Full name Oyvind Leonhardsen Years Team Position Midfielder 1987–1989 Clausenengen FK Height 1.77 m | Role Footballer Name Oyvind Leonhardsen | |
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Date of birth (1970-08-17) 17 August 1970 (age 45) | ||
Playing position Place of birth Kristiansund, Norway | ||
OYVIND LEONHARDSEN - Leicester v Wimbledon, 93/94 | Retro Goal
Øyvind Leonhardsen (born 17 August 1970) is a Norwegian former international footballer. He retired after the 2007 season, and at that moment he was captain of Strømsgodset IF in the Norwegian Premier Division, ending a career with nine years in English football with clubs like Wimbledon, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa. In Norway he played for Molde, Rosenborg, Lyn and Strømsgodset.
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In Norway
Leonhardsen started his career in Clausenengen before he, as a 19-year-old, moved to Premier Division side Molde in 1989. Two years later he was brought to Norwegian champions Rosenborg.
Leonhardsen won the honorable Kniksen award as the best midfielder in 1989, 1991, 1992 and 1993. He was voted the Player's Player of the Year in Norway in 1994.
In England
Leonhardsen moved to Wimbledon in the Premier League the following season, where he made an instant impact. In 1997 he was bought by his childhood favourites, Liverpool.
After Gerard Houllier's continental revolution of Liverpool from 1999, Leonhardsen then moved to Tottenham Hotspur, before joining Aston Villa on a free transfer in August 2002.
Return to Norway
He moved back to Norway in 2004 to join FC Lyn Oslo, where he became the captain. He signed a two-year contract with second level club Strømsgodset IF from Drammen in December 2005.
Leonhardsen retired aged 37 after helping securing Strømsgodset IF promotion to Tippeligaen in 2006, and later securing a new contract in the top flight in 2007.
Now Leonhardsen is working as a youth coach in his former club Lyn Fotball.
International career
Leonhardsen made 86 appearances for the Norwegian national team, scoring 19 goals. He was part of the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup squads.
In Norway, the expression "a Leo run" is derived from Leonhardsen's running capacity and smart movements. He seemed to have an uncanny instinct for anticipating when and where a loose ball would present him with a scoring chance, directing and timing his runs to make sure he'd be there to exploit it - hence his impressive scoring rate for a midfielder. He is reckoned as somewhat of a cult hero and a symbol of the Norway national team success in the 1990s. He earned great respect during his career due to his highly professional approach to the game.