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Erik Nevland

Erik Nevland
Nevland.JPG
Nevland playing for Fulham in 2009
Personal information
Full name Erik Nevland
Date of birth (1977-11-10) 10 November 1977 (age 39)
Place of birth Stavanger, Norway
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position Forward
Youth career
Viking
Manchester United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–1997 Viking 14 (5)
1997–2000 Manchester United 1 (0)
1998 Viking (loan) 8 (3)
1999 IFK Göteborg (loan) 4 (0)
2000–2004 Viking 113 (54)
2004–2008 FC Groningen 95 (43)
2008–2010 Fulham 52 (9)
2010–2012 Viking 54 (16)
Total 341 (130)
National team
1996–1997 Norway U20 3 (1)
1997–1999 Norway U21 22 (1)
2002 Norway B 2 (0)
2001–2010 Norway 8 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Erik Nevland (born 10 November 1977) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He played for clubs in Norway, England, Sweden and the Netherlands, and earned eight caps for the Norway national team from his debut in 2001.

Nevland was born in Stavanger, Rogaland. He started his career at Viking FK, but in 1997 he was sold to Manchester United at the age of 19, before he had played a single first team match for the Norwegian side. What prompted Manchester United to sign him was a succession of hat-tricks in three games when he was on trial with them. His only goal for the United first team was in a Worthington Cup match against Bury in October 1998. He never managed to establish himself in the United team, with a successful loan spell at Viking and an unsuccessful one at IFK Göteborg. He only ever made one league appearance for United, as a substitute against Southampton on 19 January 1998.

He returned to Viking on a permanent contract in January 2000, winning the Norwegian cup final in 2001 and scoring the two deciding goals in their famous UEFA Cup victory over Chelsea in 2002. He joined FC Groningen on a free transfer in November 2004, and since became a cult hero. In his first half-season for his new club he scored 16 times in 20 matches. Nevland also scored the first ever goal in FC Groningen's new Euroborg stadium.

On 27 April 2007, Nevland signed a new three-year contract with FC Groningen. In December 2007, Nevland was voted 'Groninger of the Year' by television viewers in the province of Groningen, in spite of him not being born in Groningen or the Netherlands.


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Wikipedia

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