Name : Ronny Jonhsen

Birthplace : Sandefjord, Norway, 10/6/1969

Height : 191cm - 6ft 3in

Weight : 83.45kg - 13st 2lb

Full International : Norway (41 caps, 2 goals)

Position : Defender/Midfield

Squad Number : 5

Debut : 17.08.1996

Appearances (1996-1999) : 112-15 as subs

Goals : 7

Ronny Johnsen began his footballing career with Stokke, before having spells with Eik Tonsberg, Lyn Oslo and Lillestrom. After playing Norwegian football for most of his career, Johnsen moved abroad to play in the Turkish league for Besiktas.

A Norwegian international since August 1991, his displays in Turkish football impressed the United manager Alex Ferguson, who had made previous enquiries about the Norwegian defender. He finally got his man, paying Besiktas £1.5m in the 1996 close season.

Bought as a replacement for Steve Bruce who had gone to Birmingham City during the summer on a free transfer, he quickly adjusted to life in the English Premier League and with injuries to Gary Pallister and Denis Irwin, Johnsen was a permanent fixture in the side.

His League debut came on the first day of the season away to Wimbledon as a substitute for the injured Nicky Butt. By the end of the season he had made 36 (6) appearances, which included nine Champions League games.

He turned out to be one of the bargain buys of the season for Manchester United, out-done only by his international team mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He is a skilful defender who alongside Jaap Stam, David May, or his international team mate Henning Berg, forms a competent defensive partnership. His versatility has also been useful especially due to the fact he can play centre-half, full-back or midfield, a role he performed magnificently during Roy Keane's absence in the 1997-98 season.

In May 1997 he was rewarded with a Premier League Championship medal, surprisingly the first major honour of his career.

Ronny played in all four of Norway's France '98 matches, before being knocked out by Italy in the second round. His performance against Brazil brought special praise. National newspapers claimed, "Johnsen played the shirt off Ronaldo. He never gave him a chance." The Brazilian manager Mario Zagallo added, "Ronny was the King. He's so quick."

Did You Know?

His first goal for the club was in the 1997 Charity Shield against Chelsea.

Whilst playing for Besiktas a goat was brought onto the pitch and slaughtered before a match. Ronny Johnsen commented: “They brought out a goat, cut its head off and smeared the blood all over my forehead." (FourFourTwo, Sept. 1997)

After his performance against Brazil in the 1998 World Cup, he was dubbed "The Miracle of Marseille" for marking Ronaldo out of the game

 

Ronny Johnsen