Leo Hjelde
Personal information
Full name Leo Fuhr Hjelde[1]
Date of birth (2003-08-26) 26 August 2003
Place of birth Nottingham, England
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Leeds United
Number 33
Youth career
0000–2017 Trygg/Lade
2018–2019 Rosenborg
2019–2021 Celtic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2021 Celtic 0 (0)
2021 → Ross County (loan) 11 (1)
2021– Leeds United 3 (0)
2023 → Rotherham United (loan) 13 (0)
International career‡
2019 Norway U16 13 (0)
2020 Norway U17 3 (0)
2021 Norway U18 3 (1)
2021– Norway U19 3 (0)
2021– Norway U21 10 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:48, 6 August 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 13 September 2023

Leo Fuhr Hjelde (born 26 August 2003) is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL Championship club Leeds United. He previously played for Ross County on loan from Celtic.

Early life

Hjelde is the son of former Nottingham Forest and Rosenborg defender Jon Olav Hjelde, who was playing for South Korean K League club Busan I'cons when Leo was born in England.[3] Jon Olav briefly returned to England to witness Leo's birth, after which the family moved to South Korea for several months to live with Jon Olav in Busan. They returned to England in mid-2004, and subsequently moved to Norway after Jon Olav's two-year spell at Mansfield Town ended in 2007.[4]

Club career

Celtic

On 29 July 2019, Hjelde signed a professional contract with Scottish Premiership club Celtic at 15 years old; he was brought straight into the reserve squad.[5][6]

On 22 January 2021, Hjelde signed for Premiership side Ross County on loan for the remainder of the season.[7] He made his league debut the following day against Rangers in a 5–0 defeat.[8] He scored his first professional goal on 6 March 2021 in a 3–2 win against Kilmarnock.[9] His performances on loan led to Ross County boss John Hughes likening the young defender to former Celtic player Virgil van Dijk.[10]

Leeds United

On 27 August 2021, Hjelde signed for Leeds United for an undisclosed fee, signing a four-year-deal at Elland Road.

Hjelde made his senior debut for Leeds United on 9 January 2022 in the starting line-up in 2–0 FA Cup third round defeat to West Ham United.[11] He made his Premier League debut the following week, also at West Ham, when he came on as a first-half replacement for Junior Firpo in Leeds' 3–2 win, becoming the youngest Norwegian to play in the Premier League.[12][13][3]

On 12 January 2023, Hjelde joined EFL Championship side Rotherham United on loan for the remainder of the 2022–23 season.[14]

Career statistics

As of match played 6 August 2023[15]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Celtic 2020–21[16] Scottish Premiership 0000000000
2021–22[16] 0000000000
Total 0000000000
Ross County (loan) 2020–21[16] Scottish Premiership 1111000—121
Leeds United 2021–22 Premier League 2010001[lower-alpha 1]040
2022–23 0000201[lower-alpha 1]030
2023–24 Championship 1000000010
Total 3010202080
Rotherham United (loan) 2022–23 Championship 130———120
Career total 261202020311
  1. 1 2 Appearances in EFL Trophy

References

  1. ↑ "Leo Fuhr Hjelde" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Football Federation. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  2. ↑ "Leo Fuhr Hjelde – Player Profile – Football". Eurosport. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Norsk 15-åring klar for Celtic". TV2. TV2. 29 July 2019. Archived from the original on 13 April 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  4. ↑ Rowcliffe, Devon (2020). Who Ate All the Squid?: Football Adventures in South Korea. Pitch Publishing. ISBN 9781785316814.
  5. ↑ "Celtic agree terms with talented young Norwegian defender". Celtic FC. 29 July 2019. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  6. ↑ "Celtic sign Rosenborg youngster Leo Hjelde". Sky Sports. 29 July 2019. Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  7. ↑ "Ross County add Celtic teenager Leo Hjelde on loan". BBC Sport. BBC. 22 January 2021. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  8. ↑ "Rangers 5–0 Ross County". SPFL. SPFL. 23 January 2021. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  9. ↑ "Ross County 3–2 Kilmarnock". BBC. 6 March 2021. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  10. ↑ Durent, Jamie (14 April 2021). "Leo Hjelde labelled 'next Virgil van Dijk' by Ross County boss John Hughes". Press and Journal. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  11. ↑ "Leeds United complete Leo Hjelde swoop". Leeds United FC. 27 August 2021. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  12. ↑ Steinberg, Jacob (16 January 2022). "West Ham v Leeds: Premier League Live!". Guardian.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  13. ↑ Steinberg, Jacob (16 January 2022). "West Ham 2–3 Leeds United: Harrison hat-trick dents Hammers' top-four push". www.Guardian.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  14. ↑ "Millers secure loan for Leo from Leeds United". Rotherham United FC. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  15. ↑ Leo Hjelde at Soccerway. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 "Games played by Leo Hjelde in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 January 2021.


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