Vegar Eggen Hedenstad Explained

Vegar Hedenstad
Fullname:Vegar Eggen Hedenstad[1]
Birth Date:26 June 1991
Birth Place:Elverum, Norway
Height:1.78 m
Position:Right-back
Currentclub:Vålerenga
Clubnumber:6
Youthclubs1:Elverum
Years1:2006–2007
Clubs1:Elverum
Years2:2008–2012
Clubs2:Stabæk
Caps2:94
Goals2:6
Years3:2012–2016
Clubs3:SC Freiburg
Caps3:23
Goals3:0
Years4:2012–2016
Clubs4:SC Freiburg II
Caps4:9
Goals4:0
Years5:2014–2015
Clubs5:Eintracht Braunschweig (loan)
Caps5:28
Goals5:1
Years6:2016–2017
Clubs6:FC St. Pauli
Caps6:15
Goals6:0
Years7:2017–2020
Clubs7:Rosenborg
Caps7:100
Goals7:5
Years8:2021–2022
Caps8:32
Goals8:1
Years9:2022–
Clubs9:Vålerenga
Caps9:50
Goals9:3
Nationalyears1:2008
Nationalteam1:Norway U17
Nationalcaps1:13
Nationalgoals1:2
Nationalyears2:2010
Nationalteam2:Norway U19
Nationalcaps2:5
Nationalgoals2:0
Nationalyears3:2010–2013
Nationalteam3:Norway U21
Nationalcaps3:22
Nationalgoals3:0
Nationalyears4:2011
Nationalteam4:Norway U23
Nationalcaps4:1
Nationalgoals4:0
Nationalyears5:2012–2013
Nationalteam5:Norway
Nationalcaps5:4
Nationalgoals5:0
Club-Update:13 June 2024
Nationalteam-Update:15 June 2013

Vegar Eggen Hedenstad (born 26 June 1991) is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Norwegian First Division club Vålerenga. Hedenstad has been capped at international level for Norway

Club career

Hedenstad was born in Elverum[2] and played for Elverum Fotball where he made his senior debut in the Third Division in 2006,[3] at the age of 14 and became the youngest ever senior player at the team.[4] At the age of 16, Hedenstad played on a team consisting of local talents in a show-match against HamKam, and HamKam's head coach Arne Erlandsen approached Hedenstad immediately after the match and stated that he wanted to sign him. However, Hedenstad signed for Stabæk and joined the club ahead of the 2008 season.[5]

Hedenstad made his debut in Tippeligaen on 7 June 2008 against Strømsgodset and made a total of three appearances during the 2008 season[2] when Stabæk won Tippeligaen, enough to earn him a championship-medal. The next season, Hedenstad was playing regularly on the team that finished third in Tippeligaen and won bronze-medals.[5]

On 17 July 2012, Hedenstad signed a four-year deal with Bundesliga outfit SC Freiburg,[6] and became the second footballer from Elverum in the Bundesliga, after Terje Olsen who played for Bayer Leverkusen in the 1980s.[4] He was injured after five minutes in his first match for Freiburg, during the team's pre-season tour to Austria.[7] Hedenstad made his debut in the Bundesliga when Freiburg lost 2–0 to Bayer Leverkusen on 1 September 2012.[8]

On 4 July 2014, Hedenstad joined Eintracht Braunschweig on a one-year loan deal.[9]

Hedenstad joined FC St. Pauli in the summer 2016.[10]

In February 2017 he joined Rosenborg. In December 2020 it was announced Hedenstad would leave Rosenborg after 4 seasons after his contract expired at the end of the year.[11]

On 5 January 2021, Hedenstad signed for Süper Lig club Fatih Karagümrük.[12]

