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The Norwegian Rooney is a young
forward playing for Stromsgodset. His name is Marcus Pedersen and he has
this summer been linked
with a move to Celtic. Marcus (20) has a bit left to be named in the same cetegory as
the Manchester United forward, but anyway flattering.
Marcus joined Stromsgodset in front of the 2009 season from Ham-Kam.
He has previously been linked with both Newcastle and WBA, but those
clubs looks out of the picture now.
Marcus is one of many young Norwegians, known as the "artificial
turf generation". There has been a huge growth in artificial turfs in
Norway and almost every local club have one.
Advantages are huge and players in all generations can play
football for longer periods in the year.
This leads to more football activity and the new turf makes it
better for players to work on their skills and the technical part of the
game.
Norwegian players used to be robust, strong physically build and the
best players were either tall strikers, big central defenders or
goalkeepers. Today as Marcus, you see quicker, more technical players
coming through.
Stromsgodset have in just a few years turned their squad from an old
group of former proffesionals, including Jostein Flo and Øyvind
Leonhardsen, into a talent factory using younger players and often
teenagers.
Marcus is mentioned, and you also have Jo Inge Berget who is loaned
from Italian club Udinese. but linked with a number of top clubs
including Newcastle, Blackburn and Fulham.
The tall defender, Lars Saetre (18) is another one,
who is compared to former Norwegian international and Werder Bremen
legend Rune Bratseth.
Norwegian football has in recent years struggled with a decline at
national level and the great years of Roseonborg in the Champions Leauge
is behind us, but with Egil Olsen back and also Nils Arne Eggen in
charge for Rosenborg again, the whole nation believes that new good times
are in front.
The new generation of "artificial turf
talent" could see Norway back at the World Cup stage in the future.
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