View source for Sigurd Rushfeldt

{{Short description|Norwegian footballer (born 1972)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name           = Sigurd Rushfeldt
| image          = Sigurd Rushfeldt.jpg
| image_size     = 
| caption        = Rushfeldt with Tromsø in 2008
| fullname       = Sigurd Rushfeldt
| birth_date     = {{birth date and age|1972|12|11|df=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Vadsø (town)|Vadsø]], Norway
| height         = 1.87 m
| position       = [[Striker (association football)|Striker]]
| currentclub    = 
| youthyears1    =           |youthclubs1 = [[Vadsø TF|Vadsø Turn]]
| youthyears2    =           |youthclubs2 = [[IL Norild|Norild]]
| years1         = 1992–1996 |clubs1  = [[Tromsø IL|Tromsø]]                                 |caps1  = 75  |goals1  = 34
| years2         = 1995      |clubs2  = → [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]] (loan)    |caps2  = 7   |goals2  = 0
| years3         = 1996–1999 |clubs3  = [[Rosenborg BK|Rosenborg]]                           |caps3  = 66  |goals3  = 67
| years4         = 1999–2002 |clubs4  = [[Racing de Santander|Racing Santander]]             |caps4  = 42  |goals4  = 5
| years5         = 2001      |clubs5  = → [[Rosenborg BK|Rosenborg]] (loan)                  |caps5  = 10  |goals5  = 6
| years6         = 2001–2006 |clubs6  = [[FK Austria Wien|Austria Wien]]                     |caps6  = 137 |goals6  = 69
| years7         = 2006–2011 |clubs7  = [[Tromsø IL|Tromsø]]                                 |caps7  = 126 |goals7  = 50
| totalcaps      = 485
| totalgoals     = 246
| nationalyears1 = |nationalteam1  = [[Norway national under-21 football team|Norway U-21]] |nationalcaps1 = 2 |nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 1994–2007 |nationalteam2  = [[Norway national football team|Norway]] |nationalcaps2 = 38 |nationalgoals2 = 7
| manageryears1  = 2013–2018
| managerclubs1  = [[Tromsø IL|Tromsø]] (assistant)
| medaltemplates = 
}}

'''Sigurd Rushfeldt''' (born 11 December 1972) is a Norwegian [[association football|football]] coach and former player who works as an assistant coach for [[Tromsø IL|Tromsø]]. During his playing career, he played for [[Tromsø IL|Tromsø]], [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]], [[Rosenborg BK|Rosenborg]], [[Racing de Santander]], and [[FK Austria Wien|Austria Wien]]. As a [[Forward (association football)|forward]], he is well known for his strength and for being a prolific goalscorer. Rushfeldt is the all-time top goal scorer of [[Eliteserien]].

Rushfeldt scored 246 league goals in his career, including a record 172 in Eliteserien.

==Club career==

===Early career and Tromsø===
Rushfeldt was born in [[Vadsø (town)|Vadsø]], where he started his career in [[Vadsø TF|Vadsø Turn]] and [[Norild IL|Norild]]. He was noticed by [[Tromsø IL|Tromsø]], which signed him in 1992. In Tromsø Rushfeldt got a reputation of being a prolific goalscorer as a [[Forward (association football)|forward]]. This sparked interest from other clubs, and in 1995 he went on an unsuccessful loan spell with [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham]] where he scored just once in the League Cup against Tranmere Rovers.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/charlery-is-blues-darling-after-double-1581141.html |title=Charlery is Blues' darling after double |work=[[The Independent]] |date=29 November 1995 |access-date=15 December 2010 |archive-date=10 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110033910/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/charlery-is-blues-darling-after-double-1581141.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It was not until the end of the 1996 season that Rushfeldt would move on. He then signed for [[Rosenborg BK|Rosenborg]], but not before playing in the cup final that would be Rushfeldt's last match for Tromsø in his first spell with the club. Rushfeldt scored Tromsø's second goal in the cup final securing a 2–1 win over rivals [[FK Bodø/Glimt|Bodø/Glimt]].

===Rosenborg and move abroad===
With Rosenborg, Rushfeldt had great success. He won the [[Norwegian Premier League]] 4 times, he won the cup once more and also became topscorer of the Norwegian Premier League twice. The last time he won the Norwegian Premier League with Rosenborg in 2001, he was loaned in from [[Racing de Santander]] which he had transferred to in 1999. His spell with Santander was not a great success and in 2001 Rushfeldt moved on again, this time to [[FK Austria Wien|Austria Wien]]. In Vienna he had success and won the league with Austria in 2003 and 2006 and was voted player of the year in the Austrian league 2004/2005. In 2003, 2005 and 2006 he also won the cup with Austria Wien. He scored 3 goals in these finals.

