Roald Jensen

Who was Roald Jensen?

Roald Jensen, nicknamed "Kniksen", of Bergen, Norway was one of that country's most celebrated association football players. He played for SK Brann and Heart of Midlothian F.C.. Knicksen is a local Bergen word meaning "juggler".

Jensen was born in Bergen. From an early age, he was interested in football. He made his Brann senior-team debut in 1960, while still only 17. He made his debut on the national team the same year. Brann, with Jensen, won the league in 1961-62 and in 1963. After Brann's relegation in 1964, Jensen transferred to professional football in Scotland as Heart of Midlothian's first non-British player. While he was in Scotland, Jensen was unable to play for Norway, as the national team did not allow professional players at that time.

In 1971 Jensen returned to Brann and won the Norwegian championship with the club in 1972. Jensen retired from football after the 1973 season, when he was 30 years old. Jensen died in 1987 while playing football for Brann's old-boys team. The Kniksen award, a prize that acclaims the best players in Norwegian football, is named after Jensen. In 1995 a statue of Jensen was erected outside Brann Stadion in Bergen.