After Wolves made striker Jorgen Strand Larsen their new number nine ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League season, wolves.co.uk explores the Norwegian’s footballing background and what he will add to the first-team squad.
Profile
- Name: Jorgen Strand Larsen
- Date of birth: 6th February 2000
- Position: Striker
- Nationality: Norway
- Previous clubs: Sarpsborg, Groningen, Celta Vigo
- Appearances: 205
- Goals: 54
- Assists: 27
Background
Born in Halden, Eastern Norway, Strand Larsen’s first taste of competitive football was with Sarpsborg, who gave the striker his first-team debut at the age of 17. He went on loan to AC Milan during his late teenage years, which is quite common for Italian clubs, who like to bring in players from the surrounding countries as well as from Scandinavia, test them in the Primavera with their U19s teams, and offer players what is effectively a season’s trial.
Milan didn’t ultimately sign him, despite scoring five goals for the side, so he went back to Sarpsborg and performed well in the team, earning him a move to Groningen in the Netherlands – which is a very natural progression for Scandinavian players. Groningen are a club who recruit shrewdly, having produced the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Luis Suarez, and following two very good seasons in Holland, Strand Larsen earned his move to Celta Vigo. After a year of transition, where he was still contributing, last season saw the striker take La Liga by storm.
He has also been part of the Norwegian set up throughout the age groups, showing his status from a young age. He has played at every level from under-16s to under-21s before earning his first senior cap in 2020. Coming through, he was in the same age group as Erling Haaland, with Strand Larsen visiting England several times in recent years to watch his close friend turn out for Manchester City in the Premier League.
Let's gø! 🇳🇴 pic.twitter.com/9y474eCyZl
— Wolves (@Wolves) July 2, 2024
Playing style
A well-rounded centre-forward, people might look at Stand Larsen’s height and size and assume he’s going to be the strongest player on the pitch and the best in the air. Although he will definitely provide that as well, the 24-year-old also provides a combination between the selfishness that you want from a striker, which sees him take chances first time in the box, as well as the selflessness of being a team player.
He is a player who likes receiving the ball with his back to goal and providing an outlet, but also has the movement to get in behind – something which Gary O’Neil was particularly fond of when analysing his performances. Whether it’s down the channels or through the middle, Strand Larsen always looks for that option in behind, and for his own players to find him.
The Norwegian has also got deceiving power which allows him to get away from his man, especially over further metres. As a team player, he’s willing to work hard from the front and be that outlet from the build-up phase. He makes runs into the half spaces before playing the ball in for his teammates to score. He shows impressive aspects across the board that will be beneficial to Wolves and O’Neil’s plans for the 2024/25 Premier League season.
Recruitment
Wolves’ first scouting report on Strand Larsen was dated back to 2018 when the striker was breaking through at Sarpsborg, and the club has been tracking his progress ever since. During the coming years, he has shown many aspects to his game that the scouts had seen before, with Wolves even considering signing him while he was playing for Groningen.
Wolves’ head of scouting and the recruitment team continued to follow him closely, and went to watch the striker in person. The team kept in constant contact with the players’ representatives over the seasons and believing he fit the bill on the characteristics both O’Neil and Matt Hobbs had outlined, felt now was the right time to bring the Norwegian to Molineux.
His performances at the start of last season promoted Hobbs, O’Neil and the recruitment team to make the 24-year-old the club’s number one target at centre-forward ahead of the 2024/25 season.
"I fight for the team. I give everything 100 per cent. If I have to lose three teeth in a game, then I will do it."
— Wolves (@Wolves) July 2, 2024
🗣️ J S L 9 pic.twitter.com/9SVRwT3Yjc
Attitude
Ahead of flying over to England at the weekend, Strand Larsen had a tactical phone call with O’Neil, something the head coach likes to have with all new players before they sign for the club. Although the recruitment team at Wolves produce detailed 20-to-30-page documents and presentations for each player, most will spend just five minutes speaking to the head coach and that is all they need to hear to know Wolves is the right club for them.
As a person, Strand Larsen has been described as ‘typically Scandinavian’. He’s a very down to earth person, someone who enjoys life, but he’ll still work hard on and off the pitch – not too dissimilar with what supporters may have seen from Erling Haaland during his time in the Premier League. Strand Larsen is also fluent in a variety of languages, having picked up the tongue of every country his has played in, which demonstrates a willingness to integrate into different cultures.
During the recruitment process, Wolves’ team have carried out extra research into his background and personality by talking to his former coaches and previous teammates, providing the club with an insight into Strand Larsen as a person, while also adding to the recruitment team’s mantra of minimising any risk when looking to bring a new player into the club. From this analysis, there are no concerns at all about the personal side of their new number nine and think he will easily gel into the bubbly group already in place at Compton Park.
