Biography
Who is Bjørn Helge Riise?
Early life and real name
Bjørn Helge Riise was born in Ålesund Municipality, Norway. His full name is Bjørn Helge Semundseth Eikrem. He started his career at Aalesund. Early in his professional path, Manchester City and Cardiff City were linked to him. He almost quit football when a move to Cardiff failed. Bjørn spent the 2002 season on loan with Viking FK.
Professional club career
In January 2003, Bjørn signed a three year contract with Standard Liège. He played 17 matches there before a loan to Brussels. He returned to Norway in 2005 to sign a deal with Lillestrøm for three and a half years. In July 2009, he joined Fulham for a fee around £2 million. He debuted in a Europa League match against FK Vetra.
Bjørn Helge Riise was part of the Fulham squad that finished as runners up in the Europa League for 2009-10. He spent time on loan at Sheffield United and scored against Leeds United. He also had a short loan at Portsmouth in September 2011. He returned to Lillestrøm in July 2012. Later, he played for Aalesund and then Sogndal Fotball. He was the top assist provider in Eliteserien in 2014. He retired from playing after the 2018 season.
International success
Bjørn Helge Riise earned 35 international caps for the Norway national team. He played as a central midfielder or a right winger. His first cap was in a match against Malta for Euro 2008 qualifying. Norway won that game 4-0. Bjørn provided three assists in that match, and his brother John Arne scored. He also scored a goal for Norway in a qualifying match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Coaching and personal life
After retiring, Bjørn joined Stabæk in 2019. He first coached the under 14 team. He then spent five years as the head coach for the under 19s and Stabæk 2. In August 2024, he took a role in player development. He served as caretaker head coach twice. In January 2026, he became an assistant coach for Strømsgodset.
Bjørn Helge Riise is married to Lena Jenssen. They married in 2010. They have three sons named Noah, Fillip, and Levi. He is the younger brother of John Arne Riise.
Birthday and age
Bjørn Helge Riise was born on June 21, 1983, which makes Bjørn 43 years old today. That birthday falls under the Cancer sign. Bjørn shares the date with 71 other famous people.
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