Having been linked with most of the top clubs in Europe for many years, Norwegian prodigy Sander Berge very much looks part of a golden generation for his country. Alongside Erling Haaland and Kristoffer Ajer, the Norwegians look to be well-set for a core to their national side for a decade at least. For Sheffield United, then, landing Berge in January was a major coup – and expect him to go from strength to strength this year as his team takes an extra step-up.
What makes him so special?
Berge is a midfielder who can do a bit of everything. Though we have to say that for someone of his size he could do a lot more defensively, it’s something that will improve working with Chris Wilder. Despite lacking some aerial prowess, too, he’s a player who is still acclimatising to a very different play style and formation: one might argue that United might be one of the hardest teams to play for given the unicity of their system.
However, despite not being a great tackler (yet), Berge makes up for it with astounding creativity in most other parts of his game. He’s a fantastic ball player, and can come out with the ball and knit play. Add in the fact that he can often win fouls for United – great at set-pieces – with his surging runs and his natural power, and he looks a real asset for his team.
He’s a great passer, too, and his finishing is surprisingly adept – especially from range. Expect to see Berge becoming more confident and taking control of games on a regular basis next year as he acclimatises properly to the English game.
In what could have been a hellish first half-season, Berge has left most fans in no doubt about just how high his ceiling is.