STIG INGE BJORNEBYE

POSITION : DEFENDER LEFT

BORN: Norway 11.12.69

TRANSFER FEE: £600,000 (from Rosenborg, December 1992).
HONOURS: League Cup 94/5; Norway Caps 43.
OTHER CLUBS: Elverum, Kongsvinger IL, Rosenborg.

APPEARANCES : 116

GOALS : 2

INFO:

Liverpool first saw Bjornebye on one of their regular pre-season visits to Norway in summer 1992. Following the end of the Norwegian season Souness negotiated a deal to bring the young left-back to Anfield. He made his debut soon after his arrival but it was not to be a happy occasion as Liverpool slumped to a 5-1 defeat at Coventry.

Bjornebye had trouble establishing himself in England and he only made erratic appearance in the Liverpool side over his first two seasons, sometimes playing in midfield. At the end of the 1993/94 season he was even loaned back to his previous club Rosenborg in Trondheim.

Bjornebye won back his place in the team at the beginning of the 1994/95 season as Roy Evans started to stamp his mark on the team. With new boy Julian Dicks in disgrace and soon to return to West Ham, Bjornebye took his chance and claimed the vacant left-back spot. He retained his place as Evans changed to a 3-5-2 formation with the full-backs becoming attacking wing-backs. However, Bjornebye still looked wanting going forward, especially with his crossing. Nevertheless, Bjornebye was a member of the victorious Liverpool team in the 1995 Coca Cola Cup final.

A few days after winning a Coca Cola Cup medal however, Bjornebye broke his leg in a game at Southampton and he was out for several months. In the following season, Bjornebye only made two appearances as McAteer and Rob Jones established themselves as the wing-back pairing.

However, Bjornebye's fortunes were to change again as he started the 1996/97 season in place of the injured Rob Jones. He even scored the first goal of the Premiership season, and his first for Liverpool in his 70th game, in the opening game at Middlesbrough.

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