Gunnar Andersen

Gunnar Andersen was one of the first stars of Norwegian football. He made his international debut against Sweden in 1911, in what was only Norway's third ever international match. He remained a regular in the side for more than a decade, and captained the side 37 times. He played for Norway at the 1912 Olympics, where Norway suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Denmark. To put it in kind terms, Norway were a poor side at the time, and it wasn't until 1918 that Andersen experienced his first victory in international competition - which was also Norway's first-ever win - when Norway won 3-1 against Denmark. This was followed up with a win against Sweden three months later.

In 1920, Norway again participated in the Olympic Games. Andersen, who along with Per Skou were the only remaining players from the 1912 Games, was now the captain. Norway faced pre-tournament favourites England (an amateur side) in the opening game, and shocked the world by winning 3-1. The euphoria lasted only one day, as Norway were defeated 4-0 by Czechoslovakia in the next game. Then, in the final game of the competition, Andersen and his teammates started Norway's long-running trend of losing against Italy in major tournaments.

Andersen retired in 1924, having played a then-record 46 international games for Norway. The record stood for 14 years, before it was broken by Henry "Tippen" Johansen. At club level, Andersen played his entire career with Lyn. In addition to his achievements as a footballer, Andersen was also an excellent ski jumper. He once jumped 47 meters, which was a world record at the time, and he was the first person to receive the Egeberg Award, which is given to Norwegian athletes who have excelled in two different sports.

National Team Appearances