If you are a striker and are looking for a professional contract abroad, Bodø / Glimt is the club, judging by how things have gone with the holy yellow attackers in recent years.
–
With Erik Botheim’s giant transfer to Russia, he joins the ranks of Bodø / Glimt strikers who have secured a career abroad after being convinced in the yellow suit.
Since 2014, it has only been in 2017 that there has been no transfer abroad for one of the Glimt strikers.
Just check the list below:
- 2014: Ibba Laajab. 13 goals for Glimt in the comeback season in the elite series. Was sold to Hebei Zhungji in China for around six million kroner.
- 2015: Alexander Sørloth. Was on loan in Glimt from Rosenborg. Scored 13 goals for the All-Yellows. Was sold to Groningen after the season. The value of the agreement was approximately seven to eight million kroner, which Rosenborg was left with.
- 2016: Fitim Azemi. Scored 11 goals for Glimt who relegated. Was sold to Maccabi Haifa. The agreement must have been worth around four million kroner for Glimt.
- 2018: Kristian Fardal Opseth. Set scoring record in OBOS in 2017 (28 goals), Followed up with 10 goals in the elite series, before he was sold to Turkish Erzurumspor. For this, Glimt secured approximately NOK 4.5 million.
- 2019: Geir Andre Herrem. 31 years old, and written off by many. Scored six goals for Glimt on a gold hunt, before he was sold to Swedish Kalmar. Not the biggest sale, but Glimt got about 1.3 million for the tip.
- 2020: Kasper Junker. Was picked up from Stabæk, and became an immediate hit in Bodø. 27 league goals, league gold and scoring against AC Milan at the San Siro. Wanted to move on, and was sold for around 20 million kroner to Urawa Red Diamonds, where he could recently celebrate cup gold.
- 2021: Erik Botheim. Currently the last part of the fairy tale story Bodø / Glimt. Was separated and released in Rosenborg. Came to Bodø, and got a lot of responsibility when Junker was sold. Finished on 15 league goals, and 22 goals in total for Glimt. Sold to Russian Krasnodar in a deal that could be worth a staggering 100 million kroner.
Enormous variety
There could have been more on the list. There has been interest in several of Glimt’s strikers, and a man like Victor Boniface would have quickly become difficult to keep in Bodø, if he had stayed injury free. There has also been interest in Lasse Nordås.
Aasmund Bjørkan has played a very important role in Glimt in recent years, and has worked closely with all the strikers who have been sold.
– There is a huge number you are referring to. The statistics Bodø / Glimt has with strikers in recent years are very special, Bjørkan states.
– What do you think is the reason?
– The style of play we have in Glimt is one of the reasons. It is our tip that is most often set up in favorable positions. Take Botheim as an example. I think he got more chances than he did before. Then he made better use of his x-factor. Then it’s about the way we work with our style of play, and specifically towards the strikers. These are details we work with individual players, so that they will be in favorable positions. Then, of course, it’s about them having good teammates. Glimt is known as a team that is good offensively, with a clear structure. All the strikers have benefited from our clear style, together with good teammates, it means that they often get many chances, says Bjørkan, before he points out:
– None of the strikers we have picked up have been the complete striker, who has scored a lot of goals before they have come here. With Botheim, we felt that he was too impatient, and we worked a lot with it, for him to get in more favorable positions, the Glimt coach explains.
also read
Claims Glimt has decided: Want Espejord
Everyone wants a tip
With another striker out, there is no doubt that Glimt is chasing a new striker. The stable now has injured Victor Boniface and the young boy Elias Hoff Melkersen, in addition to Lasse Nordås.
– We have met well with the types we have picked up in recent years. The thing about the top spot is that all the clubs in the world are looking for someone to score goals. We have to see something no one else sees. We have succeeded exceptionally well in recent years right there. Pointers who have beaten through other places, we struggle to get. But the success stories we have seen in recent years are quite extreme. There are seven strikers who have had their big breakthrough, and have been allowed to advance to a career abroad. I hope all young strikers notice this, says Bjørkan.
Best in Norway
Glimt is hunting as mentioned new striker, and has been mentioned in connection with Tromsø striker Runar Espejord. The Glimt coach does not want to comment on anything around Espejord, but says the following about the striker hunt:
– I hope that it is noticed among players we are interested in that if you do well here, you get the chance. Among those who have not had their breakthrough, or those who want to take steps, they get the opportunity to show themselves on the biggest stage in Europe. We at Glimt are in the fortunate situation that we are in that position now, and then Glimt is the safest card for those who want to try their hand in Europe. It should be a good bargaining chip for Glimt, says Aasmund Bjørkan.
–
