20th November – Jon Knudsen

Jon Knudsen is one of the rare players to be a club legend at a team that he never even played for or was every really assosciated with.

The goalkeeper is loved at Norwegian side Rosenborg despite never being involved with the club. What makes it more remarkable is that he won the league title for them while his own team got relegated. On the final day of the 2004 season, his team Stabaek were playing Valerenga, who were going for the title. It is one the closest title races in history and in the last minute of the game with Valerenga only needing one more goal to win the title, Morten Berre ran through but Knudsen pulled off a save and therfore Rosenborg won the championship.

His career started at Lillestrom and made his debut in 1993 after replacing first choice Frode Grodas who was injured in the first half against Ham Kam. Remarkably his team were 2-0 down when he came on but they would win the game 4-3. He played the next five games but unfortunately he never got much game time after and went out on loan to Stromsgodset. His luck didn’t get much better there because he suffered a broken leg in his seventh game and was out of action for 13 months.

In 1999, he decided to leave his homeland and he joined Danish side FC Midtjylland. Despite having a good record though, only conceding eight goals in 15 games, he returned to Norway, joining Stabaek. He was first choice straightaway but missed all of the 2001 season due to epilepsy. Thankfully he did manage to return and made a lot of appearances, including every league game between 2004 and 2007.

He remained first choice for a long time but an injury at the start of the 2011 season was the beginning of the end for Knudsen and at the end of 2012 there were many contract problems at the club. On the final day of the season, Knudsen requested to be substituted on the 53^rd minute and it is believed that it was due to these contract issues that he did.

After the season he signed for Fredrikstad and was first choice for the opening 12 games of the season but he lost his place after that and announced that he would be retiring at the end of the campaign. However, first club Lillestrom had a goalkeeping injury crisis and approached Knudsen to sign for the club. He signed on until the end of the season and 18 years after his last game for the club he managed to keep a clean sheet in a win over Bryne in the Third Round of the 2013 Norwegian Football Cup.

The final word can go to Fredrikstad manager Tom Freddy Aune. “In Jon we get one of Norway’s best goalkeepers. He is an experienced goalkeeper and has played well against us and I am sure that he plays well in the FFK cage as well.”

27th October – Rhys Weston

Rhys Weston may not be the most recognisable name but he has had a very interesting career and if it wasn’t for injuries he may have played at a higher level for a prolonged period of time.

The defender will be fondly remembered by Cardiff City fans as he helped them climb from the bottom division of the Football League to the Championship and even took a pay cut in 2005 to help the club. The 34 year old can also say that he played at the highest level as he featured seven times for Wales between the years of 2000 and 2005.

Now 34 he doesn’t have a club but has played in a few different countries and experienced some different cultures so he can at least take that from his career. Weston started his career at Arsenal and made his debut on the 30th November 1999 in a League Cup game against Middlesbrough after coming on as a substitute. Later in the season he would go on to make his only top flight appearance as he started the final game against Newcastle United on the 14th May 2000.

In total he played three times for Arsenal before joining Cardiff in November 2000 for £300,000. He made his debut in a 3-2 win over Lincoln City and would go on to play another 31 times as the club gained promotion to Division Two after finishing 2nd. In the following season Weston was a more important member of the team and showed his quality in the 43 games he played, unfortunately the club missed out on back to back promotions after being beaten in the playoffs by Stoke City. The 2002-03 season was successful for the player and the club as they managed to gain promotion after beating QPR 1-0 in the playoff final. During the season Weston also scored his first professional goal after scoring in a 4-0 win over Tranmere Rovers on the 26th October.

Despite adapting well to the First Division, Weston struggled with injuries and would only play 24 times after suffering a knee injury and then damaging cartilage in his other knee in March 2004. In the following campaign he returned to his consistent self but again his season was ended by injury. At the end of the season he accepted a substantial reduction in his wages and was placed on the transfer list by new manager Dave Jones but still managed to play 30 times during the 2005-06 season. However, he was left out of the club’s pre-season tour and was released.

Weston then joined Norwegian side Viking but his only match for the club lasted 12 minutes as he dislocated his shoulder. Four days later the manager was sacked and the incoming manager could not speak English so Weston returned to the UK. In February 2007 Weston signed for Port Vale. He would go onto play 15 games for the club before being released. On the 16th July 2007 Weston signed for Walsall and went on to play 50 games for the club during the 2007-08 season earning himself a new deal. He would continue to be a consistent player but at the end of the 2009-10 manager Chris Hutchings decided not to give him a contract and after 111 games he joined Dundee.

