s input — advice from my mom and dad or grandparents or from my little sister, all that stuff matters — and [UCLA coach Todd Saldana’s] input, and people from U.S. Soccer: [U-17 coach] John Ellinger, [U-17 goalkeeper coach] Peter Mellor. It’s a good thing to have a lot of people behind me right now. It’s great to have support because a decision like this is a life-long decision. It’s a very important one. I’ve got to listen to what everyone wants to say, and then you go with what’s deep down inside of you. SA: Can you tell me about the overseas interest? Have you been offered actual contracts? DC: Yes, there are some options on table. I have seen numbers in writing. In my opinion, these are very serious. Right now there are options all over the world. I’ve got to figure out what the best one is going to be. SA: Which clubs are offering contracts? DC: I can’t say right now. SA: Can you give me an idea of the countries involved? Norway, obviously … DC: There’s Norway, Germany,. France, Denmark, a couple other places, a couple other options. You know, you read about a lot of stuff, what players are going through, the types of offers they’re getting, and you don’t have any sense what that is until you’re going through it. It’s very exciting to go through.