Frode Birkeland

Frode Birkeland (born 25 January 1972) is a retired Norwegian football striker and later manager.

Frode Birkeland
Personal information
Date of birth (1972-01-25) 25 January 1972
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Esbjerg (goalkeeper coach)
Youth career
Minde
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Minde
Varegg
1990–1991 Sogndal
–1993 Vadmyra
1994–1995 Lyngbø
1996 Åsane
1997–1998 Eik-Tønsberg 48 (14)
1999–2002 Lyn 70 (16)
2002 → Lillestrøm (loan) 12 (5)
2003–2004 HamKam
2004–2005 Kongsvinger[1] 37 (5)
2006 Hamar
Managerial career
2006 HamKam (B team)
2007 Gjøvik-Lyn
2008–2009 Lillestrøm (B team)
2010–2012 Drøbak-Frogn
2013–2016 Hønefoss (goalk. coach/assistant)
2017 Levanger (assistant)
2018–2021 Start (goalk. coach)
2021– Esbjerg (goalk. coach)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

In his early career he played for Bergen-based minnows Minde, Varegg, Vadmyra and Lyngbø, also with a spell in larger club Sogndal in 1990.[2] In 1996 he got a break anew, as he moved from Lyngbø to 1. divisjon club Åsane.[3]

In 1997 he moved on to fellow second-tier club Eik-Tønsberg, then Lyn in 1999. With Lyn he managed promotion to 2001 Eliteserien.[4] In 2001 he also had a trial with Sheffield United, and was allegedly close to a contract, but then Paul Peschisolido and Carl Asaba returned from injury and the transfer fell through.[2] Birkeland instead moved on to Lillestrøm in mid-2002, Hamarkameratene in 2003 and Kongsvinger in mid-2004. He retired from professional football after the 2005 season, but featured for minnows Hamar IL.[5]

He started his coaching career in 2006 for the B team of HamKam,[2] then coached Gjøvik-Lyn in 2007. After one year he was picked up by Lillestrøm and put in charge of their B team.[6][7] From 2010 through 2012 he was the head coach of Drøbak-Frogn, achieving promotion from 3. divisjon, and from 2013 through 2016 he worked for Hønefoss, both as goalkeeping coach and assistant manager. In 2017 he signed a one-year contract as assistant coach to Magnus Powell in Levanger FK.[8] Seeing the contract through, he moved south to become goalkeeper coach of IK Start in 2018.[9]

On 21 June 2021 it was confirmed, that Birkeland had been hired as a goalkeeper coach for Danish 1st Division club Esbjerg fB.[10]

References
  1. Fossum, Geir. "Frode Birkeland" (in Norwegian). Fozzum.com. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  2. Stenseth, Knut (28 April 2012). "Birkeland – én måned unna Sheffield United". Østlandets Blad (in Norwegian). p. 29.
  3. Jacobsen, Ove (30 January 1996). "Stiller godt forberedt". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian).
  4. "Frode Birkeland" (in Norwegian). Lynhistorie.com. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  5. Frode Birkeland at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)
  6. Befring, Knut (22 November 2007). "Birkeland gir seg i SK Gjøvik-Lyn". Oppland Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian).
  7. Svesengen, Morten (25 March 2008). "Skal stramme opp unggutta". Romerikes Blad (in Norwegian).
  8. Ringstad, Emil (13 January 2017). "- Ubeskrivelig viktig å ha Frode på plass". Trønder-Avisa (in Norwegian). p. 21.
  9. Karlsen, Håvard (6 January 2018). "Ruthford Pedersens erstatter er funnet". Fædrelandsvennen (in Norwegian). p. 57.
  10. Frode Birkeland ny målmandstræner i EfB, efb.dk, 21 June 2021
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