He spent two seasons at the Scottish side and in both seasons they finished 2nd in Division One but at the end of his contract he decided to join Icelandic side KR Reykjavik. Due to financial problems he left the club after just 16 appearances and made the move to Malaysia to sign for Sabah FA. He only played six times and joined AFC Wimbledon on the 7th August 2013. Once again he did not get much game time and after a loan spell at Sutton United he was not offered a new contract.

The final word can go to Richard Money. “Rhys has become an important member of the team. His performances have become more and more consistent as the season has progressed and we hope that he will continue to be an important player for Walsall.”

24th September – John Arne Riise

John Arne Riise might be a left back but it wasn’t his defending he was best known for as he had a phenomenal left foot and scored some sublime goals.

He is now currently playing in Cyprus with APOEL and at the age of 34 he is coming towards the end of his career but he does have some good memories, particularly at Liverpool where he helped them win the Champions league in 2005 in that incredible match against AC Milan. Riise also has the honour of being Norway’s most capped player and is definitely seen as a hero in his home country.

The defender started his career at Norwegian club Aalesund and after a fantastic spell he was being linked with moves away from the club. His five goals in 25 league games convinced French club Monaco to sign the full back. During the 1998-99 season he only played eight times but in the following campaign he became a regular in the side and he helped them win the Ligue 1 title. However, soon after he fell out with manager Claude Puel after saying he wanted to leave the club. Riise had been frustrated because bids had been rejected for him as Monaco wanted a higher transfer fee.

Eventually in 2001 he joined Liverpool for £4 million and made his debut against Bayern Munich in the Super Cup and scored as Liverpool won the game 3-2. He quickly became a fan favourite because of his attacking play from left back and ended his first season in England with seven Premier League goals. The next few seasons were difficult for Riise but after the appointment of Rafael Benitez he rediscovered his form and helped the club win the Champions League. In the final he had a mixed game as he set up the all important first goal for Steven Gerrard but then went on to miss his spot kick in the shootout.

In his time at Liverpool he also helped them win the FA Cup which also went to penalties and Riise was brave enough to step up once more and this time he managed to score. But after this he started getting less game time and although he made it into Liverpool’s top 50 appearance makers it seemed like his time at the club was coming to an end.

On the 18th June 2008 he signed for Italian side Roma and once again quickly became a fan favourite because of his wholehearted displays and his important goals for the club. He seemed to always pop up in the games that mattered to the fans, he scored a goal against Inter in a pivotal game of the season and then followed this up against Milan with a goal and an assist in a 3-2 victory and then also scored a last minute header to give his team a 2-1 win over Juventus.

After 99 league games and three seasons at the club he was on the move, this time joining Fulham on the 13th July 2011 and joined his brother Bjorn Helge at the club. He was a very consistent player during his three years there but he did not manage to score which was the most surprising thing about his second spell in England. His final year at the club was a disaster for everyone as they ended up getting relegated to the Championship and Riise left when his contract expired.

Now at APOEL, he made his debut against Ayia Napa and set up two goals in a 3-1 away victory.

The final word can go to Martin Jol. “John Arne Riise is an experienced international left back who will bring a number of qualities to our squad and provide more options for me. He is an accomplished player defensively, who can also contribute to our attacking play.”

22nd August – Heidar Helguson

Heidar Helguson was not one of the tallest strikers to play in England but he certainly scored a lot of headers during his career and was always a threat from crosses.

The striker made a career of out jumping much taller defenders and powering home headers but he was also very good when the ball was on the floor and could bring his teammates into play. A lot of people would argue that he never got a fair chance in the top flight with various different clubs but he always a threat and had a very good goalscoring record throughout his career.

Helguson started his career at hometown club UMFS Dalvik in Iceland and was given his first team debut at the age of just 15. He hit the ground running with five goals in 11 games and this earned him a move to Prottur in 1994. He stayed at the club for three seasons and after scoring 31 goals in 54 league appearances he was being linked with moves to several European clubs. He eventually moved to Norwegian side Lillestrom in the autumn of 1998 and strangely wore the number one shirt. In his first full season he was one of the surprises of the season as he hit 16 league goals and had his own fan club named after him, ‘The Helgusonsons’.

