Jan Åge Fjørtoft facts for kids
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Fjørtoft in 2023
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 10 January 1967 | ||
| Place of birth | Gursken, Møre og Romsdal, Norway | ||
| Height | 1.90 m | ||
| Playing position | Centre forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Gursken | |||
| 1982–1983 | Hødd | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1984–1985 | Hødd | 39 | (34) |
| 1986–1987 | HamKam | 44 | (17) |
| 1988–1989 | Lillestrøm | 33 | (20) |
| 1989–1993 | Rapid Wien | 129 | (63) |
| 1993–1995 | Swindon Town | 72 | (27) |
| 1995–1997 | Middlesbrough | 41 | (10) |
| 1997–1998 | Sheffield United | 34 | (19) |
| 1998 | Barnsley | 34 | (9) |
| 1998–2001 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 52 | (14) |
| 2001 | Stabæk | 15 | (6) |
| 2002 | Lillestrøm | 4 | (0) |
| Total | 497 | (219) | |
| National team | |||
| 1984 | Norway U19 | 6 | (5) |
| 1985–1987 | Norway U21 | 14 | (6) |
| 1986–1996 | Norway | 71 | (20) |
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Jan Åge Fjørtoft (born 10 January 1967) is a Norwegian former professional football player. He was a strong centre forward who scored many goals. He played professionally in Norway, Austria, England, and Germany. In total, he scored 308 goals in 614 games across these four countries.
He played 71 games for the Norwegian National Team. He was the team captain in 15 of those games and scored 20 goals. A very important moment in his national team career was when Norway qualified for the 1994 World Cup in the USA. This was the first time Norway had been in the World Cup since 1938. His nickname was Fjøra, which means "The Feather".
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Jan Åge Fjørtoft started his senior football career at Hødd in Norway. He was only 17 years old. In his first season in 1984, he scored 9 goals in 17 matches. The next year, 1985, he scored an amazing 25 goals in 22 games.
After playing for Hødd, HamKam, and Lillestrøm in Norway, he moved to Austria. He spent four seasons with Rapid Wien in the Austrian Football Bundesliga. In 1989, he was named Player of the Year there. He was only the second non-Austrian player to win this award.
Playing in England
In the 1990s, Fjørtoft played for several teams in England. He joined Swindon Town in 1993. They had just been promoted to the Premiership, which is the top football league in England. Swindon Town paid a record £500,000 for him.
His start at Swindon was a bit slow. The team struggled and did not win any of their first 16 games. Fjørtoft did not score a goal until after Christmas. But then, he scored 13 goals in his last 17 games. This included three goals in one game (a hat-trick) against Coventry City in February 1994. Even with his goals, Swindon finished last and went down to a lower league.
Fjørtoft kept scoring many goals in the 1994–95 season. He helped Swindon reach the semi-finals of the League Cup. On 23 March 1995, he moved to Middlesbrough for £1.3 million. By then, he had scored 25 goals for Swindon that season.
At Middlesbrough, Fjørtoft quickly became a regular player. He helped them win the First Division title that season. This meant they were promoted to the Premiership in 1995. He played regularly in the 1995–96 season. He played alongside Brazilian star Juninho. Middlesbrough finished in a good 12th place. Fjørtoft scored six goals in 26 Premier League games.
In 1996, another famous player, Fabrizio Ravanelli, joined Middlesbrough. This meant Fjørtoft played less. On 31 January 1997, he was sold to Sheffield United for £700,000. Before he left Middlesbrough, he scored an important goal in an FA Cup game.
After Sheffield United lost in the playoffs, he stayed there until January 1998. Then he joined Barnsley, hoping to play in the Premiership again. Barnsley was relegated that season, but Fjørtoft still scored six goals in 15 Premiership games. He left England in November 1998 to play for Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.
Playing in Germany and Back Home
Fjørtoft played for Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany for three years. He became a fan favorite there. In the last game of the 1998–99 season, he scored a crucial goal in the 89th minute. This goal helped Eintracht Frankfurt stay in the top league.
After his time in Germany, he returned to Norway. He played for Stabæk and then finished his career with Lillestrøm in 2002. He retired from playing football when he was 35 years old.
Playing for Norway
Between 1986 and 1996, Jan Åge Fjørtoft played 71 games for the Norway national team. He was part of the team that played in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He started in games against Mexico and Italy during that World Cup.
Life After Football
After he stopped playing football, Jan Åge Fjørtoft took on many different roles. He worked in TV, helped football clubs, and advised important organizations.
Working in Media
While he was still playing in England, Fjørtoft often appeared on Sky Sports TV. He also worked as a football expert for NRK in Norway during the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2002. After he retired in 2002, he became the first full-time football expert on Norwegian TV.
He also joined Viaplay in 2004. He hosted and was an expert for their broadcasts of the Champions League, FA Cup, and World Cup. Today, he is still a senior reporter for Viaplay's Premier League broadcasts.
In 2021-2022, he made a documentary called "Haaland – The Big Decision." This film showed the journey of football star Erling Haaland as he moved from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City.
Fjørtoft has been a regular face in the media since 2002. He has worked for TV channels like Viaplay, Sky Germany, ESPN, and ServusTV. He also writes columns for newspapers like Bild Zeitung in Germany. With his son, Markus Fjørtoft, he hosts "The German Fussball Podcast."
Advisor and Ambassador Roles
Jan Åge Fjørtoft also runs his own company that helps other companies and their leaders with communication. He was an advisor for the Norwegian Olympic Committee and WADA from 2016 to 2019. He worked with them on important projects, including an Anti-Doping Conference at the White House in Washington D.C.
Since 2008, he has advised the Norwegian Football Association. He helped with the "Handshake for Peace" idea from the very beginning. In 2014, he became the Team Manager for the Norwegian National Team, working closely with the coach.
In 2015, the Minister for Sport in Norway asked Fjørtoft to lead a group. This group advised the government on how to use sports to benefit society. He also works as an Ambassador for Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany. In 2021, he helped create the Norway-Forum to build stronger connections between the Frankfurt area and Norway.
Helping Others Through Sports
Jan Åge Fjørtoft is also very involved in charity work. Since 1990, he has run sports schools. For the last five years, these schools have been free for students. He has organized these schools in Norway, England, and Scotland. He also led foundations like "MTG United for Peace" and later one at Millicom.
Family Life
Jan Åge Fjørtoft's son, Markus, also became a professional football player.
Honours
Lillestrøm
- 1. divisjon: 1989
Middlesbrough
- Football League First Division: 1994–95
Individual
- 1. divisjon top scorer: 1988
- Player of the year in Austria (Krone-Fußballerwahl): 1989
- Football League First Division Team of the Year: 1994–95
See also
In Spanish: Jan Åge Fjørtoft para niños
