Kent Bergersen

Kent Roger Bergersen (born 8 February 1967), nicknamed Kenta, is a Norwegian football coach and former footballer. He is currently the assistant manager of Norway.^[1]

Kent Bergersen

Personal information
Full name	Kent Roger Bergersen
Date of birth	(1967-02-08) 8 February 1967 (age 57)
Place of birth	Oslo, Norway
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Defensive centre midfielder
Team information
Current team	Aalesund
Youth career
1983–1985	Grue
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1986–1990	Drøbak-Frogn
1991–1992	Lyn	40	(5)
1993–1994	Rosenborg	43	(15)
1995–1996	Vålerenga	44	(9)
1996	Raith Rovers	6	(1)
1997–1999	Panionios
1999	Strømsgodset
1999–2001	Stockport County	25	(1)
2000	→ Moss (loan)
2001–2002	Moss
2002	Fredrikstad
2003	Drøbak-Frogn
Managerial career
2003–2005	Drøbak-Frogn
2005–2007	Bodø/Glimt
2008–2009	Lyn
2010–2014	Aalesund (assistant)
2015–2016	HamKam
2017–2020	Kvik Halden
2020–	Norway (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He is known for having played for a large number of different clubs throughout the years in a variety of top-flight clubs in Norway, Greece, Scotland and England. Despite his success, he never managed to settle down for more than a few seasons at the most.

Club career

Bergersen was born in Oslo and brought up in Grue, Hedmark; after playing as a youngster in Grue IL he started his senior career in Drøbak-Frogn.^[2] After joining Lyn ahead of the 1991-season, Bergersen made his debut in Tippeligaen against Molde on 28 April 1991. During his two seasons at the club, Bergersen became a valuable contributor for Lyn where he played 40 matches and scored five goals as a winger. He joined Rosenborg in 1993,^[3] and made his debut for his new club against his old club Lyn on 2 May 1993. Bergersen played for Rosenborg for two years,^[4] and won Tippeligaen in both seasons.^[5] He scored 15 goals in 43 matches in the league for Rosenborg,^[4] before he joined Vålerenga. He played 44 matches and scored nine goals in the next two seasons,^[6] but left for Scottish club Raith Rovers after Vålerenga were relegated in 1996.^[7] In his first match in Scotland, Bergersen played 90 minutes when Raith Rovers managed a 2–2 draw against Rangers.^[8] Bergersen played for Raith Rovers for three months, and was named man of the match in four of the six matches he played, before he transferred to Greek club Panionios.^[7]

Bergersen played two season for Panionios, where he won the Greek Cup and reached the quarterfinal of the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup in 1998–99, but left the club in 1999 because he didn't get his salary.^[7][9] In April 1999 he signed a short-term contract with Strømsgodset lasting until 1 August.^[7] He later played for Stockport County from 1999 to 2001,^[10] After playing 12 matches in his first season in England, Bergersen was sent on a six-month loan to Moss along with Aaron Wilbraham when Stockport County bought Jarkko Wiss from the Norwegian club in July 2000.^[11] Bergersen later returned to Stockport, but as the club had no use for him, they released him two months before the contract expired and Bergersen joined Moss in May 2001.^[12] He played for the Second Division side Fredrikstad during the second half of the 2002-season, and helped the team win promotion to the First Division.^[13]

Coaching career

In 2003 Bergersen stepped down from professional football and joined the Third Division side Drøbak-Frogn as a player-coach. After the 2003-season, Bergersen retired and continued as head coach of Drøbak-Frogn for the next two seasons,^[13] before joining second-tier club Bodø/Glimt in 2005 along with club legend Erik Hoftun and securing promotion and comeback to Tippeligaen in 2007.^[14]

Later it was announced before the 2008 season that he was going to sign for Lyn first as assistant to Henning Berg later however he was promoted to head-coach as Berg was sacked after a string of poor results.^[15] In 2009 after much public dispute he too left the club due to poor results as well as the club descending into financial chaos and an abyss from which it would take years to recover.^[16]

In the run-up to the 2010 season he was offered a position as assistant coach under Kjetil Rekdal at Aalesund which he accepted, something the players at the club was hugely positive towards as many of them had played under him in previous clubs. Throughout his spell at Aalesund he has won praise for his ability to develop players' individual skills.^[17] He is signed with Aalesund through the 2013 season.^[18]

On 10 December 2020 it was announced he was appointed as assistant manager to the Norway national football team.^[1]

Personal life

Bergersen enjoys golfing on his spare time.^[19] His son, Jonas Bergersen (born 1993), is also a footballer and has played for Drøbak/Frogn and Moss.^[20]

References

1. "Hangeland med i Solbakkens team på landslaget". 10 December 2020.
2. "Kent Bergersen" (in Norwegian). Aalesunds FK. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
3. "Kent Bergersen" (in Norwegian). Lyn Fotball. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
4. "Kent Bergersen". rbkmedia.no (in Norwegian). Rosenborg BK. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
5. "Mestvinnende spillere" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. 19 October 2006. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
6. "A-lagsspillere 1948–2002". vpn.no (in Norwegian). Vålerenga på nett. 24 May 2006. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
7. "VPN møter Kent Bergersen". vpn.no (in Norwegian). Vålerenga på nett. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
8. "- Norge vinner 2–1" (in Norwegian). Dagbladet. 11 October 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
9. "Gresk fotball – herlig korrupt" (in Norwegian).
10. Skuseth, Helge (30 June 2011). ""Kenta" traff gammel lagkamerat". smp.no (in Norwegian). Sunnmørsposten. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
11. "Wiss til Stockport! To går motsatt vei!" (in Norwegian). Moss FK. 10 July 2000. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
12. "Bergersen på vei til Moss" (in Norwegian). Dagbladet. 25 April 2001. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
13. "Kent Roger Bergersen" (in Norwegian). ffksupporter.no. 1 May 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
14. "Ny jobb for Kent Bergersen". Nettavisen.no (in Norwegian). 28 November 2007. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
15. Haugli, Kurt (11 September 2008). "Bergseren ansatt som hovedtrener". bt.no (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 22 September 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
16. Kvatningen, Roy (29 September 2009). "Bergersen presset ut". Nettavisen.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 14 July 2012.
17. Hjelvik, Eirik (12 January 2010). "Kenta tror på godt samarbeid". 100% fotball (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
18. Stenerud, Kristian (2012). "Kenta tar to nye år". 100% Fotball (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
19. Hjelvik, Eirik (31 December 2009). "Jeg gleder meg". 100% Fotball (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
20. "Jonas Bergersen" (in Norwegian). Moss FK. Retrieved 28 September 2013.