Tag: Uwe Huenemeier

They came to Brighton from the land of the midnight sun

ARGUABLY the most successful Norwegian to have played for the Albion was defender Leo Østigård, who represented Norway at the recent World Cup.

As I covered in a recent blog post about him, Østigård was impatient for first team football and moved on without taking that step up with the Seagulls.

Nevertheless, he said: “For a Norwegian player to come over to England and be involved with a Premier League team is really good, and obviously makes me very proud.

“I know that a lot of people from Norway are watching me and keeping track of my progress, so it’s always great to be involved in such a big team – football is massive in this country and it’s fantastic.”

• A left-sided defender who was already an experienced Norwegian international when he joined up with Chris Hughton’s promotion-chasing Championship side in 2017 only got as far as Albion’s subs bench.

Vegard Forren, 29 at the time, was signed in March 2017 as back-up when central defensive cover in that position was limited.

Hughton said: “Vegard is a player the club had been aware of for some time, and with the absence of Shane Duffy and Connor Goldson, we felt it was important to take this opportunity to add to our defensive options.

“Vegard has played the majority of his career for Molde, one of the top clubs in Norway, and has an excellent pedigree having also played in the Champions League, Europa League and 33 times for his country.

“With Shane out for a minimum of six weeks, alongside Lewis Dunk, Uwe Huenemeier and Fikayo Tomori, Vegard gives us another central defensive option for the run-in.”

Earlier in his career, Forren was at Southampton for six months, but he spent ten years with Molde, winning three championships and two domestic cups.

He had turned down a new contract at the club the previous season and left the club when the domestic season ended in November. He had been pre-season training with Norwegian side Rosenborg before joining the Albion.

• Back in the Gus Poyet era, striker Torbjørn (‘Toby’) Agdestein spent three years as an Albion player but his time was spent mainly with the development squad with occasional sub appearances for the first team.

Born in Stord, Norway, on 29 November 1991, Agdestein went through the ranks at Stord Idrettslag where he was spotted by Brighton.

In his early days with the club, he had a short loan spell with Bath City, and 13 goals in 13 appearances for the development squad earned him a new two-year deal in March 2012.

Poyet told the club website: “Toby has understood what we have been trying to teach him from the beginning and under Luke Williams (development squad coach) he has become a better player.

“He can play anywhere in attack and he knows when to pass the ball, when to keep the ball and when to shoot.

“He’s a great prospect for the club and he’s produced it for us when he’s come on in first-team games. I know that I can count on him.”

Agdestein in action for Albion v Wrexham

After impressing in Albion’s first two pre-season friendlies in July 2012 Poyet urged him to push for more first team action.

“I’m promising nothing because if I tell you now he is a first team player and next week he doesn’t touch the ball, he doesn’t make any decisions, he doesn’t go past people, he doesn’t score, then he is going to go down (to the development squad),” Poyet cautioned.

“The thing is right now he is with us in the first team squad. The opportunity is there to stay with us. He knows that.”

As it turned out, his contract was terminated by mutual consent with a year left on it and he moved to the north of Scotland to join Inverness Caledonian Thistle, under former England international Terry Butcher.

Butcher told the Daily Record: “He is 6ft 1ins tall and gives us the option of height up front, quite a contrast with wee Billy McKay, our top striker.

“We like the look of Torbjorn, he’s young and strong and willing to learn.

“We’re happy he has agreed to sign until the January window to boost our attacking resources and we can make a decision at that point.”

However, having made only 13 league and cup appearances as a sub, he decided to return to Norway and he played variously for Haugesund, Kristiansund, Odd and Ålesund before returning to his old club, Stord.

• COMBATIVE midfielder Mathias Normann eventually made it to the Premier League with Norwich City having not got beyond Brighton’s under-23 development squad.

Indeed, two of Normann’s 21 (plus three sub appearances) games for the Canaries in 2021-22 were in central midfield in home and away goalless draws with the Seagulls.

When he joined Simon Rusk’s squad from Norwegian second tier side Bodø/Glimt in July 2017, he told the matchday programme: “This is a dream come true for me and it’s very nice for me to be here.