Midway through the 1999-2000 season Helguson transferred to the Premier League and joined Watford for £1.5 million. Despite scoring six goals, he could not prevent Watford getting relegated and was then part of the team that went 15 games undefeated at the start of the next season. However, both he and the club went into decline and with Helguson being played out of position by new manager Gianluca Vialli, he struggled to make a positive impact.

After Ray Lewington took charge Helguson rediscovered his form and ended the 2002-03 season as the club’s top goalscorer with 13 goals, however an injury kept him out of the first half of the next season but still managed eight goals in 22 league games. His final season at the club was injury free and he ended it with 20 goals in all competitions and was linked with moves to the Premier League.

Fulham signed the striker on the 27th June 2005 but he had to wait to become a starter and was largely used as a substitute to begin with. When he did eventually break into the first team he showed his quality and scored some memorable goals and finished with 10 in all competitions. The next season was more frustrating as he only managed three goals and joined Bolton Wanderers in the following summer. He stayed at the club for two seasons but only played eight times because of injuries and left the club for QPR.

Initially he joined on loan and after scoring five times in his first 10 game he joined the club permanently. However, after failing to add to his goal tally and falling out of favour he rejoined Watford on loan. He spent most of the season there scoring 11 times in 29 games. Afterwards he regained his place in the QPR starting 11 and helped get them promoted to the Premier League by scoring 13 goals and while in the top flight he was their top scorer in their successful relegation battle. Despite missing the second half he still managed to score eight goals in 16 games.

On the 2nd August 2012 Helguson signed for Cardiff City. Although he scored eight goals and helped them get promoted to the Premier League, he left the club when his contract expired at the end of the season.

The final word can go to his Cardiff manager Malky Mackay. “He’s the man that really stepped up to the plate and was that battering ram for us. He’s absolutely the type of guy I’d fill a club with. I’ve got great admiration for him and what he’s done in his career.”

15th June – Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah proved a thorn in the side of many English clubs over the last few years and when Jose Mourinho signed him for Chelsea he even joked ‘at least he can’t score against us anymore’.

The winger has had half a season to adapt to the Premier League and will be hoping to make a big impact on the league next season and even if Chelsea do buy a lot of players, it will be difficult for them to find someone as direct and quick as the Egyptian international. He also has a phenomenal record for the national side too, scoring 17 times in 29 games.

Salah started his career at El Mokawloon in the Egyptian Premier League and made his debut on the 3rd May 2010 as a substitute in a 1-1 draw with Mansoura. In the next season he became a first team regular and scored his first goal on the 25th December in a 1-1 draw with Al-Ahly. He went on to play every game in the 2011-12 season for the club but unfortunately the Egyptian Premier League was stopped and the rest of the games were cancelled after the Port Said Stadium disaster in February 2012.

He moved club soon after and signed for Swiss side FC Basel and made his debut in a Champions League game against Norwegian side Molde and a few days later he made his league debut against FC Thun. He then scored his first league goal a week later in a 2-0 win over Lausanne. Basel comfortably won the Swiss Super League and were one of the most exciting teams to watch in the Europa League with Salah one of the star performers. In the quarter finals he scored against Tottenham Hotspur and after the aggregate score finished 4-4 the Swiss side went through on penalties. Then in the semi final, Salah once again scored against English opposition by scoring against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, unfortunately they were beaten 5-2 on aggregate.

On his first appearance of the 2013-14 season he scored against Aarau. But it was once again in Europe where Salah showed his real quality, particularly against Chelsea. They were drawn together in the group stages and on the 18th September he scored the equaliser at Stamford Bridge as Basel beat Chelsea 2-1 and then in the return match he scored the only goal of the game.

On the 26th January the winger joined Chelsea for a fee in the region of £11 million and made his debut as a substitute in a 3-0 win over Newcastle United. Over a month later he scored his first goal for the club after coming on as a substitute in Chelsea’s 6-0 win over Arsenal. He only went on to score one more Premier League goal but it was in a fantastic individual performance against Stoke City. He opened the scoring, won a penalty and then got an assist proving that he could be a vital part of Chelsea’s future if he is given the opportunities.

