Mats Solheim

Mats Solheim

Solheim playing for Hammarby in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Mats Goberg Solheim
Date of birth	(1987-12-03) 3 December 1987 (age 37)
Place of birth	Loen, Norway[1]
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
	Loen
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
–2004	Loen
2005–2006	Stryn
2006–2011	Sogndal	115	(18)
2012–2014	Kalmar	50	(5)
2015–2019	Hammarby IF	111	(8)
2020–2021	Stabæk	40	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mats Goberg Solheim (born 3 December 1987) is a former Norwegian footballer who played as a defender.^[2]

Solheim started his career at the local club Loen IL,^[3] continuing at Stryn TIL in the lower divisions. He initially played as a striker.^[4] He attracted interest from the professional club Sogndal, then playing in the Norwegian second tier, during the summer of 2006. He subsequently joined the club and went on to enjoy a promotion to Tippeligaen four seasons later, in 2010.

During his time at Sogndal he got known as a utility player, being used in almost every outfield position. He has since established himself as a natural wing back on either flanks.^[5]

Solheim played a total of 25 games, scoring 4 times, during the 2011 Tippeligaen-season. He attracted interest from several other Norwegian clubs after the successful campaign, but opted to move abroad, signing for Kalmar FF in the Swedish Allsvenskan.^[6]

He had a rough start to his stint at Kalmar FF, when he injured his anterior cruciate ligament in February 2012 during the pre-season. He was forced to the sideline throughout the rest of the year.^[7]

Solheim made his competitive debut for Kalmar on 2 April 2013 against Syrianska FC, on the first match day of the 2013 Allsvenskan. He crowned his debut for the side by scoring in a 3–0 victory.^[4] He played as a regular at Kalmar during the upcoming two seasons, featuring in a total of 50 games in Allsvenskan, scoring on 5 occasions.

On 31 March 2015, the last day of the Swedish transfer window, Hammarby IF announced that they had signed Solheim on a three-year contract.^[8] He reunited with his former manager Nanne Bergstrand, who first had brought him to Sweden, at the Stockholm-based outfit.

Solheim established himself as a first choice left defender at Hammarby during the 2015 season. He missed out on the whole first half of the 2016 season due to another, less serious, knee injury.^[9]

In November 2019, Solheim returned to Norwegian football, joining Stabæk on a three-year contract.^[10] He retired in August 2021 to become a banker.^[11]

Sogndal

• Norwegian First Division: 2010^[13]

• Mats Solheim at NIFS (in Norwegian)