Trond Bjørnsen Explained

Trond Bjørnsen
Birth Date:24 August 1975
Height:1.78 m
Position:Midfielder
Youthyears1:–1992
Youthclubs1:Vidar
Youthyears2:1993
Youthclubs2:Viking
Years1:1994 - 1995
Clubs1:Viking
Caps1:2
Goals1:0
Years2:1996–1997
Clubs2:Vidar
Years3:1998–1999
Clubs3:Lillestrøm
Caps3:20
Goals3:3
Years4:2000–2003
Clubs4:Bryne
Caps4:72
Goals4:5
Years5:2004
Clubs5:Rosseland

Trond Bjørnsen (born 24 August 1975) is a retired Norwegian football midfielder. He played in the Eliteserien for Viking FK, Lillestrøm SK and Bryne FK.

He played youth football for FK Vidar[1] and Viking FK, being drafted into Viking's senior team in 1994 alongside four other players: Trond Kindervåg, Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim, Erik Fuglestad and Trond Debes. The quintet had apprentice status.[2] [3] Never managing to break through, he continued in the city's second-best club FK Vidar from 1996.[4]

In early 1997, Bjørnsen was back in Viking on trial. After the trial, Viking met Vidar in a friendly match with Bjørnsen scoring.[5] He started training with Lillestrøm SK in the fall of 1997. The transfer to Lillestrøm went through in October 1997.[6] He was the best Lillestrøm player in a lactate test performed by Olympiatoppen in [7] He could play central or left midfielder, competing with Runar Normann and Leif Gunnar Smerud.[8]

Following a knee injury just before the start of the 1998 Eliteserien, Bjørnsen had to wait until July 1998 to make his Lillestrøm debut. In his first home match, he almost scored, but his effort was barely saved by Clas Guttulsrød.[9]

In 1999, Bjørnsen was sidelined from the Lillestrøm team. Already in January, he was told that he was not considered as a starting player, with Runar Kristinsson and Magnus Kihlberg occupying central midfield. He was allowed to start in the cup, where he scored twice; in the second round, Bjørnsen put Lillestrøm through in a 1–0 victory over Faaberg.[10] [11]

In the fall of 1999, Bjørnsen was asked to leave Lillestrøm despite having two years left of his contract.[12] [13] In November he decided to move back to Rogaland and Bryne FK.[14] Bjørnsen played for Bryne from 2000 to 2003. After the 2003 season, he retired to focus on law studies. In the summer of 2004 he nonetheless made a comeback for minnows Rosseland BK.[15]

Notes and References

  1. News: Vidar-juniorer på besøk i Hamburg. Heggheim. Svein. 28 October 1992. Stavanger Aftenblad. 38. Stavanger Aftenblad.
  2. News: Knallhard trening for 'nye' Viking. Einarsson. Lars Petter. 4 January 1994. Rogalands Avis. 18–19. no.
  3. News: Lærlinger med håp. Thime. Erik. 11 March 1994. Rogalands Avis. 18. no.
  4. News: Fotball: Eliteseriens spillerstaller. 28 March 1996. Norwegian News Agency. no.
  5. News: Trond spilte for kontrakt. Rikter-Svendsen. Anders. 23 January 1997. Rogalands Avis. 20. no.
  6. News: Bjørnsen klar for Lillestrøm. Hagen. Svein. 20 October 1997. Rogalands Avis. 19. no.
  7. News: Bjørnsen var best. Svesengen. Morten. 10 December 1997. Romerikes Blad. 15. no.
  8. News: Her er framtida for LSK. Torvik. Per Kristian. 30 March 1998. Romerikes Blad. 13. no.
  9. News: Nesten helt i hjemmedebut. Svesengen. Morten. 10 July 1998. Romerikes Blad. 18. no.
  10. News: Tro til i gjesterolle. Svesengen. Morten. 6 May 1999. Romerikes Blad. 18. no.
  11. News: Het kveld på landet. Solbakken. Espen. 20 May 1999. Romerikes Blad. 7. no.
  12. News: Trond Bjørnsen må skifte klubb. Jacobsen. Øyvind. 22 September 1999. Rogalands Avis. 19. no.
  13. News: Vraket av en som trodde på ham. Haukeberg. Bjørn Oskar. 19 October 1999. Vårt Land. 18–19. no.
  14. News: Bjørnsen og Jonsson sa ja. Ødegaard. Henning. 29 November 1999. Jærbladet. 4. no.
  15. News: Trond Bjørnsen til Rosseland. 5 June 2004. Stavanger Aftenblad. 25. no.