Thea Bjelde

Norwegian football player (born 2000)

Thea Bjelde
Personal information
Date of birth 5 June 2000
Place of birth Sogndal, Norway
Height 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Vålerenga
Number 18
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015 Sogndal
2016 Kaupanger 11 (9)
2016–2021 Arna-Bjørnar 62 (2)
2021– Vålerenga 49 (9)
International career‡
2015 Norway U15 4 (4)
2016 Norway U16 12 (2)
2017 Norway U17 11 (0)
2017–2019 Norway U19 21 (1)
2022– Norway 12 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 September 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23 September 2023

Thea Bjelde (born 5 June 2000) is a Norwegian footballer who plays for Vålerenga and the Norway national team.[2][3]

Club career

Early career

She started her career in Sogndal, where she distinguished herself as the only girl on the G14 team at the Norway Cup in 2014.[4]  In the 2016 spring season she played for Kaupanger in the 2nd division.

Arna-Bjørnar (2016–2021)

As a 16-year-old, she was brought to Arna-Bjørnar in the Toppserien. In 2018, the breakthrough came when Bjelde had a fantastic season, and was an important piece in the team that won bronze in the Toppserien.[5]  She was voted player of the year in Arna-Bjørnar, and nominated for breakthrough of the year in 2022 in the Toppserien.[6][7]

In early 2019, she suffered a cruciate ligament injury that put her out of football for a year.[8]  After returning from the injury, she bounced back strongly the following year, and was rewarded by being selected for the senior national team for the first time.[9]  She was also named player of the year in Arna-Bjørnar in 2020.[10]  As a 21-year-old, she was appointed captain in Arna-Bjørnar.[11]

Vålerenga (2021–)

On 18 July 2021, she signed for Vålerenga.[12]  With Vålerenga, she helped win the cup championship in her first season, and she was voted best on the pitch in the cup final against Sandviken.[13]

National team career

Bjelde has international matches for U15, U16, U17, U19, U23, and the senior national team for Norway.[14]

She was selected for the senior Norwegian national team for the first time in October 2020.

After a decline in the Norwegian squad, Bjelde was called up to the team that was going to the European Championship in England 2022.[15]

Bjelde made her debut for the senior national team on 7 October 2022, in a private international match against Brazil at Ullevaal Stadium.[16]

On 19 June 2023, she was included in the 23-player Norwegian squad for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.[17]

References

  1. ^ "Profile of T. Bjelde". haxthaus.com. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  2. ^ "Thea Bjelde Stats, Goals, Records, Assists, Cups and more". FBref.com. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Thea Bjelde". Soccerdonna. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Her herjer Thea (14) med gutta i Norway Cup". www.dagbladet.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  5. ^ Fotballkvinner, Norske (15 February 2021). "Fotballvirtuosen fra Sogndal: Thea Bjelde(20)". Norske Fotballkvinner (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  6. ^ Øren, Keth (10 September 2020). "Slo tilbake etter kneskade - no får Thea stipend". Sogn Avis (in Norwegian). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Disse talentene kan bli kåret til "årets gjennombrudd"". www.aftenposten.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). 22 November 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  8. ^ Christensen, Stine (5 May 2019). "(+) Nye skader hos Arna-Bjørnar: – Fryktelig!". Bergensavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  9. ^ Johnsen, Jonas (12 October 2020). "(+) Tatt ut på landslaget: – Skjønte ingenting da jeg ble bombardert med meldinger!". Bergensavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  10. ^ "Arna Bjørnar Toppfotball - Thea Bjelde mottok i dag prisen for Arna-Bjørnars beste spiller i 2020 sesongen 🎉 Thea er kjent som en ekte kriger og spilte alle obligatoriske kamper i 2020. Etter sin korsbåndskade i 2019 kom hun tilbake på banen og gjorde en kjempeinnsats som ble kronet med uttak til A-landslaget og årets spiller i AB. For et `comeback` - GRATULERER | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  11. ^ Tørre, Michael (20 June 2021). "Fra skademareritt til kaptein. Nå har Thea (21) et klart mål: - Skal jobbe beintøft". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  12. ^ Dalsegg, Jens August (18 July 2021). "Thea Bjelde har signert!". Vålerenga Damefotball (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  13. ^ Fotballforbund, Norges. "Vålerenga er cupmester: - Det er fantastisk". fotball.no - Norges Fotballforbund (in Norwegian). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  14. ^ Fotballforbund, Norges. "Thea Bjelde - Profil". fotball.no - Norges Fotballforbund (in Norwegian). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Ny VIF-spiller in i EM-troppen". Dagsavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  16. ^ Sander, Christian Grieg (7 October 2022). "Riise-smell i pinlig tap mot Brasil – Norge ydmyket". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  17. ^ updated, Jessy Parker Humphreys last (6 June 2023). "Norway Women's World Cup 2023 squad: full 23-player team". fourfourtwo.com. Retrieved 20 June 2023.

External links

  • Thea Bjelde at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)
  • Thea Bjelde at WorldFootball.net
  • Thea Bjelde at Soccerway
  • Thea Bjelde at Soccerdonna
  • Thea Bjelde at FBref.com
  • v
  • t
  • e
Norway squad – 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
Norway