Markus Henriksen

Markus Henriksen     19     Midfielder     Rosenborg

Making his debut at the age of 17, Markus Henriksen has progressed steadily for Rosenborg since Erik Hamrén offered a first team chance to the central midfielder.  Replacing Stade Rennais bound Alexander Tettey was never likely to be an easy undertaking and when a starting place was handed to the son of assistant coach Trond Henriksen, Rosenborg supporters could have been forgiven for thinking that nepotism had an influence in team selection. 

Any concerns were quickly allayed as Henriksen junior cemented a place in Rosenborg’s starting line up.  Able to adapt his game to play as an attacking or defensive midfielder, the youngster was able to influence an increasing number of tippilaegen fixtures last season 

An impressive 11 goals from 37 appearances illustrate a knack for goalscoring and it came as no surprise to Scandinavian observers that Henriksen was called up for international duty on September 28, 2010.  Debuting for a youthful Norway side which lost 1-2 in Croatia, Henriksen completed a solid start for his country and looked far from overwhelmed.

Offering a game underpinned by strong positional awareness and a keen eye for an influential pass, Henriksen is performing well at Rosenborg.  The challenge now is to maintain an upward curve and add to a tally of international caps.  Werder Bremen are unlikely to be the last to register a firm interest in a steadily improving talent and the opportunity to play in a stronger league cannot be far off.

"Great talent. Physically strong, good skills on & off the ball, merely 19 years old. Two years left on contract yet ready for a big league." - @LawLars

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