Runar Espejord

Last updated

Runar Espejord
Personal information
Date of birth (1996-02-26) 26 February 1996 (age 29) [1]
Place of birth Tromsø, Norway [1]
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) [1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Haugesund
Youth career
–2012 Tromsø
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2013–2019 Tromsø 91 (19)
2020–2022 Heerenveen 6 (0)
2020–2021Tromsø (loan) 22 (5)
2022–2024 Bodø/Glimt 36 (12)
2025– Haugesund 0 (0)
International career
2012 Norway U16 2 (0)
2013 Norway U17 10 (5)
2014 Norway U18 11 (8)
2015 Norway U19 6 (2)
2017–2018 Norway U21 4 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 October 2024

Runar Espejord (born 26 February 1996) is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a striker. Currently plays for Haugesund. [2]

Contents

Career

Tromsø

After playing for Tromsø at different youth level's, Espejord started his professional career in 2013 with a game against Follo in the Norwegian Cup. [3] . After playing in several of Tromsø's UEFA Europa League games later that season, he scored his first goal in another cup tie against Bodø/Glimt in May 2014. [1] [4]

In 2018, Espejord became the club's top scorer for the season, with eight goals in total, six in the league, and two in the cup. [5]

Heerenveen

On 20 December 2019, it was announced that Espejord would join Heerenveen for 2.5 years on 1 January 2020. [6]

On 22 September 2020, only half a season after leaving Tromsø, he rejoined Tromsø on loan until 31 December 2020. The deal was later extended twice, to also include all of Tromsø's 2021 season. [7] [8]

Bodø/Glimt

Before the start of the 2022 season, Espejord signed for the current Eliteserien champions Bodø/Glimt on a three-year contract. [9] [10] Espejord's first match for the club came against Celtic in the UEFA Conference League knockout round play-offs, where he both scored and had an assist. [11]

After several different injuries, keeping Espejord out for major parts of his career at Bodø/Glimt, the club announced that he would be released at the end of the 2024 season. [2]

Personal life

Espejord was born in Tromsø [1] as a son of former Tromsø player Lars Espejord. [12]

Espejord's characteristic mullet have several times caused attention. He cites one of his favorite artists having one as his inspiration for getting the haircut. [13] [14]

Career statistics

As of 6 February 2025 [1] [5]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cup [a] EuropeTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Tromsø 2013 Eliteserien 00104 [b] 050
2014 1. divisjon 140313 [b] 1202
2015 Eliteserien12311134
2016 22521246
2017 600060
2018 19622218
2019 18500185
Total9119957110725
Heerenveen 2019–20 Eredivisie 602080
2020–21 000000
Total602080
Tromsø (loan) 2020 1. divisjon5555
2021 Eliteserien17010180
Total22510235
Bodø/Glimt 2022 Eliteserien27124219 [c] 45018
2023 80228 [d] 1183
2024 10003 [b] 040
Total3612643057221
Career total1553618937621051
  1. Includes Norwegian Cup, KNVB Cup
  2. 1 2 3 Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. Six appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa Conference League, seven appearances and three goals in UEFA Champions League, and seven appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

Honours

Bodø/Glimt [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Runar Espejord at Soccerway
  2. 1 2 Christiansen, Synne Sofie (19 December 2024). "Runar Espejord forlater Bodø/Glimt" (in Norwegian). VG. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  3. "Kampreferat: Tromsø - Follo" (in Norwegian). NFF. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  4. "Kampreferat: Tromsø - Bodø/Glimt" (in Norwegian). NFF. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  5. 1 2 Runar Espejord at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)
  6. "Espejord klar for Heerenveen". tv2.no (in Norwegian). TV 2. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  7. Sivertsen, Øyvind (22 September 2020). "Her er Espejord på plass i Tromsø: Tar lønnskutt for å skyte TIL opp i Eliteserien" (in Norwegian). Aftenposten. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  8. "Espejord forlenger låneavtalen med Tromsø" (in Norwegian). Nettavisen. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  9. Budalen, Andreas; Trygstad, Andreas Nilsen (12 January 2025). "Tidligere Tromsø spiller Runar Espejord klar for Bodø/Glimt etter TIL utlån fra Heerenveen" (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  10. Richvoldsen, Adrian (12 January 2022). "Bodø/Glimt bekrefter: henter Espejord fra Heerenveen" (in Norwegian). Nettavisen. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  11. Opphus, Joakim (18 February 2025). "Bodø/Glimt med ny Europa-skalp – stilnet 54 000 på Celtic Park" (in Norwegian). Eurosport. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  12. Johansen, Torje D. (29 September 2015). "- Runar kan ta meg igjen!". Nordlys (in Norwegian). p. 26.
  13. Sivertsen, Øyvind (5 October 2021). "At TIL vant var én ting. Responsen Espejord fikk handlet om noe helt annet: «Hva i helv... styrer han med?»" (in Norwegian). iTromsø. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  14. Olaisen, Sofie Retterstøl (19 February 2022). "Fotballspelaren Espejord leiar an i hårtrend: – Synest håret hans er episk" (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 6 February 2025.