Port Vale one hit wonders: number eight Robin Berntsen
In this series we look back at players who only made a solitary appearance for the Valiants. This week we look at Norwegian Robin Berntsen
Robin Berntsen in numbers…
The Norwegian who would not settle…
Manager John Rudge of course had a talent for unearthing fabulous signings for Port Vale FC seemingly from nowhere. However, for every Andy Jones success story there is the odd Justin O’Reilly failure. And in the case of foreign signings, for every Jan Jansson there is a Robin Berntsen.
While Jan Jansson proved a fantastic purchase and a cult figure at the club, it would not be the same for Berntsen. However, when the signing was announced, it seemed along similar lines of Jansson, who had arrived twelve months earlier. Berntsen was 28 years old, he had won the Norwegian Cup and played in the European Cup Winners Cup for Tromso. He certainly seemed worth the gamble of being signed on loan in November 1998.
So, let’s put that season in context a little. Vale were struggling at right-back with Michael Walsh out and Matt Carragher also injured during much of that campaign. So, Vale needed a right-back, Rudge opted for Berntsen, and that’s where the problems started.
Berntsen came in as a right wingback in front of a back three of Aspin, Beesley and Barnett for a home defeat to Sunderland- but the player himself wanted to play in midfield. That was a problem as Vale were well stocked in midfield with Ian Bogie, Simon Barker, Stewart Talbot and fellow Scandinavian Jan Jansson. It was right-back that was the issue.
So, Bernsten and Rudge fell out with the Norwegian returning back to Tromso after that solitary appearance. Rudge immediately brought in Des Lyttle on loan instead. Berntsen played three more years for Tromso before retiring through injury.
The top image shows Berntsen in action for Tromso – from https://sportsmemos.no/
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