 Nevland in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Erik Nevland[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1977-11-10)10 November 1977 (age 47)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Stavanger, Norway | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | 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 | Groningen | 95 | (43) |
| 2008–2010 | Fulham | 52 | (9) |
| 2010–2012 | Viking | 54 | (16) |
| Total | 341 | (130) | |
| International career | |||
| 1996–1997 | Norway U20 | 3 | (1) |
| 1997–1999 | Norway U21 | 22 | (1) |
| 2002 | Norway B | 2 | (0) |
| 2001–2010 | Norway | 8 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2021– | Viking (sporting director) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Erik Nevland (born 10 November 1977) is a Norwegian former professionalfootballer who played as aforward. He is currently the sporting director ofViking. He played for clubs in Norway, England, Sweden and the Netherlands, and earned eight caps for theNorway national football team from his debut in 2001. After retiring, Nevland worked as a car salesman.[3]
Nevland was born inStavanger, Rogaland.[4] He started his career atViking, but in 1997 he was sold toManchester United at the age of 19,[5] before he had played a single first team match for the Norway side. What prompted Manchester United to sign him was a succession of hat-tricks in three games when he was on trial with them.[6] His only goal for the United first team was in aLeague Cup match againstBury in October 1998.[7] He never managed to establish himself in the United team, with a successful loan spell at Viking and an unsuccessful one atIFK Göteborg. He only ever made one league appearance for United, as a substitute againstSouthampton on 19 January 1998.
He returned to Viking on a permanent contract in January 2000, winning theNorwegian Cup in 2001 and scoring the two deciding goals in their famousUEFA Cup victory overChelsea in 2002.[8] He joinedGroningen on a free transfer in November 2004, and went on to become a cult hero. In his first half-season for his new club, he scored 16 times in 20 matches. Nevland scored the first ever goal in Groningen's newEuroborg stadium.
On 27 April 2007, Nevland signed a new three-year contract with Groningen. In December 2007, Nevland was voted 'Groninger of the Year' by television viewers inGroningen, although having been born outside the Netherlands.
On 28 January 2008, he signed withPremier League sideFulham[9] for a fee of €2.5 million (£1.85 million), plus a further €0.5 million (£370k) if Fulham retained Premier League status, which they did. On 3 February, he made only his second ever Premier League appearance when Fulham playedAston Villa atCraven Cottage.
After making over 50 league appearances for Fulham, and despiteRoy Hodgson's wish to keep him at the club, Nevland once again returned to Viking in June 2010. He was assigned the role as captain.[citation needed]
He has eight internationalcaps for theNorway national football team; his first cap was in 2001.[citation needed]
He also has 22 caps and one international goal to his name with the U-21 side. He participated in the1998 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship whereNorway achieved a third-place finish.[10][11]
On 5 August 2021, Nevland was appointed sporting director of Viking.[12]
| Club performance | League | Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Norway | League | Norwegian Cup | Total | |||||
| 1996 | Viking | Tippeligaen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 10 | ||
| England | League | FA Cup | Total | |||||
| 1997–98 | Manchester United | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Norway | League | Norwegian Cup | Total | |||||
| 1998 | Viking | Tippeligaen | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 |
| Sweden | League | Svenska Cupen | Total | |||||
| 1999 | IFK Göteborg | Allsvenskan | 4 | 0 | ||||
| England | League | FA Cup | Total | |||||
| 1999–2000 | Manchester United | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Norway | League | Norwegian Cup | Total | |||||
| 2000 | Viking | Tippeligaen | 20 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 13 |
| 2001 | 25 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 31 | 17 | ||
| 2002 | 20 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 24 | 16 | ||
| 2003 | 25 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 29 | 12 | ||
| 2004 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 25 | 10 | ||
| Netherlands | League | KNVB Cup | Total | |||||
| 2004–05 | Groningen | Eredivisie | 20 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 16 |
| 2005–06 | 29 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 34 | 10 | ||
| 2006–07 | 27 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 13 | ||
| 2007–08 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 6 | ||
| England | League | FA Cup | Total | |||||
| 2007–08 | Fulham | Premier League | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
| 2008–09 | 21 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 4 | ||
| 2009–10 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 4 | ||
| Norway | League | Norwegian Cup | Total | |||||
| 2010 | Viking | Tippeligaen | 12 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 6 |
| 2011 | 28 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 33 | 13 | ||
| 2012 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 3 | ||
| Total | Norway | 189 | 78 | 29 | 25 | 218 | 103 | |
| England | 53 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 60 | 10 | ||
| Sweden | 4 | 0 | ||||||
| Netherlands | 88 | 43 | 7 | 2 | 95 | 45 | ||
| Career total | 334 | 130 | 43 | 28 | 373 | 158 | ||
Fulham
