He was born in Houston to Norwegian parents and grew up in Norway, he also plays for Norway (has occasionally captained them) but still holds an American passport in addition to his Norwegian one (so on the very off chance an American club wanted him, he'd be a domestic). Right now he's playing in Copenhagen, he's in the first choice center back pairing and wears the 5 shirt, he's vice-captain to his defensive partner Michael Gravgaard. He's a big fellow, 6'5" and a hair over 200. I started this because he's linked with moves to Aston Villa and Newcastle United. Should we count him? Rossi counts, I know Rossi could still play for us, but it looks doubtful.
Ah. It'd be interesting to track him though, he's 26, which is just about when defenders come into their own. I think he could be a really successful player.
Incidentally, not the first American to play for Norway. Espen Baardsen (4 caps, Norway's #3 goalkeeper at the 1998 World Cup) was born in California, actually played for US youth national teams, but ended up switching to Norway because the US goalkeeper pool was harder to break into at the time (Keller, Friedel, Sommer, Meola, Thornton). He never lived in Norway at any point in his life.
OK, just because I have no life and saw this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/gossip_and_transfers/6928957.stm The gossip is that Aston Villa is after Brede. So does Brede have a US passport, is he still a US citizen? Or is he a dual citizen?
We've been tracking his goals on the YA Goal Scorers List for two years now. He scored the only YA Champions League goal last year.