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Fulham transfer link
Bjørn Helge Riise |
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| DOB |
21 Jun 1983 |
| POB |
Norway |
| Pos. |
Midfielder |
| Club |
Lillestrom |
| Hgt |
5.09 |
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The Norwegian enclave in South-west London appears to be expanding with Norwegian media reporting that Bjørn Helge Riise will join Brede Hangeland and Erik Nevland at Fulham.
Riise becomes the second player from the Tippeliga to be signed by a Premier League club in just a couple of days.
NFN reported earlier this season that Fulham-manager Roy Hodgson was in Norway watching Lillestrøm – Rosenborg, and at the time it was thought that he was primarily looking at RBK-players.
This seemed to make sense as Rosenborg’s entire midfield is looking for a move abroad this summer, and Hodgson was even seen sitting next to an agent representing one of them.
As it turns out, the player who must have caught his eye was Lillestrøm’s Bjørn Helge Riise, who scored a goal and generally looked lively on the night.
Like his more famous brother, Bjørn Helge Riise first moved abroad at the age of 18. But unlike John Arne, who quickly established himself as a member of the first team at Monaco, Bjørn Helge’s move to Belgium and Standard Liege didn’t really work out, and after a few seasons he returned to Norway to play for Lillestrøm.
Since his return in 2005 he’s played 86 games and scored 10 goals for LSK as well as earning regular call-ups to the Norwegian national side. A right-sided midfielder who can also play “in the hole”, Bjørn Helge is known for his high work-rate and strong overall physique, as well has having a decent right foot.
The signing, if it goes through, is a bit of a surprise as Bjørn Helge Riise at the age of 26 has done very little in his career that suggests he’s capable of playing regularly in the Premier League.
Still, Roy Hodgson is usually an astute judge of talent and, with the Norwegian media reporting a transfer fee between £1.5m and £2.0m, Riise won’t be a particularly expensive investment by Premier League standards. Also, there’s no shortage of examples of pretty ordinary players who have done well for themselves in England through hard work and determination, two things you can always expect from Bjørn Helge Riise.