Martin Andresen
Encyclopedia
Martin Andresen is a Norwegian
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...

 football manager
Manager (association football)
In association football, a manager is responsible for running a football club or a national team. The manager of a professional club is responsible directly to the club president. The position of manager is almost exclusively used in British football...

.

Club career

Martin Andresen was a regular on many Norwegian national youth teams while playing for Moss, Viking and Stabæk Fotball from 1995-1999. After the 1999 season, Andresen was sold to Premier League club Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...

 in a deal worth £1,8 million. But like many of the other Norwegians in the club, his stay became short and unsuccessful. He did however score once against Liverpool. After a short loan spell at Molde, Andresen returned to his motherclub Stabæk in 2001, where he proved himself to be one of the best central midfielders in Norway.

After a brilliant 2003 season, where Stabæk captured the bronze medals in 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...

, Andresen was loaned out to the Premiership club Blackburn Rovers from February–August 2004, but did not sign a longer deal with the English club. Andresen once again decided to return to Stabæk to save the club from relegation from 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...

, but despite that Andresen played even while injured, Stabæk could not save their spot in the highest Norwegian league. Andresen, not willing to play in the Adeccoliga
Adeccoligaen
The Norwegian First Division is the second highest division of the Norwegian football league system. Since 2005, the official name of the league has been Adeccoligaen....

, asked to be sold. Many clubs in Norway were interested in the newly appointed national team captain, but the high price scared many away, including the champions Rosenborg. Vålerenga looked set to capture Andresen just before Christmas 2004, but Brann, with help from local investors signed the midfielder on 23 December 2004.

Brann

Martin Andresen became the most expensive transfer in Brann history, in a deal worth ca. 15.000.000 NOK (£ 1.310.000). After a disappointing first season, much ruined by injuries, Andresen made it clear that he would be "fit for fight" in 2006. In the pre-season he was appointed captain for Brann, clearly showing his importance for the club on and off the field. In 2006, Brann had their best season opening ever, much thanks to Andresen directing his teammates from his central midfielder position. He has in recent games been captain of the Norwegian national team, playing in central midfield. In 2007 Brann won the Norwegian League, with Andresen as captain. He was described as the most valuable player by many Norwegian pundits. He was also named in the Team of the Year.

Vålerenga

Andresen was announced as the new manager of Vålerenga on 6 November 2007 while still under contract with Brann for the remainder of the year. Brann terminated their working relationship with Andresen the day after. He signed a three year long contract with Vålerenga as player and manager. After head coach Tor Ole Skullerud resigned in 2009, Andresen became the first player/head coach in the Norwegian top division (Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen
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...

) since Kjetil Rekdal
Kjetil Rekdal
Kjetil André Rekdal is a Norwegian football coach and a former footballer. He is currently managing Aalesund in Norwegian Tippeligaen. His previous tenure was at Kaiserslautern of the 2...

 (also with Vålerenga
Vålerenga
Vålerenga is a neighbourhood in the city of Oslo, Norway, belonging to the borough of Gamle Oslo. Vålerenga is located between the neighbourhoods of Gamlebyen, Jordal, Ensjø, Etterstad and Lodalen. Vålerenga is in particular known for its traditional, small wooden houses, and for its football and...

) in 2002.

He retired as a player before the 2010 season, but continued to play several matches for the reserve team in the Norwegian second division
Norwegian Second Division
The Norwegian Second Division is the third highest division of the Norwegian football league system. Since 2009, the official name of the league has been Fair Play-ligaen....

. In 2011 he is going to play for Follo FK in the same division when he can find the time.

International career

He made his debut for Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...

 in 15 August 2001 friendly match against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...

 and has earned a total of 43 caps, scoring 3 goals.

Private life

Martin Andresen is an heir to the Norwegian furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...

 manufacturer Skeidar.

He is also a keen bridge
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...

 player. In December 2009 he partnered Tor Helness to win one of the side events in the North American Bridge Championships in San Diego.

Norway

  • 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...

    : 2007
    Norwegian Premier League 2007
    The 2007 season of the Norwegian Premier League began on 9 April 2007. Originally scheduled to end on 4 November, the last round was moved to Saturday 3 November 2007, due to Rosenborg’s Champions League participation....

  • Norwegian 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...

    : 1998, 2008

Individual

  • Kniksen of the year
    Kniksen award
    The Kniksen award , established in 1990, acclaims the best players in the Norwegian football premiership. The award is named after the legendary Norwegian football player Roald Jensen, nicknamed "Kniksen".-Category A:...

    : 2003
  • Kniksen award
    Kniksen award
    The Kniksen award , established in 1990, acclaims the best players in the Norwegian football premiership. The award is named after the legendary Norwegian football player Roald Jensen, nicknamed "Kniksen".-Category A:...

    : midfielder of the year in 2003
  • Norwegian Football Association Gold Watch
    Norwegian Football Association Gold Watch
    The Norwegian Football Association Gold Watch is an honorary proof that's awarded to all Norwegian footballers who reaches 25 caps for the Norwegian national football team. The watch is awarded by the Norwegian Football Association...


External links

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