| Frode Birkeland | |
| Birth Date: | 1972 1, df=yes |
| Position: | Forward |
| Currentclub: | Esbjerg (goalkeeper coach) |
| Youthclubs1: | Minde |
| Clubs1: | Minde |
| Clubs2: | Varegg |
| Years3: | 1990–1991 |
| Clubs3: | Sogndal |
| Years4: | –1993 |
| Clubs4: | Vadmyra |
| Years5: | 1994–1995 |
| Clubs5: | Lyngbø |
| Years6: | 1996 |
| Clubs6: | Åsane |
| Years7: | 1997–1998 |
| Clubs7: | Eik-Tønsberg |
| Caps7: | 48 |
| Goals7: | 14 |
| Years8: | 1999–2002 |
| Clubs8: | Lyn |
| Caps8: | 70 |
| Goals8: | 16 |
| Years9: | 2002 |
| Clubs9: | → Lillestrøm (loan) |
| Caps9: | 12 |
| Goals9: | 5 |
| Years10: | 2003–2004 |
| Clubs10: | HamKam |
| Years11: | 2004–2005 |
| Clubs11: | Kongsvinger[1] |
| Caps11: | 37 |
| Goals11: | 5 |
| Years12: | 2006 |
| Clubs12: | Hamar |
| Manageryears1: | 2006 |
| Managerclubs1: | HamKam (B team) |
| Manageryears2: | 2007 |
| Managerclubs2: | Gjøvik-Lyn |
| Manageryears3: | 2008–2009 |
| Managerclubs3: | Lillestrøm (B team) |
| Manageryears4: | 2010–2012 |
| Managerclubs4: | Drøbak-Frogn |
| Manageryears5: | 2013–2016 |
| Managerclubs5: | Hønefoss (goalk. coach/assistant) |
| Manageryears6: | 2017 |
| Managerclubs6: | Levanger (assistant) |
| Manageryears7: | 2018–2021 |
| Managerclubs7: | Start (goalk. coach) |
| Manageryears8: | 2021– |
| Managerclubs8: | Esbjerg (goalk. coach) |
Frode Birkeland (born 25 January 1972) is a retired Norwegian football striker and later manager.
In his early career he played for Bergen-based minnows Minde, Varegg, Vadmyra and Lyngbø, also with a spell in larger club Sogndal in 1990.[2] In 1996 he got a break anew, as he moved from Lyngbø to 1. divisjon club Åsane.[3]
In 1997 he moved on to fellow second-tier club Eik-Tønsberg, then Lyn in 1999. With Lyn he managed promotion to 2001 Eliteserien.[4] In 2001 he also had a trial with Sheffield United, and was allegedly close to a contract, but then Paul Peschisolido and Carl Asaba returned from injury and the transfer fell through.[2] Birkeland instead moved on to Lillestrøm in mid-2002, Hamarkameratene in 2003 and Kongsvinger in mid-2004. He retired from professional football after the 2005 season, but featured for minnows Hamar IL.
He started his coaching career in 2006 for the B team of HamKam,[2] then coached Gjøvik-Lyn in 2007. After one year he was picked up by Lillestrøm and put in charge of their B team.[5] [6] From 2010 through 2012 he was the head coach of Drøbak-Frogn, achieving promotion from 3. divisjon, and from 2013 through 2016 he worked for Hønefoss, both as goalkeeping coach and assistant manager. In 2017 he signed a one-year contract as assistant coach to Magnus Powell in Levanger FK.[7] Seeing the contract through, he moved south to become goalkeeper coach of IK Start in 2018.[8]
On 21 June 2021 it was confirmed, that Birkeland had been hired as a goalkeeper coach for Danish 1st Division club Esbjerg fB.[9]