Henning Berg
Encyclopedia
Henning Stille Berg is a Norwegian
former football player. He played as a central defender
or right-back
.
He is one of only three players to have won the Premier League with two different clubs, the others being Ashley Cole
and Nicolas Anelka
(as of 2010).
, Berg played for Vålerenga and Lillestrøm before coming to England. He had a trial at Manchester United in 1987, but was unable to sign a contract with the club after failing to obtain a work permit.
He moved to Blackburn Rovers
for £400,000 in the first Premier League season (1992-93)
and soon made the right-back position his own in the Rovers side. Berg played a vital role in Blackburn's successful title-winning season in 1994-95
missing only two games throughout the season. His versatility (he was also a competent centre-back) and consistent performances earned him a move to Manchester United
in 1997 for a fee of £5 million - at the time the joint highest fee ever paid for a defender by a British club.
While at Manchester United, he helped the club two league titles (1999 and 2000), one FA Cup
in 1999 and one UEFA Champions League
title in 1999; part of the famous Treble
winning 1999 side, despite missing the two cup finals through injury. He scored three goals while at the club and is particularly fondly remembered for an outstanding display against Inter Milan in the quarter-finals of United's Champions League winning season.
Berg was a regular choice in the United line-up in season 1997-98
. He was restricted to just 16 Premier League games in 1998-99
following the arrival of Jaap Stam
, only to regain his place in the side during 1999-2000
when Ronny Johnsen
was injured.
He re-joined Blackburn in September 2000, initially on loan
for 3 months, before securing a permanent transfer. Further success followed for Berg, with Rovers being promoted back to the Premier League in 2001
. The following season, Blackburn won the League Cup with Berg lifting the trophy as captain.
Berg later moved on from Blackburn and had a season at the Scottish
club Rangers
in 2003-04
, where he played his last game professionally.
at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup
s, as well as Euro 2000
. He made his debut for Norway
in a May 1992 friendly match against the Faroe Islands
and earned a total of 100 caps over a period of 12 years, scoring 9 goals. His final international match was a May 2004 friendly game against Wales
in which he was substituted early on by Claus Lundekvam
to mark the end of his Norway career.
side. Berg made his debut for Lyn against Start two days later, getting a 1-1 draw, followed up by winning 6-1 against Molde the next week. Lyn finished 3rd that season.
Manchester United
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
former football player. He played as a central defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
or right-back
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
.
He is one of only three players to have won the Premier League with two different clubs, the others being Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
and Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka
Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...
(as of 2010).
Club career
Born in EidsvollEidsvoll
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Romerike traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sundet.-Name:...
, Berg played for Vålerenga and Lillestrøm before coming to England. He had a trial at Manchester United in 1987, but was unable to sign a contract with the club after failing to obtain a work permit.
He moved to Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
for £400,000 in the first Premier League season (1992-93)
FA Premier League 1992-93
The 1992–93 FA Premier League was the first season of the Premier League, the top division of English football. The league was made up of the 22 clubs that broke away from The Football League at the end of the 1991–92 season. The new league was backed up by a five-year, £305 million deal with...
and soon made the right-back position his own in the Rovers side. Berg played a vital role in Blackburn's successful title-winning season in 1994-95
FA Premier League 1994-95
-Promoted teams:Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest were promoted from the Football League First Division as winners and runners-up respectively. Leicester City won the 1993-94 playoff.-Controversial incidents:...
missing only two games throughout the season. His versatility (he was also a competent centre-back) and consistent performances earned him a move to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in 1997 for a fee of £5 million - at the time the joint highest fee ever paid for a defender by a British club.
While at Manchester United, he helped the club two league titles (1999 and 2000), one FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1999 and one UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
title in 1999; part of the famous Treble
The Treble
The term treble or Treble is used in association football to refer to a team winning three trophies in a single season. Honours usually considered to contribute to a treble are the top-tier domestic league competition, domestic cup competitions, and continental tournaments; although this depends to...
winning 1999 side, despite missing the two cup finals through injury. He scored three goals while at the club and is particularly fondly remembered for an outstanding display against Inter Milan in the quarter-finals of United's Champions League winning season.
Berg was a regular choice in the United line-up in season 1997-98
1997-98 in English football
The 1997-1998 season was the 118th season of competitive football in England.-Premier League:Arsenal overhauled Manchester United's lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title...
. He was restricted to just 16 Premier League games in 1998-99
1998-99 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30 million which netted Aston Villa striker...
following the arrival of Jaap Stam
Jaap Stam
Jakob "Jaap" Stam is a retired Dutch football player who was twice voted best defender in the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League. He played for several European clubs like PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, S.S. Lazio, A.C. Milan and AFC Ajax before retiring in October 2007...
