Steffen Iversen (born 10 November 1976) is a Norwegian former footballer who last worked as player-manager for Norwegian 4th division side Trygg/Lade as a striker. He is the son of former Norway international Odd Iversen, one of Norway's most prolific goalscorers of all time.

Iversen began his career as an 18-year-old at Rosenborg where he won two consecutive Norwegian league championships. He moved to Tottenham Hotspur in December 1996, where he scored 54 goals in seven years, and won the League Cup. After a brief spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers, he moved back to his native Norway where he spent two years at Vålerenga and was a contributing factor to Vålerenga's first league championship in 21 years. In 2006, he moved back to Rosenborg, where he won his second consecutive league title, and after another league victory in 2010, Iversen spent 13 months at Crystal Palace, before he signed for Rosenborg for the third time in February 2012.

Iversen was capped 79 times for the national team, scoring 21 goals. He scored Norway's only goal in a UEFA European Football Championship when he scored the match-winning goal against Spain in the group stage of UEFA Euro 2000.

Club career

Early career

Steffen Iversen was born in Oslo, when his father, Odd Iversen, was playing for Vålerenga. His family moved back to Trondheim when he was three years old, and the first club that Iversen played for was his father's club Rosenborg. He signed for Nationalkameratene at the age of seven, and the contract, dated 16 February 1984, included a clause that stated that Steffen Iversen any time could move back to Rosenborg free of charge, and was signed by his father. He later moved on to Astor before he joined Rosenborg's youth department in 1994, where he scored six goals in his debut for the reserve team.

He joined Rosenborg's first team squad in 1995, and made his debut in the first match of the season against Kongsvinger at Lerkendal on 21 April 1995. During the two season he first played at Rosenborg, he scored 18 goals in 50 matches, won two consecutive league championship and played in the Champions League. His last match in his first period for Rosenborg was the famous win against Milan at San Siro.

Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers

In December 1996, he joined Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £2.3 million, and made his Premier League debut against Coventry City, four days after his last match for Rosenborg. He spent seven years at White Hart Lane – collecting a League Cup winners' medal in 1999, assisting Allan Nielsen's stoppage time winner. He also scored the winning goal in the semi-final against Wimbledon. He became the top scorer for the club in the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 season with 13 and 17 goals respectively. Ahead of the 2003–04 season, he signed a one-year contract with Wolverhampton Wanderers, after a long time with injury problems. He scored Wolves' first ever Premier League goal but was not prolific, only scoring 4 goals in 18 outings.

Vålerenga and return to Rosenborg

In 2004, he moved back to Norway to play for Vålerenga where he played a crucial role during the 2005 season and won his third Tippeligaen, ten years after his first. His contract ended on 31 October 2005, and for months he was a free agent. Rumours abounded of several clubs showing their interest, including Mallorca, Everton and his previous club Vålerenga. On 10 February 2006 it was announced that he wanted to return to his old club Rosenborg, where his joining was officially announced on 13 February 2006. Iversen was Rosenborg's top scorer (18 goals) of the 2006–07 season and helped his team win the title, Iversen's fourth medal.[citation needed]

Crystal Palace

He was linked to a number of English Championship clubs in the summer of 2010; including Crystal Palace, Norwich City and Ipswich Town, before provisionally signing for Crystal Palace on 1 January 2011. In his debut match for Crystal Palace, he scored against Preston after 58 minutes, giving Palace their first win in five matches. He scored two goals in 19 matches during the 13 months he played for the Eagles, before he was released by the club on 31 January 2012.

Third spell at Rosenborg

Iversen joined Rosenborg for the third time in his career on 15 February 2012. He signed a performance-based one-year contract, with an option for one more year, and stated that he had returned to win the league. In November 2012 he decided to retire from football.

Trygg/Lade

Iversen joined lower division club Trygg/Lade as a player-manager in 2018. On 19 April 2018, he managed his team in a 2–4 defeat against his former club Rosenborg in the 2018 Norwegian Football Cup.