===Return to Tromsø===
He returned to Tromsø, which he had left in 1996, in July 2006. When his contract with Austria Wien was nearing an end Rushfeldt declared that he wanted to end his career in Norway. Several Norwegian clubs were interested in signing him. He chose to return to Tromsø declaring that he felt drawn to the north, and that he wanted to follow his heart and therefore it had to be Tromsø.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fotball.aftenposten.no/eliteserien/article54601.ece|title=Rushfeldt: – Hjertet sa TIL|work=aftenposten.no|access-date=5 November 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080822024212/http://fotball.aftenposten.no/eliteserien/article54601.ece|archive-date=22 August 2008}}</ref> In Tromsø, he was again paired up in front with former team-mate [[Ole Martin Årst]], who also played in the 1996 cup final and had enjoyed a career as a professional player outside of Norway before he returned to Tromsø some years earlier. This partnership ended in July 2007, when Årst was sold. Rushfeldt has built up a new partnership upfront with [[Morten Moldskred]]. In November 2007 Rushfeldt was selected to be in the Norwegian Premier league team of the year by a group of Norwegian newspapers, stating that he is invaluable as a [[target man]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fotball.itromso.no/eliteserien/article93973.ece|title=Se årets lag|work=tromso.no|access-date=7 November 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071116030814/http://fotball.itromso.no/eliteserien/article93973.ece|archive-date=16 November 2007}}</ref>

Rushfeldt signed a new contract with Tromsø before the 2009 season, a one-year extension that would see him take on the role of coach as well. He came off to a good start, scoring 5 goals in 4 appearances, including a brace away against [[SK Brann]], a match that Tromsø went on to win 4–2.

Rushfeldt became the all-time top scorer of the Norwegian Tippeligaen on 29 May 2011, the day 19 years after his first goal there. In a home match against SK Brann he scored in the first half, equaling [[Harald Brattbakk]]'s record 166 goals. In the second half, he scored two more goals, completing a [[perfect hat-trick]].

Rushfeldt's last appearance as a professional football player came against [[IK Start]] in 2011. He helped his team to finishing runner-up in the league, equalling Tromsø's best ever season, 1990, when they also finished runners-up.

Rushfeldt was given a [[testimonial match]] which was played at [[Alfheim Stadion]] on 2 June 2012. The match was played between two teams mostly made up of players he had played with during his career at [[Tromsø IL|Tromsø]], [[Rosenborg BK|Rosenborg]]. and [[FK Austria Wien|Austria Wien]], divided into a "Tromsø All Stars" and a "Rosenborg All Stars" team. Rushfeldt played the first half for Tromsø and most of the second half for Rosenborg, scoring once for each team. The match ended in a 6–4 victory for the Rosenborg team.

===Comeback with Lyngen/Karnes===
In May 2014, Rushfeldt announced that he would play for [[Lyngen/Karnes IL]] in the Norwegian fourth division (level 5 on the Norwegian football pyramid). In his debut for his new club, he scored twice. Rushfeldt will continue living in [[Tromsø Municipality|Tromsø]] and occasionally play for Lyngen/Karnes (in neighboring [[Lyngen Municipality]]) when his schedule permits it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itromso.no/100Sport/fotball/forstediv/article436332.snd|title=Se Rushfeldts første mål på to år|work=tromso.no|access-date=17 May 2014|archive-date=17 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517221145/http://www.itromso.no/100Sport/fotball/forstediv/article436332.snd|url-status=live}}</ref>

==International career==
In 1994, he surprisingly got a place in [[Egil Olsen]]'s squad for the [[1994 World Cup]] in USA playing in one game, but Rushfeldt never established himself as a regular having only won a total of 7 caps by 2001, and he did not score his first goal until 2002 in a game against Japan. In 2006, he announced his decision to retire from the national team. However, in 2007 he reconsidered his decision and agreed with the national team coach [[Åge Hareide]] that he would make himself available for the game against [[Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team|Bosnia]] because [[John Carew]] was unavailable due to injury. He came on as a substitute in the game against Bosnia, making his first national team appearance in 2 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fotball.bt.no/em/article92329.ece|title=Joker nord i 13 år|work=bt.no|access-date=5 November 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716223209/http://fotball.bt.no/em/article92329.ece|archive-date=16 July 2011}}</ref> Norway failed to qualify for the [[UEFA Euro 2008|European Championship]] and he retired for good from the national team. He ended his international career playing 38 games scoring 7 goals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.home.no/greenriver/players/rushfeldt.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100726120351/http://www.home.no/greenriver/players/rushfeldt.html |archive-date=26 July 2010 |title=Sigurd Rushfeldt}}</ref>

