Erik Hoftun
Encyclopedia
Erik Hoftun is a Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

 former football defender, currently assistant director in Rosenborg BK.

Career

Hoftun started his career at KIL/Hemne
KIL/Hemne
KIL/Hemne is a football club from Kyrksæterøra in Hemne, Sør-Trøndelag. Top-level players Erik Hoftun, Ardian Gashi and Vegard Forren began their careers here. Also, the local hero Jens Tetlie started out playing for KIL/Hemne.-History:...

 before moving to Molde FK in 1992. He went to Rosenborg BK in 1994, where he won 11 league titles and 3 cup titles in 11 years. Hoftun was a key player for Rosenborg in the Norwegian league and the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

, where he played a total of 82 matches.

At his peak, Hoftun was arguably one of the best central defenders in Scandinavia, with superb anticipation and offensive qualities. His lack of speed was his one major weakness, though he usually managed to mask it through footballing experience and understanding of the game. For Norway's national team
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...

, he has been capped 30 times. In a 2004 issue of the official UEFA Champions League publication, Champions Magazine, Hoftun was ranked as no. 86 in a list of the 250 greatest Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

an football players of all time. The jury's comment on Hoftun read:
In 2005 Hoftun moved to FK Bodø/Glimt, where he finished his career as an active football player. On 24 June 2007, while playing a match for Bodø/Glimt, Hoftun suffered from cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...

 after getting a knee in the chest in a duel. The club's doctor ran on to the pitch to revive him. The doctor's fast reaction is likely to have saved Hoftun's life. http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=144962

In November 2007 Hoftun returned to Rosenborg BK, now in an administrative role, working as assistant director.

Club

  • Norwegian Premier League
    Norwegian Premier League
    Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...

     (11): 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
  • Norwegian Football Cup
    Norwegian football cup
    The Norwegian Football Cup is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament is commonly known as Cupen or NM, an acronym formed...

     (3): 1995, 1999, 2003

Individual

  • Kniksen award
    Kniksen award
    The Kniksen award , established in 1990, acclaims the best players in the Norwegian football premiership. The award is named after the legendary Norwegian football player Roald Jensen, nicknamed "Kniksen".-Category A:...

     as defender of the year: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
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