All-time XI: The best Norwegian players to have ever played in the Premier League

Due to the current international break, 101 Great Goals wanted to pay homage to the many foreign players that have helped build the Premier League into what it is today. Up next on our tour, is Norway; a nation that is intrinsically linked with England due to its direct links with the British Isles across human history as well as its influence on the many football pitches around the top flight of football in the country.

Happy Birthday, John Arne Riise! 🇳🇴 🚀

The Norwegian certainly knew how to strike a football! 😆🔥

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— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) September 24, 2022

Many fans will hardly forget Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s goalscoring exploits for Manchester United, John Arse Riise’s otherworldly ability to unleash long-range Exocet missile strikes at Anfield, or Øyvind Leonhardsen’s technical prowess and intelligence when on the ball. For a nation of just ~5.5m, they have hardly struggled to develop talent that can stand tall in one of Europe’s most storied top-flight competitions.

GK: Erik Thorstvedt (Tottenham)

International shot-stopper Erik Thorstvedt was already a household name at White Hart Lane with Tottenham Hotspur before the inception of the Premier League en route to becoming the first Norwegian to list the FA Cup in the history of the competition in 1991. The Stavanger native spent a total of eight seasons in north London while being listed as the second footballer from Norway to appear in the Premier League before retiring in 1996.

RB: Henning Berg (Blackburn Rovers, Manchester United)

The first player to ever win Premier League titles at two different clubs after being a key man for both Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United, Henning Berg is one of the best defenders the Scandinavian nation has ever produced, as evidenced by the 100 caps he earned at senior international level. Across thirteen PL seasons, which included two separate stints at Ewood Park, Berg was a mainstay in defense while making over 300 appearances.

RCB: Brede Hangeland (Fulham, Crystal Palace)

An absolute mountain at the back and once linked with a move to Arsenal that he famously turned down in order to stay at Craven Cottage, Brede Hangeland was a perfect example of what it meant to be a hard-nosed center-back who could dominate his opponent in the air with relative ease. The Texas-born defender arrived in London already aged 26 but still lasted nine seasons before calling time on a very credible career at club level.

CB: Claus Lundekvam (Southampton)

To this day, there is a cadre of players that Southampton supporters will never forget. While names like Matt Le Tissier are guaranteed to be mentioned, hard-working midfielder Claus Lundekvam is surely a part of that group. After arriving from Brann in 1996, the Norwegian international was in the heart of the engine room for Saints for nine Premier League seasons before the club was relegated in 2005. All-told, he appeared over 350 times for the club.

LCB: Erland Johnsen (Chelsea)

LB: John Arne Riise (Liverpool, Fulham)

Quite possibly Norway’s best-ever left-back on account of his 110 appearances and 16 goals at the full international level, John Arse Riise was as much a feared defender for both Liverpool and Fulham as he was a threat in the middle and final thirds. The proud owner of one of the hardest shots ever witnessed in the Premier League, Riise’s personal highlight reel of long-range strikes evokes plenty of nostalgia for many supporters to this day.

CM: Ronny Johnsen (Manchester United, Aston Villa, Newcastle United)

A highly competent center-back and defensive midfielder, Ronny Johnsen was a valued utility man during the Sir Alex Ferguson reign at the theatre of dreams before moving on to Aston Villa and Newcastle and a subsequent return to Norway with Vålerenga. His swiss army knife appearances helped the Red Devils secure three Premier League titles, an FA Cup win, and their famous Champions League triumph in Munich; a match he started in.

CM: Øyvind Leonhardsen (Wimbledon, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa)

Supremely intelligent and equally gifted on the ball, Øyvind Leonhardsen to this day is remembered in Norway by those very same traits he exhibited on the pitch with sheer elegance. Despite being a midfielder, it was that intelligence that allowed the Kristiansund native to score at a higher rate, and that same knack for popping up in key goalscoring situations was regularly on display across every Premier League stint he was given.

CAM: Morten Gamst Pedersen (Blackburn Rovers)

There was a time when Balckburn Rovers were at the pinnacle of achievement in the Premier League. By the time Morten Gamst Pederson arrived in 2004, they were very much on the downturn. But the well-rounded attacking player helped the club achieve 6th and 7th in 2005-06 and 2007-08 respectively while being a serious goalscoring threat from wide areas as well as set pieces. Quietly talented and effective in equal measure.

RF: Ole Gunnar Solskjær (Manchester United)

Still remembered as ‘the baby-faced assassin,’ Ole Gunnar Solskjær spent his entire eleven seasons in the Premier League with Manchester United on his way to helping the club to six league titles (still a record for a player born outside of the British Isles), two FA Cups, and Champions League honors in 1998-99. His 18 goals during his debut season for the club in 1996-97 announced him appropriately before going on to score 91 goals on account of a string of injuries in the latter stages of his time at Old Trafford.

LF: Tore André Flo (Chelsea, Sunderland)

Ever reliable and a fantastic focal point in the attack for Chelsea, Tore André Flo remains a cult hero among the Blues faithful after he won over countless hearts from 1997-01, hitting double-digit league goals in three of his four seasons in the capital while Chelsea bagged an FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup, and UEFA Super Cup with his help. A brief return with Sunderland four years later did not amount to much, but his time at Chelsea is fondly remembered.

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