==Coaching career==
In October 2013, Rushfeldt was appointed the assistant coach of Tromsø, after [[Steinar Nilsen]]  replaced [[Agnar Christensen]] as head coach of the club.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nettavisen.no/sport/fotball/article3687762.ece |language=no |title=Disse tar over Tromsø |publisher=Nettavisen |agency=Norwegian News Agency |date=1 October 2013 |access-date=31 October 2013 |archive-date=3 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103214835/http://www.nettavisen.no/sport/fotball/article3687762.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Career statistics==

===Club===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>Single source here, if player is inactive. If player has not retired, move source next to "Updated" template.</ref>
|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!colspan="3"|League
!colspan="2"|Cup
!colspan="2"|Continental
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Tromsø IL|Tromsø]]
|[[1992 Tippeligaen|1992]]
|rowspan="4"|[[Tippeligaen]]
|16||4||6||2||0||0||22||6
|-
|[[1993 Tippeligaen|1993]]
|21||9||5||5||0||0||26||14
|-
|[[1994 Tippeligaen|1994]]
|22||13||4||8||0||0||26||21
|-
|[[1995 Tippeligaen|1995]]
|16||8||3||2||1||0||20||10
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!75!!34!!18!!17!!1!!0!!94!!51
|-
|[[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham]] (loan)
|[[1995–96 Birmingham City F.C. season|1995–96]]
|[[Football League First Division|First Division]]
|7||0||1||1||0||0||8||1
|-
|Tromsø
|[[1996 Tippeligaen|1996]]
|Tippeligaen
|22||15||8||12||0||0||30||27
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Rosenborg BK|Rosenborg]]
|[[1997 Tippeligaen|1997]]
|rowspan="3"|Tippeligaen
|25||25||5||3||3||1||33||29
|-
|[[1998 Tippeligaen|1998]]
|26||27||3||5||2||0||31||32
|-
|[[1999 Tippeligaen|1999]]
|15||15||4||4||0||0||19||19
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!66!!67!!12!!12!!5!!1!!83!!80
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Racing de Santander|Racing Santander]]
|[[1999–2000 La Liga|1999–2000]]
|rowspan="2"|[[La Liga]]
|24||2||1||0||0||0||25||2
|-
|[[2000–01 La Liga|2000–01]]
|18||3||0||0||0||0||18||3
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!42!!5!!1!!0!!0!!0!!43!!5
|-
|Rosenborg (loan)
|[[2001 Tippeligaen|2001]]
|Tippeligaen||10||6||0||0||7||2||17||8
|-
|rowspan="6"|[[FK Austria Wien|Austria Wien]]
|[[2001–02 Austrian Football Bundesliga|2001–02]]
|rowspan="5"|[[Austrian Football Bundesliga|A-Bundesliga]]
|16||11||3||2||0||0||19||13
|-
|[[2002–03 Austrian Football Bundesliga|2002–03]]
|25||5||4||2||1||0||30||7
|-
|[[2003–04 Austrian Football Bundesliga|2003–04]]
|33||25||3||2||0||0||36||27
|-
|[[2004–05 Austrian Football Bundesliga|2004–05]]
|30||19||1||1||0||0||31||20
|-
|[[2005–06 Austrian Football Bundesliga|2005–06]]
|33||9||3||2||0||0||36||11
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!137!!69!!14!!9!!1!!0!!152!!78
|-
|rowspan="7"|Tromsø
|[[2006 Tippeligaen|2006]]
|rowspan="6"|Tippeligaen
|13||7||1||1||0||0||14||8
|-
|[[2007 Tippeligaen|2007]]
|21||8||2||3||0||0||23||11
|-
|[[2008 Tippeligaen|2008]]
|22||8||3||3||0||0||25||11
|-
|[[2009 Tippeligaen|2009]]
|25||9||3||3||6||4||34||16
|-
|[[2010 Tippeligaen|2010]]
|20||8||1||1||0||0||21||9
|-
|[[2011 Tippeligaen|2011]]
|25||10||2||0||0||0||27||10
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!126!!50!!12!!11!!6!!4!!144!!65
|-
!colspan="3"|Career total
!485!!246!!66!!62!!20!!7!!571!!316
|}

===International goals===
:''Scores and results list Norway's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Rushfeldt goal.''

