Erik Mykland (born 21 July 1971) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He was nicknamed Myggen (mosquito) during his career, as he used to flap his arms and hands like one when celebrating his goals.
A rarity in modern Norway footballers (standing at a mere 172 centimeters and a technical player), he played professionally in six countries, mainly representing IK Start, and earned 78 caps for the Norway national team, having appeared in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups as well as Euro 2000.[2]
Mykland was one of the most popular footballers in Norway but never without controversy,[3][4] his bohemian, unshaved look and relaxed lifestyle in contrast to those of the typical footballers.
In 1990, Mykland was named midfielder of the year in Norway, and also made his international debut – Start finished the 1991 season third, with wins over Viking FK (4–1) and Rosenborg BK (5–0). After the latter, he and seven other teammates were included in the team of the week and, also that year, he was named best player of an under-21 match, as Norway trounced Italy 6–0 in Stavanger; he represented the nation in this category a total of 15 times.[5]
After being named the nation's player of the year in 1992, and being relegated with Start four years later, Mykland left for Austria's FC Linz (he had already served a small loan stint at FC Utrecht). Also during that year, producer Thomas Robsahm made a film, simply called "Myggen", which consisted in following him for a whole season.[6][7]
In 1997, Mykland moved to Panathinaikos FC but, during his spell at the club, it failed to achieve any silverware. After a season in the Bundesliga with TSV 1860 Munich (he also started 2001–02, but was released following a serious run-in with coach Peter Pacult),[8] he joined F.C. Copenhagen in January 2002,[9] playing very little due to injuries while also gaining a dubious reputation off the pitch: newspaper Ekstra Bladet found him three days before a match drunk on a pavement outside nightclub Rust, asking people walking by to arm wrestle him.[10]Håvard Rem wrote a book about the player in 2000, entitled Erik Mykland : oppvekst, livsstil, EM 2000, spillestil.
In June 2004, Mykland retired at 33 after nearly a year out with injuries.[11] On 8 September 2006, he and several other former Norwegian internationals played an exhibition game against former Argentina stars, including Matías Almeyda, Claudio Caniggia and Diego Maradona, which ended 10–8 for the latter.[12]
In May 2007, Mykland helped build a football school in his hometown of Risør, alongside former Start player Bernt Christian Birkeland.[13]
On 9 July 2008, Mykland announced his return to football at the age of 36, rejoining former club IK Start in the second level.[14][15] On 2 September, he was charged with possession and use of cocaine and having a "peripheral role" in a large drug dealing network in Norway's Romerike county."[16] In June 2009 he stated that he would withdraw from his active career, after just nine appearances;[17] however, shortly after, he changed his mind, moving to lowly Drammen FK (division three)[18] but retiring for good shortly after.
Mykland made his debut for Norway on 7 November 1990, in a 3–1 win in Tunisia. He scored the first of his two goals for his country on 8 September 1992, during a 1994 FIFA World Cupqualifier against San Marino, which finished 10–0.[19]
During the 1998 World Cup, in-between games, Mykland and fellow international Henning Berg were caught in a bar drinking. They claimed they had only had a few beers, but Berg later admitted in his biography that they actually were drunk.[3]
While Mykland failed to score more than twice for the national team, a goal he created by playing through Øyvind Leonhardsen in a Euro 2000 qualifier against Slovenia was rated among Norway's best goals ever – much due to his ability to trick several defenders prior to the pass.[22]
