Kristian Thorstvedt #18

Profile

Thorstvedt is a household name in Norway. Kristian’s father, Erik, won the FA Cup with Tottenham and played at the 1994 World Cup. Kristian may not be the most precocious talent of his generation but he is a fighter with a nose for goal. Thorstvedt developed late physically so, when his best friends signed professional contracts, he decided to study and play college football in the US. It was only when his father made one last call to his old club, Viking, to see if Kristian could train with them that his career took off. Two years later he was promoted to the Eliteserien, reached double figures in goals, won the Norwegian Cup, was sold to Genk and made his Norway debut. “I never thought that Kristian would play for the national team. Never!” Erik has said. This summer the dynamic and intelligent midfielder goes to the US again – but this time to represent his country rather than as a student.

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