International career

Hedenstad has represented Norway at every level from under-15 to under-23,[2] and was playing regularly as a right back for the under-21 team in the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification, when the team qualified for the championship. Hedenstad made his debut for the national team when he replaced Lars Christopher Vilsvik at half time in a 1–1 friendly draw against Denmark on 15 January 2012.[13] He was again called up for the friendly match against Hungary in October 2012.[14] In the absence of John Arne Riise Hedenstad played the whole match on the left back to great acclaim, with the pundits stating that Hedenstad would soon replace Riise as Norway's regular starting left-back.[15]

Personal life

In January 2009, after his girlfriend Charlotte received news that she was dying of cancer and only had a few months left to live, Hedenstad took a break from professional football. Only 17 at the time, he later described those last few months with her as "fantastic", because they were able to spend them together.[4] [16] In May 2012, Hedenstad experienced another tragic death, when his teammate at Stabæk, Tor Marius Gromstad, died at the age of 22 from an accidental fall at a construction site.[4]

Career statistics

Club

[17]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupEuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Stabæk2008Tippeligaen301040
20092215060331
20102712020311
201128220302
20121423020192
Total946130100001176
SC Freiburg2012–13Bundesliga16040200
2013–1400001010
2015–162. Bundesliga701080
Total230501000290
Eintracht Braunschweig (loan)2014–152. Bundesliga28120301
2016–172. Bundesliga15011161
Rosenborg2017Eliteserien2720010110383
201827040120430
201927240130442
20201910040231
Total100580391101486
2020–21Süper Lig18100181
2021–2214000140
Total321000000321
Vålerenga2022Eliteserien27230302
2023500050
Total322300000352
Career total324153215011040717

Honours

Stabæk

2008

Rosenborg

2017, 2018

2018

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Vegar Eggen Hedenstad . Norwegian Football Federation . 27 March 2021 . no.
  2. Web site: Vegar Eggen Hedenstad . no . altomfotball.no . 21 November 2012.
  3. Web site: Er årets opprykk til 2.divisjon starten på en ny storhetstid i Elverum fotball?. Sandvik. Svein Jarle. 17 October 2010. Elverum Fotball. no. 17 October 2010.
  4. News: På trappene til noe stort . no . Østlendingen . Anders . Bronken . 14 November 2012 . 21 November 2012.
  5. News: Hedenstad kalt inn på sjefens kontor etter U21-kamp . no . Verdens Gang . Stein-Erik . Stormoen . 13 November 2012 . 16 November 2012.
  6. News: Vegar Eggen Hedenstad til tysk fotball . no . TV2 Sporten . tv2.no . Per Angell . Berntsen . 18 July 2012 . 18 July 2012.
  7. News: Fryktet marerittstart på proffkarrieren . no . Aftenposten . Odd Inge . Aas . 26 July 2012 . 21 November 2012.
  8. News: Hedenstad debuterte i Bundesliga . no . Nettavisen . Martin . Busk . 1 September 2012 . 21 November 2012.
  9. News: Vegar Eggen Hedenstad wird ausgeliehen . de . eintracht.com . 4 July 2014 . 4 July 2014.
  10. Web site: Eggen Hedenstad klar for St. Pauli.
  11. Web site: Hedenstad ikke med i 2021.
  12. Web site: Gaston Campi ile Vegar Eggen Hedenstad, Fatih Karagümrük'te. 5 January 2021.
  13. Web site: Elyounoussi reddet Norge: – Dette lover godt . no . vg.no . . 15 January 2012 . 15 January 2012.
  14. News: Drillo tok ut Eggen Hedenstad på landslaget . no . Aftenposten . 30 October 2012 . 16 November 2012.
  15. News: - Hedenstad vil true Riises faste plass . no . Østlendingen . 14 November 2012 . 16 November 2012.
  16. News: Vegar Eggen Hedenstads kjæreste døde av kreft: – Man blir fort voksen . no . TV 2 . Wegard . Bakkehaug . 12 November 2012 . 21 November 2012.
  17. Web site: Vegar Eggen Hedenstad. altomfotball.no. TV 2. 14 October 2018. no.