| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Valon Berisha | ||
| Date of birth | 7 February 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Sweden | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder/Winger | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Viking | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–2009 | Egersund | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2008-2009 | Egersund | 31 | (11) |
| 2009- | Viking | 37 | (4) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2010 | Norway U17 | 8 | (0) |
| 2010 | Norway U18 | 7 | (0) |
| 2011 | Norway U19 | 8 | (0) |
| 2011- | Norway U21 | 7 | (1) |
| 2012- | Norway | 0 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 December 2011. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Valon Berisha (born 7 February 1993 in Sweden) is a Norwegian footballer of Albanian descent who plays as a midfielder for Viking in the Norwegian Premier League.
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Berisha spent his early years at local club Egersunds IK. His manager at Egersund, Jone Mathisen recalled in a November 2010 interview with VG Nett, "even when he was six- or seven-years old, the people here at the club knew that there was something special about [Berisha] ... He is the most exciting football player I've ever seen. He has technique, speed and strength and has fantastic drive with the ball."[1]
On 20 June 2008, at just 16-years old, Berisha made his senior debut for EIK against Staal Jørpeland IL in the Norwegian Third Division. His consistently impressive performances for Egersund impressed Viking FK, with whom he signed for in March 2009. The last game he played before moving on was also against Staal Jørpeland.
Berisha spent three trial periods with Premier League side Chelsea between the ages of 14 and 15,[2] whilst also spending time with Manchester City and Aston Villa. The latter two clubs offered him a contract, both of which he turned down in favour of staying in Norway.[3] Rune Hauge, a prominent football agent, theorised the thinking behind this choice in an interview with Stavanger Aftenblad, "Valon Berisha could have moved to almost every league club in England, but he would have gone straight to their academy...where nine out of ten players do not even reach the first team."[4]
Berisha made his Tippeligaen debut against Brann on 21 March 2010, coming on for Vidar Nisja in the 85th minute.[5] He started twelve league appearances that season, four in the starting line-up and all on the left wing. It was from the left that he scored his first professional goal on 31 October in a 1-1 draw against Lillestrøm.[6] The goal, which showcased a 20 yard in-field dribble and shot 25 yards from goal, was nominated for Tippeligaen 2010 Goal of the Season.[7] Berisha kept his place in the side for the season ender against Kongsvinger, where his man of the match performance inspired Viking to a 3-1 come back.[8]
Before Tippeligaen 2011, Viking manager Åge Hareide talked up Berisha as one of the best players he's coached, "I have been coaching many years and been lucky to work with many excellent footballers. Among them, Valon is perhaps the very best. There is only Ole Gunnar Solskjær who can reach up to what he has to show."[9] Throughout that year, Berisha duly became a guaranteed starter for Viking, playing 88% of possible playing time. Despite continuing to play on the left wing for most of that time, Berisha became more prominent in his favoured central attacking midfield position as the season went on,[10] something Stig Torbjørnsen, one of Norway's most famous talent scouts, wished for prior to the season start.[11] As with 2010, one of his season's highlights was a goal scored from an almost replicate 25 yard shot against Lillestrøm.[12] Whilst in May, Berisha won the Statoil Talent Prize, an award handed to outstanding young Norwegian footballers each month. Each winner is given the opportunity to donate a scholarship of 50,000 Norwegian kroner to the club he or she thought had the most importance to their development; Berisha chose to give the money to his first club, Egersunds IK.[13]
At the end of 2011, English football website In Bed With Maradona picked Berisha in their continuation of Don Balón's annual list of the 100 best young players in the world. Berisha, the only Norwegian on the list, joins the likes of Neymar, Mario Balotelli, Jack Wilshere and Thiago Alcântara in "The IBWM 100: 2012 Edition".[14]
Berisha was born in Sweden, but grew up in Egersund, a town south of Stavanger. His Norwegian-born younger brother Veton Berisha also plays for Viking. On 19 June 2011, they became the first brothers to play together for Viking in 22 years when Jan and Egil Fjetland played against Molde in the Norwegian Cup final.[15] Despite both moving to Viking from Egersund, it was the first time the Berisha brothers had played a senior game together.
Berisha has played in all four of Norway under-21 side's four games during the 2013 European Under-21 Championship qualification campaign. He scored Norway's only goal in the 2-1 loss against England under-21 side.[16]
On 23 November 2011, Berisha was called up to the Norwegian national side for the 2012 King's Cup in Thailand. He is one of fourteen players who could make their international debut at the friendly tournament which runs from 15 January until 21 January.[17]
| Club | Season | Division | League | Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| 2010 | Viking | Tippeligaen | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| 2011 | Tippeligaen | 28 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 29 | 5 | |
| Career Total | 40 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 47 | 6 | ||
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