Scan Magazine

By Linnéa Mitchell | Photos: Silje Glejfjell

It is certainly easy to spot the almost two metre tall Brede Hangeland on the pitch at Fulham Football Club’s Motspur Park grounds. It is a rainy April morning and the team is just winding down after training. Eagerly waiting on the side is a selected group of fans with their autograph books and cameras ready. It is one of the four annual Open Days.

Height-wise, it is fair to say that Brede has his blonde head in the sky being 195cm tall, but in every other way he is extremely down to earth and approaches his admirers with a broad grin before he spends a few minutes cracking jokes while smiling (and crouching) before the camera.

The “tall and commanding” central defender, as he is described in his player profile, joined Fulham FC in 2007 where he is extremely well regarded. Rumours say he is also potentially their future captain, on top of his current captaincy of Norway’s national team, for which he has played over 40 games. But the story of the Texas-born defender began in Norway’s fourth largest city, Stavanger, where he made his first appearance on the football pitch at the age of six. During his teens he played for the local team Vidar FK, before he joined the city’s largest football team FK Viking in 2001. Four years later he signed with FC København where he stayed until signing with Fulham FC, thanks to his old manager Roy Hodgson who had just started at the club.

As a young boy, did you dream of becoming a professional footballer?

Like everybody else I was a big fan of Manchester United but at that age it’s not really a serious dream of course. The reason I started playing was because we lived 50 metres from the football pitch in Stavanger so it was just convenient.  During my years at Vidar FK I probably realised I had talent, but there were so many good players in my team so I didn’t view myself as any better than the others. It was a great place to improve.

What was it like being picked out for Fulham?

It had been the goal for a long time to come to England and play for the Premier League. For Scandinavians it is the dream, as English football has a special position.

What do you think is the reason for Fulham’s improvement this season?

I think it is mainly thanks to our manager Roy. From being almost at the bottom of the league we have now improved remarkably and that’s not bad for a small club. It’s going in the right direction.

What do you think about the club and the other players?

What is so nice about Fulham FC to me is that it really lives up to its reputation as a ‘family club’. It is very open and welcoming, and the team spirit is fantastic. I consider myself lucky to live in such a nice area of London close to both training ground and stadium, and it’s nice for my sambo (co-habitant partner) and young daughter too which is very important.

Are you happy about living in London?

London is a paradise. So much to see and do – almost too much! I am particularly fond of music concerts and restaurants. I’ve met players who don’t like the lifestyle but I think it’s fantastic. I thought Copenhagen had it all but London is 10 times better!

Are you in good shape?

I feel in great shape but it is definitely tough to get used to the long seasons here. In Scandinavia you get a summer and winter break every year, but here there’s only one. So now at the end of the season you feel it in your muscles. But that’s just the way it is.

Rumours say that you might be moving to another team: is that true?

There are always rumours, but you can’t waste too much energy on that. I say what I usually say and that is that right now I am very happy playing for Fulham FC, especially with the last year’s success, so it would be nice to stay for a while.

Do you think Premier League has too much money?

There are many ways to look at it and I understand people who aren’t interested in football, for them it must seem like utter idiocy, but on the other hand it’s easy to see the massive interest it creates in the world and it’s probably due to those market forces that there is lots of money around.

Do you know any of the other Norwegian players in the Premier League?

Yes, because there aren’t that many anymore, haha. I know Erik Nevland here at Fulham, John Carew at Aston Villa and Morten Gamst Pedersen at Blackburn. They are really good mates and we talk regularly on the phone.

What would you do if you didn’t play football?

That would be easier to answer if I had an education! Perhaps that’s what I regret, if anything, that I never went to university. I did a part-time course in economics but it was hard to focus 100 per cent on two things.

What about the future? Do you want to go back to Norway?

Well… The goal is to finish my career first, so if that means staying another 5-6 years or so is hard to say. Of course I miss Norway, especially the nature, and it’s difficult to keep in touch with your friends and family. But we go back every summer and just relax.

He smiles at the thought and tucks into his second energy drink. But there is a lot to smile about on this side of the channel too, as Fulham has reached its best position ever (8^th) in the Premier League – from nearly being suspended a year ago. Although Brede himself is the last to boast, many others (not just Fulham) would say that he is far from finished here. Norway will have to wait a while. And he does not seem to mind.