Players - Øyvind Leonhardsen

Øyvind Leonhardsen
Birthdate: 17 August 1970
Birthplace: Kristiansund, Norway
Other clubs: Clausenengen (1987-1988), Molde (1989-91), Rosenborg (1992-94), Wimbledon (1994-97), Tottenham Hotspur (1999-2002), Aston Villa (2002-03), Lyn (2004), Strømsgodset (2005-07)
Signed from: Wimbledon
Signed for LFC: £3.5m, 02.06.1997
International debut: 31.10.1990 vs. Cameroon
International caps: 86/19 (10/2 at LFC) - 07.06.2003
Liverpool debut: 15.10.1997
Last appearance: 16.05.1999
Debut goal: 25.10.1997
Last goal: 24.04.1999
Contract expiry: 06.08.1999
Win ratio: 48.98% W:24 D:11 L:14
Games/goals ratio: 7
Games/assists ratio: 16.33
Total games/goals opposite LFC: 7 / 1
League games / goals / assists: 37 / 7 / 3
Total games / goals / assists: 49 / 7 / 3

Player Profile

After Leonhardsen was voted the Player's Player of the Year in 1994 while at Rosenborg he moved to Wimbledon where he impressed during his two and half year's stay and was twice voted the club's Player of the Year. Fiorentina and Newcastle were hot on his trail when Leonhardsen rejected a new contract offer from Wimbledon. He needed little persuasion to join his boyhood idols in the summer of 1997. It made the transition easier that he joined fellow Norwegian internationals Stig Inge Bjørnebye and Bjørn Tore Kvarme at Liverpool. They had also been his teammates at Rosenborg. Leonhardsen was delighted: "I supported Liverpool as a kid. We saw English games on Norwegian TV every week, and Liverpool were always on because they were the best. My heroes were Kevin Keegan and later Kenny Dalglish. I had Liverpool posters on my bedroom wall. I had some great times at Wimbledon but they are only a small club. I said when I first signed for them that one day I wanted to go to a big club and they said they understood." 

Roy Evans liked Norwegians because of their work ethic and claimed: "The Scandinavian players in the Premiership often don't have a great deal of flair but Øyvind probably has the most." Leonhardsen was an industrious midfielder with an eye for a goal as proved in his first season at the club when he scored six goals in 36 matches. He wasn't though first-choice when his second season started once Gérard Houllier had moved in by Evans' side and he only played regularly at the end of the season. He didn't convince Houllier that he would be of any value to his side and he sold him to George Graham's Tottenham. He stayed at Spurs for three years, playing 72 games and scoring 11 goals, being frozen out of the first team following Glenn Hoddle's arrival before the 2001/02 season. "Leo" moved to Villa on a free in 2002 but only lasted a year there before he moved back to his homeland in 2004 and joined Lyn in Oslo. A year later Leonhardsen joined Strømsgodset where he won the Norwegian first division. He retired in 2007 at the age of 37.
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 37 1 6 5 0 49
1997-1998 28 1 5 2 0 36
1998-1999 9 0 1 3 0 13
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
4 278 Tottenham
3 300 Newcastle United
3 270 Manchester United
3 242 Coventry City
2 180 Blackburn Rovers
2 180 Bolton Wanderers
2 180 Leicester City
2 180 Arsenal
2 180 Sheffield Wednesday
2 180 Strasbourg
2 179 Crystal Palace
2 175 Barnsley
2 161 Wimbledon
2 139 Chelsea
2 134 Middlesbrough
2 124 Aston Villa
2 124 Everton
2 110 Leeds United
2 97 Kosice
1 90 Derby
1 90 Grimsby Town
1 90 West Ham United
1 58 Southampton
1 44 WBA
1 14 Valencia
Total Started/substitutions
42 Started
7 On the bench
7 Substitute
11 Substituted
Total Venue
29 Home
20 Away
Total Competition
37 Premier League
6 League Cup
5 UEFA Cup
1 FA Cup
Total W D L Win % Manager
36 19 8 9 52.8% Roy Evans
8 3 1 4 37.5% Gérard Houllier
5 2 2 1 40% Evans / Houllier
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 7 0 0 0 0 7
1997-1998 6 0 0 0 0 6
1998-1999 1 0 0 0 0 1
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Total Started/substitutions
7 Started
0 Substitute
Total Competition
7 Premier League
Total Goal minute period
1 16-30 minutes
2 31-45 minutes
1 46-60 minutes
2 61-75 minutes
1 76-90 minutes
Total Goal origin
7 Open play
Assists per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 3 0 0 0 0 3
1997-1998 3 0 0 0 0 3
1998-1999 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's assists
Total Opponent
1 Leeds United
1 Bolton Wanderers
1 Barnsley
Total Competition
3 Premier League
Total For player
1 Robbie Fowler
1 Michael Owen
1 Karl-Heinz Riedle
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 15.10.1997 WBA The Hawthorns League Cup
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 65 25.10.1997 Derby Anfield League
Related Articles
Liverpool accept Leonhardsen bid

An article from Press Association on 3rd of July 1997.

Scrapbook
In Person - Match programme May 1999
In Person - Match programme May 1999
Øyvind Leonhardsen on the cover of Shoot! 21 February 1998
Øyvind Leonhardsen on the cover of Shoot! 21 February 1998
Oyvind's best is still yet to come!
Oyvind's best is still yet to come!
The game of my life
The game of my life
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Clausenengen 1987-1988 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Molde 1989 Norway 1 22 5 22 5
Molde 1990 Norway 1 21 2 21 2
Molde 1991 Norway 1 21 2 21 2
Rosenborg 1992 Norway 1 22 6 30 7
Rosenborg 1993 Norway 1 19 6 25 8
Rosenborg 1994 Norway 1 22 8 33 11
Wimbledon 1994-1995 England Premier League 20 4 23 5
Wimbledon 1995-1996 England Premier League 29 4 38 5
Wimbledon 1996-1997 England Premier League 27 5 41 6
Tottenham 1999-2000 England Premier League 22 4 28 6
Tottenham 2000-2001 England Premier League 25 3 31 5
Tottenham 2001-2002 England Premier League 7 0 13 0
Aston Villa 2002-2003 England Premier League 19 3 23 3
Lyn 2004-2005 Norway 1 37 2 37 2
Strømsgodset 2006-2007 Norway 1 41 7 41 7
Total 354 61 427 74