International career

Iversen was a regular for the Norway U-21 and was a major contributor for the team that earned a third place in the 1998 UEFA U-21 Championship, by scoring Norway's all three goals during the championship, including two goals in the third-place match against Netherlands U-21. In total, he played 23 matches for the U-21 team, and scored 17 goals, a record.

Later the same year, he made his debut for the senior team in the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifier against Albania. He scored his first international goal on 20 May 1999 in the friendly match against Jamaica, a game Norway won 6–0.

In Norway's first match in a UEFA European Championship, Iversen scored the match-winning goal against Spain with a header. Iversen's goal is still Norway's only goal in a UEFA European Football Championship.

Iversen played regularly for the national team, until he in August 2008 overslept to a meeting with the squad that was to play a friendly match against Republic of Ireland on 20 August 2008 and was sent home by the national team coach Åge Hareide. Nevertheless, Iversen was called up for the next squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Iceland where he scored Norway's two goals.

The UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier match against Denmark on 26 March 2011 was to be his last match for Norway. In total he achieved 79 caps – scoring 21 goals.

Agent

His agent while at Tottenham and Wolves was Christian Eidem.

Personal life

Iversen was married to Anna Crane.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[citation needed]
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupEuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Rosenborg1995Tippeligaen25894—71—4113
1996Tippeligaen251044—82—3716
Total5018138—153—7829
Tottenham1996–97Premier League1660000——166
1997–98Premier League1300000——130
1998–99Premier League2797262——4013
1999–2000Premier League3614212141—4417
2000–01Premier League1422021——183
2001–02Premier League1943132——257
2002–03Premier League1911020——221
Total1443614415641—17847
Wolverhampton2003–04Premier League1642020——204
Vålerenga2004Tippeligaen11400——84198
2005Tippeligaen21752—32—2911
Total321152—32844819
Rosenborg2006Tippeligaen241767——213225
2007Tippeligaen231321—104—3518
2008Tippeligaen221025—126—3621
2009Tippeligaen29931—41—3611
2010Tippeligaen301453—121104818
Total128631817—38123118793
Crystal Palace2010–11Championship1721000——182
2011–12Championship301010——50
Total2022010——232
Rosenborg2012Tippeligaen21622—90—328
Career total41114057331866918115566202

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Norway199820
1999104
2000102
200150
200281
200391
200443
2005111
200651
200786
200842
200910
201010
201110
Total7921

Scores and results list Norway's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Iversen goal.

List of international goals scored by Steffen Iversen
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetitionRef.
120 May 1999Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, NorwayJamaica3–06–0Friendly
230 May 1999Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, NorwayGeorgia1–01–0UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
35 June 1999Arena Kombëtare, Tirana, AlbaniaAlbania1–02–1UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
48 September 1999Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, NorwaySlovenia2–04–0UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
527 May 2000Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, NorwaySlovakia2–02–0Friendly
613 June 2000De Kuip, Rotterdam, NetherlandsSpain1–01–0UEFA Euro 2000
712 October 2002Stadionul Steaua, Bucharest, RomaniaRomania1–01–0UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
815 November 2003Mestalla Stadium, Valencia, SpainSpain1–01–2UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
918 February 2004Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland3–04–1Friendly
109 October 2004Hampden Park, Glasgow, ScotlandScotland1–01–02006 FIFA World Cup qualification
1116 November 2004Craven Cottage, London, EnglandAustralia1–02–2Friendly
128 June 2005Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, SwedenSweden3–13–2Friendly
136 September 2006Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, NorwayMoldova2–02–0UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
142 June 2007Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, NorwayMalta3–04–0UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
156 June 2007Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, NorwayHungary1–04–0UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
168 September 2007Zimbru Stadium, Chișinău, MoldovaMoldova1–01–0UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
1721 November 2007National Stadium, Ta' Qali, MaltaMalta1–04–1UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
182–0
193–0
206 September 2008Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, NorwayIceland1–02–22010 FIFA World Cup qualification
212–1

Honours

Rosenborg

Tottenham Hotspur

Vålerenga

Individual

External links

  • – FIFA competition record (archived)
  • at RBKweb (in Norwegian)