Trond Egil Soltvedt
Encyclopedia
Trond Egil Soltvedt is a former footballer from Norway
. He played in England
with Coventry, Southampton
and Sheffield Wednesday before returning to Norway
. Soltvedt played twice for his country.
in Stavanger
in 1987 and was a member of the team who won the Norwegian football cup
in 1989 and the Norwegian Premier League
in its inaugural year, 1991.
In 1992 he joined mid-table club S.K. Brann
. At the end of his first season he was voted the club's "most popular" player. During his time at Brann, the club finished each season in 6th or 7th place in the league. His extremely dedicated style, his innocent and somewhat naïve personality and the fact that many of his goals were scored as a midfielder made him immensely popular. Just before the start of the 1995 season, however, he was sacked by Brann's board for "illoyality", the board refusing to elaborate on this. This prompted a demonstration from fans supporting Soltvedt http://fotball.aftenposten.no/forstediv/article104850.ece.
After three seasons at Brann, he moved to Rosenborg B.K.
where he was able to share in more success, claiming the Norwegian Premier League
championship in 1995 and 1996 as well as
winning the Norwegian football cup
in 1995.
, Gordon Strachan
signed him for Coventry City
for a fee of £500,000 in July 1997.
After two seasons at Coventry City, he was then signed by Southampton
under Dave Jones in August 1999 for £300,000. He was a tall, elegant midfielder who added an air of calm authority whenever he played. He made his Saints debut as a substitute in a 4-2 victory over Newcastle United
on 15 August 1999, helping to set up Mark Hughes
for the final goal. He made a total of 24 appearances in the 1999-2000 season, playing in midfield alongside Matthew Le Tissier
and Marian Pahars
as Saints struggled both in defence and in attack, finishing in the lower half of the table. Soltvedt missed a large part of the last few months of the season with persistent groin problems.
By now Dave Jones had been replaced by Glenn Hoddle
who never gave Soltvedt a chance to make an impression and soon shipped him out to Sheffield Wednesday
, initially on loan before making the transfer permanent in March 2001 for an appearance-based fee which had the potential to rise as high as £200,000.
He remained at Sheffield Wednesday for three seasons, being appointed team captain. Unfortunately, he was unable to prevent Wednesday being relegated at the end of the 2002-03 season, when he was released, returning to Norway to play in the lower leagues.
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...
. He played in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
with Coventry, Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
and Sheffield Wednesday before returning to Norway
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...
. Soltvedt played twice for his country.
Norway
Soltvedt started his professional career at Viking F.K.Viking F.K.
Viking Fotballklubb is a Norwegian football club from the city of Stavanger. The club was founded in 1899 as football was becoming increasingly popular...
in Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
in 1987 and was a member of the team who won the 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...
in 1989 and the 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...
in its inaugural year, 1991.
In 1992 he joined mid-table club S.K. Brann
S.K. Brann
SK Brann is a Norwegian football club, founded September 26, 1908, from Bergen. Brann has been in the Norwegian Premier League Tippeligaen since 1987 and play their home matches at Brann Stadion where they had a record-breaking 17,310 in average attendance in the 2007 season...
. At the end of his first season he was voted the club's "most popular" player. During his time at Brann, the club finished each season in 6th or 7th place in the league. His extremely dedicated style, his innocent and somewhat naïve personality and the fact that many of his goals were scored as a midfielder made him immensely popular. Just before the start of the 1995 season, however, he was sacked by Brann's board for "illoyality", the board refusing to elaborate on this. This prompted a demonstration from fans supporting Soltvedt http://fotball.aftenposten.no/forstediv/article104850.ece.
After three seasons at Brann, he moved to Rosenborg B.K.
Rosenborg B.K.
Rosenborg Ballklub is a Norwegian football club from the city of Trondheim, currently playing in the Norwegian Premier League. With 22 league titles and nine Norwegian Cup titles, the club is the most successful in Norway and has dominated Norwegian football since the start of the 1990s...
where he was able to share in more success, claiming the 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...
championship in 1995 and 1996 as well as
winning the 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...
in 1995.
England
His success in Norway brought him to the attention of English clubs and after an unsuccessful trial at Stoke CityStoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
, Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
signed him for Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
for a fee of £500,000 in July 1997.
After two seasons at Coventry City, he was then signed by Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
under Dave Jones in August 1999 for £300,000. He was a tall, elegant midfielder who added an air of calm authority whenever he played. He made his Saints debut as a substitute in a 4-2 victory over Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
on 15 August 1999, helping to set up Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
for the final goal. He made a total of 24 appearances in the 1999-2000 season, playing in midfield alongside Matthew Le Tissier
Matthew Le Tissier
Matthew "Matt" Le Tissier is a retired English footballer who played for Southampton and England.An attacking midfielder with exceptional technical skills, Le Tissier is the second-highest ever scorer for Southampton behind Mick Channon and was voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 1990. He was...
and Marian Pahars
Marian Pahars
Marians Pahars is a Latvian former footballer, currently the manager of Skonto FC. He spent most of his career as a striker at Southampton in the Premier League and with Skonto in Latvia....
as Saints struggled both in defence and in attack, finishing in the lower half of the table. Soltvedt missed a large part of the last few months of the season with persistent groin problems.
By now Dave Jones had been replaced by Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England....
who never gave Soltvedt a chance to make an impression and soon shipped him out to Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, initially on loan before making the transfer permanent in March 2001 for an appearance-based fee which had the potential to rise as high as £200,000.
He remained at Sheffield Wednesday for three seasons, being appointed team captain. Unfortunately, he was unable to prevent Wednesday being relegated at the end of the 2002-03 season, when he was released, returning to Norway to play in the lower leagues.