The final word can go to the former Egypt manager Bob Bradley. “Salah is the future of Egyptian football. His performances are heroic. Salah is a perfect professional both on and off the pitch. He doesn’t take anything for granted, he’ll work hard and realise that to keep pushing himself along, he’s got to meet the new challenges.”

17th April – Michael Mifsud

Not many players from Malta have played in England and even less have scored two goals at Old Trafford to knock Manchester United out of a cup.

The Maltese Sports Person of the Year in 2001 and 2003 Michael Mifsud is 33 today and he managed to do this in 2007 in the third round of the League Cup. This would have been a great moment for him as in 1999 he had a trial at Manchester United while a player at Sliema Wanderers but he was not offered a permanent deal and continued to be one of the hottest properties ever in Maltese football. He scored 60 goals in 80 league games for his first club which led to German club Kaiserslautern taking a chance on him.

He was a regular for their ‘B’ side and continued his good goal scoring record which meant he was given a few opportunities in the first team however after only two goals in 21 games, the player felt he needed to be playing more football and left the club to rejoin Sliema. In just 12 games he scored eight times and helped the club win the league title.

Once again he was on the move and this time it was to Norwegian side Lillestrom. He proved his quality at the club in a higher quality league and was voted as the best foreigner in the league after 11 goals in 19 games. Although they did not want him to leave he would not extend his contract and joined Coventry City.

Unfortunately for him the manager that signed him, Micky Adams, was sacked two days later. This could have stopped him fulfilling his potential but he proved he was good enough for a place in the side and scored his first goal after coming on as a substitute against Plymouth Argyle. Before the end of the season he scored another three goals including the goal of the season against Sheffield Wednesday.

It was in the next season that he produced his best football including his performance at Old Trafford. Manager at the time Iain Dowie said: “He buzzes around and he can be a real pest, but he is so quick, that he can be too quick for himself. That can be a problem but we have worked on his finishing and this will have done him good.”

He continued to excel and had 15 goals by the time he was about to face Premier League opposition again. This time it was Blackburn Rovers and he repeated what he did against Alex Ferguson’s men. Them two goals made him the Player of the Round. In the following months and season his goals slowed because he was now playing as a winger but was still a threat.

Before leaving Coventry he had a loan spell at Barnsley where he scored two goals in 15 games. This is when his career hit a wall and he was looking for clubs, eventually ending up back in Malta with Valletta where he continued where he left off in the country, scoring goals for fun.

Although he clearly loves it in Malta he is too good for that league and wanted to move back abroad. His next career move was to Australian club Melbourne Heart but he has just been released by the club. But the last word can go to his head coach there John Aloisi: “Michael has scored goals at whatever level he has played at. He is an exciting footballer and will be a dynamic influence in our attack. He has played against the very best teams and held his own.”

4th April – Alexander Tettey

Players that are eligible to play for both Ghana and Norway is not a very common thing but Norwich City midfielder Alexander Tettey is one of the few that can.

He is 28 today and has recently scored his first goal in the Premier League and I don’t think many players will have scored a better first goal and one that could prove to be very important come the end of the season. It was a fantastic volley in a 2-0 win against Sunderland.

Tettey was born in Ghana but moved to Norway at a young age and came through Rosenborg’s youth team and was the youngest player to have been part of their matchday squads for nearly 30 years. For a defensive midfielder he had a decent goal scoring record in Norway scoring 12 league goals in 89 games which made a lot of other European clubs take note.

Rennes were the club to take a chance on him and were trying to build a side that would challenge for major honours and they felt Tettey was someone that could add some much needed defensive quality to their midfield.

Unfortunately his time at the French club was plagued by injuries and he could not show his true potential. He played 60 times in his three years at the club and when he was fit he usually played which showed they thought highly of him.

After joining Norwich City he had to wait a while to make his home debut but the Carrow Road faithful were delighted with his performance and was the star of the show as they beat Arsenal 1-0. This made him an automatic starter for the next few months until an injury hit and was worse than initially feared keeping him out of action until February 2013. He returned to help the team beat Manchester City on the last day of the season and give Norwich their highest Premier League finish since the 1992-93 season.

The last word can go to his manager Chris Hughton who said after his wonderful goal against Sunderland. “I think everybody would have enjoyed that second goal and it could not have happened to a nicer fella. He is a good individual and professional and the lads are delighted for him.”