“It’s something that I have always wanted to do since I was a little boy, so this is absolutely fantastic.”

However, within a month, Normann was sent on a season-long loan back to his homeland to play for top tier (Elitserien) Molde under Ole Gunnar Solskjær.

The former Manchester United player and manager said at the time: “He is a quality player, which he particularly demonstrated in the Tippeligaen last year when he showed clear leadership qualities. He complements the other midfielders we have in an excellent way.”

Born in Svolvær on 28 May 1996, Normann began his football career at Svolvær and Lofoten FK before moving to Bodø/Glimt ahead of the 2013 season. He was loaned to Alta for the 2015 season.

On his return to Brighton in the summer of 2018 after the season with Molde, he was sent off (for two yellow cards) on his debut for the under-23s in a 0-0 draw with Liverpool.

Team boss Rusk said: “He is quite combative and I think it was the right decision. Maybe when he is a little more match sharp, with a few more games under his belt, he might not be picking up that second yellow.”

Normann played in the same Albion side as Ben White, Østigård, Aaron Connolly and Viktor Gyökeres that drew 2-2 with Peterborough United and beat MK Dons 3-2 in the Checkatrade Trophy.

He featured 11 times for the under-23s but the following January left on a permanent basis to join Russian club FC Rostov.

Rusk said at the time: “It’s been enjoyable to work with Mathias during his time at the club, but this move makes sense for all parties involved, with it being an excellent move for him.”

It was from Rostov that Norwich signed Normann on loan and City boss Daniel Farke told the club’s official website. “It’s not easy for us to bring a player in who had many clubs interested in him.

“We see lots of potential in Mathias and he’s capable to play in several roles. He’s quite versatile in the midfield positions.

“Quite often, he plays the holding midfield position. But he’s very good with his passing choices and is a good technical player. He’s not the tallest but is still very good in the air and in the duels.”

Ahead of that first game he played against the Albion, The Argus asked the opinion of Connor Southwell, who covers the Canaries for the Eastern Daily Press.

“The biggest compliment I can give to Mathias Normann is that he’s been the best player for Norwich in every game he has played.

“I’ve been sat in the press box at both Everton and Burnley and on both occasions local media for the opposition have praised his efforts,” said Southwell.

“He’s added a real quality into Norwich’s midfield and has rapidly become the first name on the team sheet. He combines tenacity with technical quality with ease.”

Normann made his full Norway debut in 2019 and went on to earn 12 full caps. After his season with Norwich, he returned to Russia to play for Dynamo Moscow, then in 2023 moved to the Middle East where he has since played for Saudi side Al-Raed, Qatari outfit Al-Sailiya and another Qatari side, Al-Gharafa, on loan.

• With the signing of people like Anthony Knockaert, Jiri Skalak and Steve Sidwell plus Liam Ridgewell on loan, Henrik Bjørdal’s arrival at Brighton for a reported £300,000 from Ålesund in January 2016 rather went under the radar.

And that’s pretty much where he stayed because Chris Hughton had plenty more experienced wingers at his disposal with the likes of Knockaert, Solly March and Jamie Murphy.

The player spoke about his prospects in an interview with Andy Naylor for The Argus in January 2017, when he declared: “I didn’t come here to play too much under-23 football. I was hoping I would be close to first team level. I want to play at as high a level as possible, of course.

“I feel like I have made progress, but it’s a promotion team. It’s very difficult to come in, I know that.”

While recognising the difficulty of breaking into the first team picture, Bjørdal told Naylor: “Anthony is a player I like to watch and learn from.

“He’s a skilful player who likes to beat his man. I’m the same type of player and I want to do the same sort of things as him, so of course I want to train with the first team and try to see what he’s doing, to be as good as him.”

He added: “It’s more difficult to play a game when the team is top of the table but I like that challenge. It’s good to be around a team who wins almost every week.”

Born in Ålesund on 4 February 1997, Bjørdal played youth football for IL Valder then progressed through Norwegian top tier side Ålesund’s youth ranks to their first team.