, only to regain his place in the side during 1999-2000
1999-2000 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United were crowned FA Premier League champions with an 18-point margin over runners-up Arsenal and with just 3 league defeats all season. This was despite their failure to retain the European Cup and withdrawal from the FA Cup in order to compete in the FIFA Club World...
when Ronny Johnsen
Ronny Johnsen
Jean Ronny Johnsen is a former Norwegian football player. He played as a centre back or defensive midfielder, but was often sidelined because of his many injuries.-Career:...
was injured.
He re-joined Blackburn in September 2000, initially on loan
Loan (football)
In sports, a loan involves a particular player being allowed to temporarily play for a club other than the one he is currently contracted to. Loan deals may last from a few weeks to all season-long....
for 3 months, before securing a permanent transfer. Further success followed for Berg, with Rovers being promoted back to the Premier League in 2001
2000-01 in English football
The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
. The following season, Blackburn won the League Cup with Berg lifting the trophy as captain.
Berg later moved on from Blackburn and had a season at the Scottish
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
club Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in 2003-04
2003-04 in Scottish football
The 2003–04 season was the 107th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2003–04 Scottish Premier League season was won by Celtic with 98 points, 17 points ahead of closest challengers Rangers. Both Rangers and Celtic therefore gained the two UEFA...
, where he played his last game professionally.
International career
At international level, Berg was part of the Norwegian national teamNorway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
s, as well as Euro 2000
2000 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe....
. He made his debut for Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
in a May 1992 friendly match against the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands national football team
The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third...
and earned a total of 100 caps over a period of 12 years, scoring 9 goals. His final international match was a May 2004 friendly game against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
in which he was substituted early on by Claus Lundekvam
Claus Lundekvam
Claus Lundekvam is a former Norwegian footballer, who spent most of his career at English side Southampton. He played for Southampton in the 2003 FA Cup Final against Arsenal .-Playing career:...
to mark the end of his Norway career.
Lyn
22 April 2005, Berg was appointed manager of Lyn, at the age of 35. Berg signed a four-year contract with the OsloOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
side. Berg made his debut for Lyn against Start two days later, getting a 1-1 draw, followed up by winning 6-1 against Molde the next week. Lyn finished 3rd that season.
Lillestrøm
On 19 August 2008, Lyn announced that Berg had accepted an offer from Lillestrøm, where he had last played in 1992. Henning Berg signed a five-year contract and took over as head coach on 21 October 2008. On 27 October 2011, after gaining only a single point in 8 matches, Berg was sacked from Lillestrøm.Managerial stats
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Lyn |  |
22 April 2005 | 9 September 2008 | 120 | 55 | 23 | 42 | |
| Lillestrøm | |
21 October 2008 | 27 October 2011 | 89 | 28 | 33 | 28 | |
| Year | Nat | Team | Pos | Pl | W | D | L | GD | +/- | Pts | Cup | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | |
FC Lyn Oslo | 3rd | 26 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 37-21 | +16 | 44/78 | 3rd Round | |
| 2006 | |
FC Lyn Oslo | 7th | 26 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 33-36 | -3 | 35/78 | 4th Round | UEFA Cup 1st Qual. Round. |
| 2007 | |
FC Lyn Oslo | 9th | 26 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 43-46 | -3 | 34/78 | Qtr Final | |
| 2008 | |
FC Lyn Oslo | - | 19 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 27-23 | +4 | 29/57 | Qtr Final | Left by mutual consent. |
| 2009 | |
Lillestrøm SK | 11th | 30 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 43-50 | -7 | 37/90 | 4th Round | |
| 2010 | |
Lillestrøm SK | 10th | 30 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 51-44 | +7 | 40/90 | 3rd Round | |
| 2011 | |
Lillestrøm SK | - | 27 | 9 | 5 | 13 | 45-49 | -4 | 32/81 | 4th Round | Sacked after 27 rounds. |
Club
Blackburn Rovers- Premier League: 1994–95
- League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
: 2001–022002 Football League Cup FinalThe 2002 Worthington Cup Final was played between Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on Sunday, 24 February 2002. Blackburn won the match 2–1....
Manchester United
- Premier League: 1998–99, 1999–2000
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 1998–991999 FA Cup FinalThe 1999 FA Cup Final took place on 22 May 1999 and was played at the old Wembley Stadium. It was contested between Manchester United and Newcastle United. Manchester United had finished as champions and Newcastle 13th in the Premier League that season. The Final was a one-sided affair, Manchester... - Charity ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
: 19971997 FA Charity ShieldThe 1997 FA Charity Shield was the 75th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. The match was played on 3 August 1997 at Wembley Stadium and contested by Manchester United, who had won the 1996–97 FA... - UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 1998–991999 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 1999 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place on Wednesday, 26 May 1999. The match was played at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain, to determine the winner of the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League. The final was contested by Manchester United and Bayern Munich... - Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
: 19991999 Intercontinental CupThe 1999 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 30 November 1999 between Manchester United, winners of the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League, and Palmeiras, winners of the 1999 Copa Libertadores...