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Sigurd Rushfeldt
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Venue
!scope="col"|Opponent
!scope="col"|Score
!scope="col"|Result
!scope="col"|Competition
|-
| align="center"|1
| 14 May 2002 || [[Ullevaal Stadion]], Oslo, Norway
| {{fb|JPN}} ||2–0 || align="center"|3–0 || [[Friendly (association football)|Friendly]]
|-
| align="center"|2
| 28 January 2003 || [[Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex|Bausher]], [[Muscat, Oman|Muscat]], Oman
| {{fb|OMN}} ||2–1 || align="center"|2–0 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|3
| 2 April 2003 || [[Stade Josy Barthel]], [[Luxembourg City]], Luxembourg
| {{fb|LUX}} ||1–0 || align="center"|2–0 || [[UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying]]
|-
| align="center"|4
| 28 April 2004 || Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway
| {{fb|RUS}} ||2–0 || align="center"|3–2 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|5
| rowspan="2"|9 February 2005 || rowspan="2"|[[Ta' Qali Stadium]], [[Attard]], Malta
| rowspan="2"|{{fb|MLT}} ||1–0 || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|3–0 || rowspan="2"|Friendly
|-
| align="center"|6 || 2–0
|-
| align="center"|7
| 8 October 2005 || Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway
| {{fb|MDA}} ||1–0 || align="center"|1–0 || [[2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)|2006 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|}

==Honours==
'''Tromsø'''
*[[Norwegian Football Cup|Norwegian Cup]]: [[1996 Norwegian Football Cup|1996]]

'''Rosenborg'''
*[[Tippeligaen]]: [[1997 Tippeligaen|1997]], [[1998 Tippeligaen|1998]], [[1999 Tippeligaen|1999]]<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/nrk_trondelag/sport_nrk_trondelag/rbk/1.1065148|title = Mestvinnende med RBK|date = 19 October 2006|access-date = 14 April 2009|publisher = Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation|language = no|archive-date = 20 February 2009|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090220171012/http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/nrk_trondelag/sport_nrk_trondelag/rbk/1.1065148|url-status = live}}</ref>
*[[Norwegian Football Cup|Norwegian Cup]]: [[1999 Norwegian Football Cup|1999]]

'''Austria Wien'''
*[[Austrian Bundesliga]]: [[Austrian Football Bundesliga 2002-03|2002–03]], [[Austrian Football Bundesliga 2005-06|2005–06]]
*[[Austrian Cup]]: [[2002–03 Austrian Cup|2002–03]], [[2004–05 Austrian Cup|2004–05]], [[2005–06 Austrian Cup|2005–06]]

'''Individual'''
* [[Norwegian top scorers|Tippeligaen top scorer]]: [[1997 Tippeligaen#Top goal scorers|1997]], [[1998 Tippeligaen#Top goal scorers|1998]]
* [[Kniksen award|Knicksen]] Striker of the Year: [[Kniksen award#1998|1998]]
* [[Austria Wien]] Player of the Season: 2003–04
* [[Kniksen award|Kniksen's Honour Award]]: 2011

'''Record'''
* [[Tippeligaen#Most goals scored|Tippeligaen all-time top scorer]]: 172 goals<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/news/0257-0deebfc17725-801d2a7de876-1000--rushfeldt-breaks-norwegian-top-flight-goal-record/|title=Rushfeldt breaks Norwegian top-flight goal record|website=UEFA|date=30 May 2011|access-date=31 January 2020}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://statistikk.til.no/spiller/sigurd-rushfeldt Rushfeldt profile] at www.til.no {{in lang|no}}
*{{NFF|3843710}}

{{Norway squad 1994 FIFA World Cup}}
{{Norwegian Premier League top scorers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rushfeldt, Sigurd}}
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Vadsø]]
[[Category:Footballers from Finnmark]]
[[Category:Norwegian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Norway men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Norway men's under-21 international footballers]]
[[Category:1994 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:Tromsø IL players]]
[[Category:Birmingham City F.C. players]]
[[Category:Rosenborg BK players]]
[[Category:Racing de Santander players]]
[[Category:FK Austria Wien players]]
[[Category:Eliteserien players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:La Liga players]]
[[Category:Austrian Football Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:Kniksen Award winners]]
[[Category:Tromsø IL non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Austria]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in England]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in Spain]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in Austria]]