His switch to the Albion found him playing in front of far fewer people than he had been used to; his hometown club often had crowds of 7,000 in a 10,000-capacity stadium.

“It’s a little bit different from playing at Crawley! It’s a bit more silent than I was used to,” he said.

“I played for them in the first team for two seasons, in the top league, playing against good teams. It’s not easy to compare.”

Two months after that interview, he was loaned to Swedish side IFK Göteborg until the end of that season.

When the breakthrough at Brighton didn’t materialise, in June 2018 Bjørdal made a permanent move to Belgian side Zulte Waregem and in an interview with Ålesund’s newspaper, Sunnmørsposten, he said: “The time in England didn’t quite turn out as I imagined.

“When I look back at it, there are periods I’ve been frustrated, but I’ve come out stronger mentally and as a player. It’s been good for me.”

From Belgium, he returned to Norway and since 2020 has played for Oslo-based Vålerenga.

The only way was up after Tomori’s awkward Albion debut

FIKAYO TOMORI couldn’t have had a worse debut for Brighton.

The teenage defender on loan from Chelsea was booked on 37 minutes and scored an own goal in the 62nd as Brighton were humiliated 3-1 in the FA Cup by non-league opponents, National League Lincoln City.

Tomori, playing at right back, sliced Nathan Arnold’s cross past a startled Casper Ankergren who’d only just come on as a sub for the injured Niki Mäenpää.

In fact, Tomori wasn’t on the winning side in any of the three matches he started for the Seagulls.

However, he saw plenty of action when making seven appearances off the bench. For example, he played an hour in Albion’s 3-1 home win over Birmingham City when sickness forced off Lewis Dunk on the half-hour mark and slotted in alongside Uwe Huenemeier, who himself was deputising for injured Shane Duffy.

“We knew Lewis wasn’t quite right before the game and everyone had told me to be ready,” he said later. The matchday programme observed: “Tomori looked as if he’d been playing all season alongside Uwe, such was their understanding.”

The two were also paired together in the second half of the 2-1 win away to QPR when Tomori replaced Dunk at half-time. And Tomori lined up alongside Dunk in the centre of defence for the last game of the season at Villa Park when Jack Grealish’s last-minute equaliser denied Albion the Championship title.

Nevertheless, the talented youngster, who went on to be capped by England, was recognised as having played his part in the Albion winning promotion that 2016-17 season.

“I would have liked to play more football but this team’s pushing for promotion and I knew before I came here that getting in the side was going to be difficult,” he said in a matchday programme interview.

“I’ve had to be make sure I’ve been ready when called upon and take any opportunities that have come my way. It’s a challenge I’ve embraced. The manager has been really good to me and I’ve taken a lot of confidence from the fact that when we have had injuries in defence, I’m pretty much the first player to come on.

“I’ve really enjoyed it here. Being involved with a club that’s going for promotion has been a different sort of challenge to what I’ve been used to.”

Reflecting on that period a few years later, Tomori said: “It was a big part of my development, playing every day with professionals who have been playing the game for 10, 15 years.

“That focus, will to win and need to be at the top of your game every game was something I had to learn, and it was really important for my development.”

He added: “They were trying to get their first promotion to the Premier League. The team was really together and focused, and when the games came, they were really on it.

“It was my first taste of senior football and being in a senior changing room and being part of a matchday and stuff like that. It was a great learning experience and obviously we got promoted which was great.”

Born in Calgary, Canada, on 19 December 1997 to wealthy Nigerian parents, Yinka and Mo, who originate from Osun in the south west region of Nigeria, Tomori was less than a year old when the family moved to England.

The family home was in Woolwich and he enjoyed a kickabout with his friends from the age of five or six before starting organised football with Riverview United. The youngster admitted he modelled his game on Thierry Henry.

“I wore my socks above my knees like him, I wore gloves like him even if it wasn’t cold, and I celebrated like him,” he said. “I loved everything about him. Back then it was all about having fun and never did I think that one day I would end up playing for Chelsea.”

