“Vegard Forren to follow the footsteps of Brede Hangeland in the Premier League”

I`ve been approach by some English football fans to comment on Vegard Forren. To make things easier I have gathered some of the information on the player into this post. It will give you an indication on what type of a player he is.

Back in 2008 I recommended him to Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga. I don`t think they took my advice seriously as I never heard back from them again. But that is what scouting is all about. Discovering bargains before anyone else does. The German club voted against investing in Forren back then I and think they now start to realize what I was trying to tell them back then.

I`ve watched him closely since 2007 and one could back then see his future in one of the big leagues. The reason was due to his mature appearance on the pitch. He came from the lower divisions and instantly stood out as a player that weren’t intimated or affected by the idea of playing with the big boys.  Werder Bremen didn’t sign him when they had the chance. Club Brugge also hesitated before getting turned down by Forren last week. Many clubs pay the price for hesitating.

Vegard Forren is ready to play football in England and I don`t think he will let anyone down. He would have been a good signing for either Liverpool or Everton. For Southampton he will be an excellent signing. In fact; I would like to assure the fans down south that the player is well capable of having the same impact for them as Brede Hangeland has had for Fulham.

Football fans in England can look forward to have a strong and calm defender at the back. He is a player that is used to the passing-style of play which will suit Southampton perfectly. His heading ability combined with his tackling skills is second to none. Vegard Forren doesn`t possess the greatest amount of pace, but his reading of the game usually makes up for it. His left foot is amongst the best in Scandinavia – a left foot he knows how to take advantage of. He will need time to adapt to English game, but not a long time. He`s proven this for Molde in Europe and for the National team.

People have told me in the past that if he is that good then why he is still playing in the Norwegian league. The same people will surely tell me the same thing now (who is Southampton?). What they don`t realize is that Southampton is a club going places. I`ve watched them closely since they spent a year in League One. The signing of Vegard Forren is another step forward for the club. They got a plan for him and they are going places as a club.

Written about Vegard Forren in 2012:

His performances this season stands out as his best ever. The performance against Heerenveen was absolutely brilliant and by this he showed to any doubters what he is all about. Good in the air, strong tackler, good reading the game and he`s a defender who isn’t intimidated by receiving the ball in the buildup play. He`s improved a lot in all of these areas by keep playing in the Norwegian league, and allowing himself to mature as a player. He obviously wants to play at a higher level, but he`s been biding his time and stayed focus as he knows that if he delivers in the Norwegian league he will soon get his chance. With Molde FK entering the group stage of the Europa League something tells me that their opponents are in for a surprised. For one should not forget that Molde FK were only a missed penalty away from entering the last qualifaction round before the group stage of the Champions league. With Solskjær on board as a manager the whole team has adapted into the passing mentality of play – which eventually suits Forren perfectly.

He just recently, only a matter of time really, got called up for the Norwegian national team. If the Norwegian national team were going to move forward the national team coach needed to bring in players such as Vegard Forren and Magnus Wolf Eikrem.

I was overjoyed when I watched his man of the match performance on his debut against Switzerland. His performance the week after, against Cyprus, surely cemented his place as a regular within the team. Scouts from various clubs have watched him closely these last months. Yesterday there were representatives from Belgium side Club Brugge to watch him against Tromsø IL. Again he surely was the man of the match and by doing so he continued in the same pattern as he has done since the summer.

My honest opinion about Vegard Forren is that Club Brugge will not be a suitable club for him. I would like to see him in a bigger league. The reason for me saying so is based on his his development these last years. The steps he has taken at Molde can be compared to Brede Hangeland achievements at FC Copenhagen. We all remember where he ended up and I believe that Vegard Forren is ready for one of the top leagues.

Scouting report on Vegard Forren written on 17.01.2013

Øyvind Christoffer Johansen
Chief scout, Scandinavian Scouting Agency

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