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Niklas Gunnarsson (born 27 April 1991) is a Norwegian footballer who plays as a defender for Yverdon-Sport. Gunnarsson has previously played for Norwegian clubs Odd, Vålerenga, Sarpsborg 08, and Strømsgodset, Swedish clubs Elfsborg, Djurgårdens IF, and IFK Norrköping, Scottish club Hibernian, and Italian club Palermo.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | (1991-04-27) 27 April 1991 (age 33) | ||
Place of birth | Tønsberg, Norway | ||
Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Yverdon-Sport | ||
Number | 23 | ||
Youth career | |||
Pors | |||
Walsall | |||
Odd | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2012–2013 | Odd | 48 | (3) |
2014–2016 | Vålerenga | 41 | (4) |
2015 | → Elfsborg (loan) | 11 | (1) |
2016 | → Hibernian (loan) | 15 | (2) |
2016–2018 | Djurgårdens IF | 55 | (2) |
2019 | Palermo | 0 | (0) |
2019 | Sarpsborg 08 | 10 | (0) |
2020–2023 | Strømsgodset | 67 | (0) |
2023 | IFK Norrköping | 11 | (0) |
2023– | Yverdon-Sport | 20 | (0) |
International career | |||
2013 | Norway U23 | 4 | (0) |
2016 | Norway | 1 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 May 2024 |
He is the son of former football manager Ronny Geson Gunnarsson.[1] He is known for his trademark long throw-ins, good crossing ability and offensive play.
On 25 March 2012, Gunnarsson made his senior debut for Odd BK against Sogndal in a 0–4 loss.[2] Gunnarsson's contract with expired after the 2013 season, after which he signed a three-year contract with Vålerenga and joined the club in January 2014.[3]
Gunnarsson was Vålerengas' first-choice right-back during the 2014 season, starting 29 out of 30 matches in the Eliteserien.[4] He fell out of the team in the following season, after coach Kjetil Rekdal made several changes after a poor display from the team in the Norwegian Football Cup.[5]
Gunnarsson left Norway for Swedish football club IF Elfsborg on a loan move that left Vålerengas fans disappointed after some of his good performances in the previous season.[6] He played 11 matches in the Allsvenskan, scoring one goal and assisting another.
"Niklas is an extremely professional player both on and off the pitch and he has done a great job for Elfsborg in his time here. He has been held in high esteem by his team mates and I would like to give him the best recommendations and wish him the best of luck in the future"' – Elfsborg head coach Magnus Haglund speaking about Gunnarsson leaving the club.[7]
On 5 January 2016, Gunnarsson joined Scottish Championship side Hibernian on loan until the end of the 2015–16 season.[8] He debuted on the ninth day in a Scottish Cup fourth round 2–0 win against Raith Rovers.[9] His first goal for the club was the third goal in a 3–2 win against Rangers on 20 April.[10] Gunnarsson also recorded a goal against Queen of the South on 1 May.[11] He appeared as a substitute when Hibs won the Scottish Cup for the first time since 1902 in the 2016 Scottish Cup Final.[12]
On 9 August 2016, Gunnarsson joined Allsvenskan side Djurgårdens IF on a 2+1⁄2-year contract.[13] Initially given the number 28 shirt, he changed it to number 5 ahead of the 2017 season.[citation needed] On 10 May 2018, he played as Djurgarden beat Malmö FF 3-0 in the Swedish Cup Final.[14]
On 1 March 2019, Gunnarsson signed a half-year contract with Italian club Palermo.[15] Following Palermo's exclusion from the Serie B, he was released together with all other players, without making any single appearances during his short stay at the club.[citation needed]
On 2 September 2019, Gunnarsson joined Sarpsborg 08 on a contract until the end of the 2019 season.[16]
Gunnarsson received his first international call-up from the Norway national football team for friendly matches against Portugal and Belgium in May 2016.[17] He made his only appearance against the former on the 29th day.[18]
Club | Season | Division | League | Cup | Other | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Odd | 2012 | Tippeligaen | 22 | 1 | 4 | 0 | – | 26 | 1 | |
2013 | 26 | 2 | 4 | 0 | – | 30 | 2 | |||
Total | 48 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 3 | ||
Vålerenga | 2014 | Tippeligaen | 29 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | 31 | 2 | |
2015 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | 13 | 2 | |||
Total | 41 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 4 | ||
Elfsborg | 2015 | Allsvenskan | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 | 1 | |
Hibernian | 2015–16 | Scottish Championship | 15 | 2 | 5 | 0 | – | 15 | 2 | |
Djurgårdens IF | 2016 | Allsvenskan | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 | 2 | |
2017 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 | 0 | |||
2018 | 20 | 0 | 7 | 1 | – | 27 | 1 | |||
2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Total | 55 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 63 | 3 | ||
Palermo | 2018–19 | Serie B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Sarpsborg 08 | 2019 | Eliteserien | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 | 0 | |
Total | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
Strømsgodset | 2020 | Eliteserien | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 | 0 | |
2021 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | 21 | 1 | |||
2022 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 1 | – | 26 | 1 | |||
Total | 67 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 2 | ||
Norrköping | 2023 | Allsvenskan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |
Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Career Total | 248 | 12 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 278 | 15 |
Mot det fjerde best rangerte laget i Europa slapp landslagssjefen til hele fem debutanter. Anders Trondsen og Veton Berisha fra start, Iver Fossum, Alexander Sørloth og Niklas Gunnarsson fra benken.[Against the fourth best-ranked team in Europe, national team manager [Per-Mathias Høgmo] introduced five debutants. Anders Trondsen and Veton Berisha from the start; Iver Fossum, Alexander Sørloth, and Niklas Gunnarsson from the bench.]