Tomori was taken on by the Chelsea academy as a seven-year-old but it wasn’t all about football and, after passing his 11+ exams, he attained 10 GCSEs (six As, three Bs and a C) at Gravesend Grammar School, where he was a pupil between 2009 and 2014.

Assistant head James Fotheringham told The Sun Tomori was the first Gravesend pupil to “really make it” as a footballer, pointing out: “We’ve had a number of boys promised the world by different football clubs and then they get dropped and end up nowhere.

“I asked Chelsea, ‘What makes Fikayo different?’ The guy said, ‘Because he’s got all the attributes of a footballer’s skills but he’s incredibly bright and he just reads the game. He’s got a couple of yards on people because he’s so bright’.”

At Chelsea, Tomori bonded with Tammy Abraham from an early age. They became good friends and made their way through the ranks and were part of the team that recorded back-to-back wins in the UEFA Youth League and the FA Youth Cup in 2015 and 2016.

The 2015-16 season saw Tomori named the Chelsea Academy Player of the Year and he rounded it off by making his first team debut as a substitute against Leicester City on the final day. He described it as “the proudest moment of his career” and explained: “To be out there playing with the likes of Eden Hazard and Willian was a fantastic feeling for me and my family.”

As Albion adjusted to the demands of the Premier League, Tomori remained in the Championship having gone on loan to a Hull City side battling to avoid the drop – a very different experience to his time with the Seagulls.

“My first full season on loan was at Hull and it was my first time away from home too,” he said. “We were hovering over the relegation zone for the whole season, so that was a different kind of challenge mentally.

“You weren’t sure if you were going to be in the team the next week if we had lost the game, because the club needed the points to stay up.

“Those loans really gave me a good outlook on football. Coming from Chelsea, you’re winning a lot of games and trophies, and are protected in a way. Those loans were what moulded me as a person and as a man and made me grow up a lot quicker.”

Tomori’s rapid progress earned him England international recognition and, in 2017, he was in the England under 20 team who won the World Cup in South Korea and in 2018 was with the under 21s when they won the Toulon tournament.

As a forerunner to his breakthrough at Chelsea, Tomori spent the 2018-19 season on loan at Derby County, where Frank Lampard had taken over as manager.

Fikayo played a total of 55 league and cup matches as County made it all the way to the play-off final where their tilt for promotion to the Premier League was finally quashed when Aston Villa beat them 2-1 at Wembley.

Nevertheless, the young defender was named as Derby’s Player of the Year, and perhaps it was no surprise that when Lampard’s next move was to become manager of Chelsea, he was quick to put Tomori into the first team at Stamford Bridge.

The majority of his 27 matches for Chelsea came in that 2019-20 season, and, although defending might have been his priority, he popped up with a couple of goals. A long-range screamer he scored against Wolves was voted Chelsea Goal of the Year.

The same season, Tomori stepped up to the full England side and made his debut as an 84th-minute substitute for Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 4-0 away win against Kosovo in a Euro 2020 qualifier in November 2019. In doing so, he became the 50th Chelsea player to be capped by England.

However, it was another two years before Gareth Southgate selected him again, by which time he had moved to AC Milan.

After falling out of contention at Chelsea, he joined the Italian side on loan initially in January 2021 but then made the move permanent in June 2021, signing a four-year deal.

In a lengthy interview with Sky Sports, he spoke about how his career had turned round after the disappointment of losing his place at Chelsea.

“It was a difficult time – every footballer wants to play, and every footballer wants to show themselves on the pitch,” he said.

“When you are not able to do that, it is difficult – and being able to overcome and forget about that is part of the reason why it is now going so well.

“I didn’t really dwell on it and just moved on and put it as part of football, part of life.

“I had a really good support system with my family and my friends – and now I’ve overcome that I want to take it further and keep progressing.”

On 9 October 2021, Tomori was a 60th minute substitute for John Stones in England’s 5-0 thrashing of Andorra, when his good friend Abraham was among the scorers.

The pair were up against each other 22 days later when Tomori’s Milan beat Abraham’s AS Roma 2-1 in a Serie A clash. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his 400th league goal (and 150th in Italian football).