http://www.imscouting.com/global-news-article/Fulham-striker-Erik-Nevland-heading-back-to-Norway-at-end-of-the-season/6293/
Fulham striker Erik Nevland heading back to Norway at end of the season
March 08, 2010
Veteran Fulham striker Erik Nevland will leave Craven Cottage at the end of the season, according to widespread reports in Norway today.
Nevland has agreed to return to his former club Viking Stavanger in Norway with his contract up at Fulham at the end of the 2009/2010 campaign.
The 32-year-old striker made his professional breakthrough with Viking in 1995 and also returned there following his time at Manchester United.
In 2009/2010, Nevland has made 21 appearances for Fulham in the Premier League and Europa League, scoring two goals and providing four assists. He has also been sent off once and booked twice.
Sad in a way. He proved a fine finisher when coming on as a sub but proved lightweight when starting. His injury has put to an end any hope we or he may have had in staying. His age too was against us. But it does mean that next season we shall be in need of a forward or two. With AJ an unknown factor after injury it may be interesting.
If Okaka returns and BZ has a huge fee offered we may well be without any forwards at all.
Good luck to Nevland in the future.
A shame in a way. He has proved to be a generally good finisher and a busy, hard-working player though rather lacking in pace. I suppose his departure was inevitable given the way he has gone down the pecking order in recent months, but he was always useful to have coming off the bench even if he often made less impact when starting games.
Good luck to him, he was a very useful player for us with the heart in the right place. Not many players would helped the transfer by paying out of his own pocket to come play for Fulham when everyone thought we were going down. Top man.
However, I am more concerned about what Gentleman Jim will do now. He needs a new girlfriend...
I will be sorry to see him leave, suppose he feels that as he has dropped down the pecking order he wants to try elsewhere, good luck to Eric the Viiking, he will always be welcome at the cottage. :)
Have just watched the press conference with Viking FC, and they're certainly very happy to finally get "Nevi". As I understood it, they've been in touch with him throughout his career to see when he would able to return home. The Viking manager, Åge Hareide, also said that Hodgson was not at all as happy as them with the deal. On a question about the possibility of Nevland coming to Viking before his deal at Fulham expires, they said it was up to Hodgson.
They also said that they've been working on a deal for a right-back to come in, but that the manager of the concened club probably wasn't in a good mood today. Later they said a loan deal was offered for Fredrik Stoor, but no official reply had come yet.
What a shame it didn't work out for Eric here. As Finny pointed out he paid a lot of his own money to come here and he was awarded God like status at his former club Gronnigen????. Did anyone see the photo of the crowd holding up bits of paper that turned out to be a picture of Eric? As for Stoor, please let Qpha have him.
He will be missed...