Morten Gamst Pedersen

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For the Danish football player, see Morten Petersen.
Morten Gamst Pedersen
Image:Morten Gamst Pedersen.jpg
Personal information
Full name Morten Gamst Pedersen
Date of birth September 8, 1981 (1981-09-08) (age 26)
Place of birth    Vadsø, Norway
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Playing position Left winger
Club information
Current club Blackburn Rovers
Number 12
Youth clubs
1997
1998
1999		 Norild
Polarstjernen
Norild
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
2000-2004
2004-		 Tromsø
Blackburn Rovers		 085 (41)
126 (23)   
National team2
2004- Norway 032 0(8)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 20:10, 11 May 2008 (UTC).
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 17:35, 25 February 2007 (UTC).
* Appearances (Goals)

Morten Gamst Pedersen (born September 8, 1981 in Vadsø) is a versatile Norwegian international footballer who currently plays for Blackburn Rovers as a left winger/midfielder.

Contents

[edit] Club career

[edit] Tromsø IL

Pedersen had his breakthrough in the Norwegian Premier League club Tromsø IL, scoring 7 goals in the 2004 season, before he signed with Blackburn with only half a season played by August. The fee was £1.5 million, which could rise to anything up to £2.5 million on the basis of future appearances.[citation needed] Gamst was required to fill the gap left by Damien Duff, who had left in July 2003 to go to Chelsea.

[edit] Blackburn

The Norwegian international made his FA Premier League debut in a 1–1 draw against Manchester United on August 28 2004, a match Blackburn were leading until deep into injury time. He initially struggled to make an impact in the Premier League and had lengthy period of not being selected after Graeme Souness was replaced by Mark Hughes as the Rovers manager in September 2004. However he started the year of 2005 in style, scoring against Cardiff City on his return to side and going on to score three goals in his next three matches. He went on to finish as the clubs second top scorer for the season with eight goals.Pedersen is also known for his aerial ability.

2005–06 saw Pedersen make the left-midfield position his own and he has become well known for scoring many spectacular goals, such as a volley against Fulham in August 2005 which won BBC Match of the Day's Goal of the Month. The highlight of his Rovers career came in September 2005 when he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

In July 2006, Gamst Pedersen was given permission by the English Premier League to change the name on the back of his shirt from 'Pedersen' to 'Gamst' - his mother's maiden name. During the 2006–07 season, Pedersen seemingly struggled for form during the early half of the league season, but returned to form in the second half of the campaign.

[edit] International career

He holds 32 caps for his country, scoring eight goals. He received the coveted Golden Watch award given to him by the Football Association of Norway on the occasion of his 25th appearance for his country. He has become one of the first names on the team sheet for Norway.

In September 2006, in a match against Hungary, Gamst Pedersen, whose favourite player as a kid was Marco van Basten, scored a goal which was very similar to van Basten's famous goal in the final of the 1988 European Football Championship. Major newspapers Aftenposten, Dagbladet and Verdens Gang all dubbed him van Gamsten as a result of the goal.[1]

[edit] Personal life

Ernst Pedersen, a football coach, began to train him to use his left foot rather than his natural right foot in a bid to help him become a professional player, as there is less competition for left-sided roles within the sport. As a result his left foot has become his dominant foot.[2]

Pedersen fronts Norwegian boyband The Players, alongside fellow footballers Freddy dos Santos, Raymond Kvisvik, Kristofer Hæstad and Øyvind Svenning. Released in aid of the Soccer Against Crime campaign, their first single became a hit across Scandinavia.[3]

[edit] Club career statistics

[edit] Blackburn

(correct as of 16 May 2008)
Club Season League Cup[4] Europe Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists
Blackburn Rovers 2004–05 19 4 3 8 4 - 0 0 0 27 8 3
2005–06 34 9 6 8 1 2 0 0 0 42 10 8
2006–07 36 6 11 6 2 1 7 0 0 49 8 12
2007–08 37 4 4 3 1 0 6 1 4 46 6 8
Career totals 164 32 31

[edit] International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 18 February 2004 Belfast Flag of Northern Ireland Northern Ireland 4-1 Win Friendly
2
3 13 October 2004 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo Flag of Slovenia Slovenia 3-0 Win FIFA World Cup 2006 Qual.
4 16 November 2004 Craven Cottage, London Flag of Australia Australia 2-2 Draw Friendly
5 3 September 2005 Arena Petrol, Celje Flag of Slovenia Slovenia 3-2 Win FIFA World Cup 2006 Qual.
6 16 August 2006 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo Flag of Brazil Brazil 1-1 Draw Friendly
7 2 September 2006 Szusza Ferenc Stadium, Budapest Flag of Hungary Hungary 4-1 Win UEFA Euro 2008 Qual.
8 21 October 2007 Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali Flag of Malta Malta 4-1 Win UEFA Euro 2008 Qual.

[edit] References

  1. ^ (Norwegian) (Dagbladet) (VG), Aftenposten, 3 September 2006, pg. 34
  2. ^ Morten Gamst Pederson 12 <gamstpederson12>
  3. ^ Football: The Knowledge - which footballers have released a record? | Football | guardian.co.uk
  4. ^ Includes FA Cup, League Cup and FA Community Shield

[edit] External links

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