Norwegian players have featured prominently in the Premier League since its inception in the 1992/93 season.
Norway’s 1994 World Cup squad included 10 players from English clubs, while a couple of others would go on to join Premier League teams later on. In the 1998 tournament, 11 members of the nation’s World Cup roster were on the books of English sides.
In total, over 70 Norwegian footballers have played in the Premier League. Here, a look at some of the most successful…
Alf-Inge Haaland (Nottingham Forest, Leeds United, Manchester City)
Although better known these days for being the father of one of the Premier League’s finest footballers, Alf-Inge Haaland was a useful player himself in the competition in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The former Norway midfielder played for Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Manchester City in the Premier League. He made over 180 appearances in the competition before his career was curtailed by a serious knee injury in 2003. Years later, he briefly came out of retirement to play in Norway’s third tier.
Erik Thorstvedt (Tottenham)
Erik Thorstvedt spent eight years at Tottenham between 1988 and 1996 and in 1991, he became the first Norwegian to win the FA Cup.
Also one of the first Norwegians to play in the Premier League, Thorstvedt eventually retired in 1996 due to persistent back problems. He won 97 caps for Norway. Fellow Norwegian goalkeepers Espen Baardsen and Frode Grodås also had spells at Spurs in the late 1990s.
Jan Åge Fjørtoft (Swindon Town, Middlesbrough, Barnsley)
Jan Åge Fjørtoft played for four English clubs in a five-and-a-half year spell between 1993 and 1998, representing three of those in the Premier League.
In February 1994, Fjørtoft became the first Norwegian – and only the third non-British player – to score a Premier League hat-trick as he netted three times in a 3-1 win for Ipswich Town against Coventry City. The former Norway striker also played for Middlesbrough and Barnsley in the Premier League and spent two seasons in the First Division with Sheffield United.
Claus Lundekvam (Southampton)
Claus Lundekvam spent 12 years at Southampton between 1996 and 2008 and won 40 caps for Norway.
The former centre-back made 290 Premier League appearances, which is more than any other Norwegian player except for John Arne Riise.
Joshua King (Blackburn, Bournemouth, Everton, Watford)
Born In Oslo to a Gambian father and a Norwegian mother, Joshua King joined Manchester United as a 16-year-old, but never made a Premier League appearance for the Red Devils.
The winger later spent six years at Bournemouth between 2015 and 2021, leaving the Cherries after the club’s relegation for Everton in January 2021 and then playing for Watford in the 2021/22 season.
John Carew (Aston Villa, Stoke City)
A La Liga winner and Champions League runner-up with Valencia, John Carew joined Aston Villa in January 2007 and spent four-and-a-half seasons with the Birmingham club.
The former Norway striker scored 48 goals in 131 games in all competitions during his time at Villa Park, before short spells with Stoke City and West Ham, a Championship side at the time.
Stig Inge Bjørnebye (Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers)
Son of a skier, Stig Inge Bjørnebye joined Liverpool in 1992 and after a slow start, went on to establish himself as a key player at Anfield.
The left-back made over 180 appearances for the Reds between 1992 and 2000. Later, he had a spell at Blackburn Rovers and won the League Cup with both clubs. He won 75 caps for Norway.
Morten Gamst Pedersen (Blackburn Rovers)
Morten Gamst Pedersen played for nine seasons at Blackburn Rovers between 2004 and 2013, with the first eight of those spent in the Premier League.
Son of a former footballer, the midfielder was a fan favourite at Ewood Park for his energetic displays and penchant for scoring long-range goals. He made close to 350 appearances for Blackburn and won 83 caps for Norway.
Thomas Myhre (Everton, Sunderland, Charlton Athletic)
Thomas Myhre replaced the legendary Neville Southall at Everton in the late 1990s and spent four years at Goodison Park overall.
The former Norway goalkeeper later had spells at Sunderland and Charlton Athletic in the Premier League and also played briefly on loan at Crystal Palace in the Championship. He won 56 caps for Norway.
Ronny Johnsen (Manchester United, Aston Villa, Newcastle)
Ronny Johnsen spent six seasons at Manchester United between 1996 and 2002, making 150 appearances for the Red Devils and winning a series of trophies.
A starter in the 1999 Champions League final as Alex Ferguson’s side completed the treble by beating Bayern Munich at Camp Nou, the centre-back went on to play for Aston Villa and briefly at Newcastle United before returning to Norway with Vålerenga in 2005.
Henning Berg (Blackburn Rover, Manchester United)
A Premier League winner with Blackburn Rovers in 1994/95, Henning Berg joined Manchester United in 1997 and won the competition twice more with the Red Devils.
The Norwegian defender missed the FA Cup final and Champions League final through injury in 1999 as United won the treble, but earned medals after featuring earlier on in both competitions. He returned to Blackburn in 2000 and captained the team to League Cup success in 2002.
Øyvind Leonhardsen (Wimbledon, Liverpool, Tottenham, Aston Villa)
Øyvind Leonhardsen spent nine seasons in English football and played for four different clubs in the Premier League.
After a three-year spell at Wimbledon between 1994 and 1997, the midfielder spent two years at Liverpool, three at Tottenham and one with Aston Vila before returning to Norway. He made 186 appearances in the Premier League and scored 30 goals in the competition.
Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal)
With his first-team opportunities limited at Real Madrid, Martin Ødegaard joined Arsenal initially on loan in January 2021 and made the move to north London permanent in the summer.
The Norwegian midfielder quickly became a fan favourite with the Gunners and was made club captain ahead of the 2022/23 season.
John Arne Riise (Liverpool, Fulham)
John Arne Riise spent seven seasons at Liverpool between 2001 and 2008, later returning to England to play for Fulham from 2011 to 2014.
A left-back or left winger who picked up over 100 caps for Norway, Riise was part of the Liverpool side which won the Champions League in 2005, as well as claiming an FA Cup, a League Cup and two UEFA Super Cups with the Reds. He has made more Premier League appearances (321) than any other Norwegian player.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær (Manchester United)
Ole Gunnar Solskjær joined Manchester United from Norwegian club Molde in 1996 and spent the remainder of his career at Old Trafford.
Often a supersub, Solskjær came off the bench to score the winner for United against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final as Alex Ferguson’s side claimed the treble. A six-time Premier League winner with the Red Devils, the Norwegian striker scored 126 goals in 366 games in his 11 years at the club between 1996 and 2007. Later, he had a spell as manager from 2018 to 2021.
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Erling Haaland signed for Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2023 and helped the Sky Blues win the treble in his first season at the club.
The Norwegian striker scored 52 goals in 53 appearances en route to Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League titles and has broken a series of records in his short time in Manchester. Haaland reached 100 goals for City in all competitions in September 2024 and signed a new nine-and-a-half-year deal with the club in January 2025.
