Club Career
Born in Eidsvoll, Berg played for Vålerenga and Lillestrøm before coming to England. Blackburn manager Kenny Dalglish attended an England–Norway match at Wembley on 14 October 1992 to scout Tore Pedersen. However, Pedersen was injured and replaced by Berg. Dalglish was so impressed with Berg that he later offered him a contract. He moved to Blackburn Rovers for £400,000 in January 1993 in the first 1992–93 FA Premier League season.
On February 2, 1993, Berg made his debut for Blackburn as a substitute in the 2-1 Premier League home defeat to Crystal Palace. He soon made the right-back position his own in the Rovers side and played a vital role in Blackburn's successful title-winning season under manager Kenny Dalglish in 1994-95, missing only two games throughout the season. Berg's versatility (he was also a competent centre-back) and consistent performances for Blackburn earned him a move to Manchester United in 1997 for a fee of £5 million - at the time the joint-highest fee ever paid for a defender by a British club.
Berg had supported Manchester United as a boy and manager Alex Ferguson had first wanted to sign Berg for United nine years earlier when he was a teenager, but the move fell through because United could not obtain a work permit.
While at Manchester United, Berg helped the club win two league titles (1999 and 2000), one FA Cup in 1999 and one UEFA Champions League title in 1999; part of the famous Treble winning 1999 side, despite missing the two cup finals through injury. He scored three goals while at the club and is particularly fondly remembered for an outstanding display against Inter Milan in the quarter-finals of United's Champions League winning season.
In 1999, Berg became the first player to win the Premier League with two different clubs, a feat he would be alone with until 2010. Later Nicolas Anelka, Ashley Cole, Gael Clichy, Kolo Touré and Carlos Tevez matched the feat.
Berg was a regular choice in the Manchester United line-up in season 1997-98. He was restricted to just 16 Premier League games in 1998–99 following the arrival of Jaap Stam, only to regain his place in the side during 1999–2000 when Ronny Johnsen was injured.
Berg re-joined Blackburn Rovers in September 2000, initially on loan for three months, before securing a permanent transfer under manager Graeme Souness. Rovers were promoted back to the Premier League in 2001. Further success followed for Berg in the following season, when Blackburn won the League Cup, beating Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, with Berg lifting the trophy as captain.
Berg later moved on from Blackburn and had a season at the Scottish club Rangers in 2003–04, where he played his last game professionally.
Read more about this topic: Henning Berg
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