Havard Nordtveit

Havard Nordtveit (born 21 June 1990) is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a defender or defensive midfielder for Bundesliga club 1899 Hoffenheim and the Norway national team.

Club Career

Norway

Nordtveit began his career as a youth in Norway with Vats 94 (where his father, Oyvind Nordtveit, trained him) and Skjold before joining Haugesund. It was announced on 29 June 2006 that he signed his first professional contract with the club, keeping him until 2009. As Nordtveit made a transfer move, both Vats 94 and Skjold received an entitlement share of the money.

By August 2006, Nordtveit was called up to the first team for the first time. On 20 August 2006, Nordtveit became the youngest player ever to play for Haugesund, as he was selected for the starting line-up in a 2–0 victory against Sogndal at Haugesund Stadium. This turns out to be his only appearance of the 2006 season.

Nordtveit made nine league appearances during the following season for Haugesund in the Norwegian First Division. That season he also appeared in the Norwegian Football Cup, being in the starting line up in the 1–6 victory against Djerv 1919 (1st round), and coming on in the 33rd minute in a 4–0 victory over Lov-Ham scoring one goal (third round). Haugesund went all the way to the final.

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger travelled to Norway on 11 June 2007 to watch an Adeccoligaen match and begin negotiations to sign Nordtveit. The members of the FKH board stated that the club had rejected Arsenal's initial bid. The player himself said that his club was asking for a "supernaturally high" transfer fee. The price being quoted in the Norwegian media was 20 million Norwegian kroner (approximately £1.7 million at the time). A transfer fee was later finalized on 3 July 2007 for £500,000 initially, rising to £2m after 40 first team appearances. Upon joining the club, Haugesund captain Kevin Nicol and former Norway coach Nils Johan Semb went on to praise him as the br

This page also has a version in other languages :  Ховард Нортвейт (russian)