Erik Benjaminsen
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 3 September 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | San Francisco, California, United States | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Lommedalen | ||
| Number | 18 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Hauger | |||
| 2003–2010 | Stabæk | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2013 | Stabæk | 4 | (0) |
| 2014– | Lommedalen | ||
| National team‡ | |||
| 2010 | United States U20 | 2 | (0) |
| 2010 | Norway U19 | 1 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 August 2012. | |||
Erik Benjaminsen (born September 3, 1992) is a soccer player currently playing for Lommedalen in the 3. Divisjon.
With an American mother and a Norwegian father, Benjaminsen has represented both Norway and the United States at youth international level.
Career
Club
Benjaminsen has a Norwegian father and an American mother and was born in San Francisco. He lived in Fresno, California for six years before his family moved to Norway. As a young boy, Benjaminsen joined Hauger FK, but at the age of fifteen he moved to Stabæk.[1] He worked his way through the youth system, playing for the U-19 team and the reserve team.
Benjaminsen made his debut for the senior team in the first round of the 2010 Norwegian Cup, coming on as a substitute in a 12-1 demolition of Høland IL.[2] Benjaminsen signed a professional contract in August 2010, making him eligible for league play.[3]
On 12 May 2012, Benjaminsen made his debut in Tippeligaen in Stabæk's 5-0 loss against Molde, when he replaced Vegar Eggen Hedenstad as a substitute after 16 minutes.
International
Like his teammate Mix Diskerud, Benjaminsen is a dual national holding both Norwegian and American citizenship. Also like Diskerud, Benjaminsen has played for Norwegian youth teams in informal competitions. However, in 2009 Benjaminsen said that, "I am 100% American. I always have been. My goal is to make the US national team. It has always been my dream. If I were to get a call [from US Under-20 team coach Thomas Rongen], I would take it in a heartbeat."[1]
In May 2010, Benjaminsen accepted a callup to the US U-20 team to compete in a youth tournament in the Netherlands.[4]
Future callups were not forthcoming from the US U-20 camp and in September 2010, Benjaminsen accepted a callup to the Norwegian under-19 team.[5] He made his official debut for the team on September 29 in a 2-0 loss to Estonia U-19 in a qualifier for the 2011 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship.
Career statistics
| Season | Club | Division | League | Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| 2010 | Stabæk | Tippeligaen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2012 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2013 | Adeccoligaen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career Total | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
References
- 1 2 Bell, Arch (November 9, 2009). "BRIGHT FUTURE AWAITING BENJAMINSEN". Retrieved May 17, 2010.
- ↑ "Høland-Stabæk". May 13, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2010.
- ↑ "Stabæk-kontrakt for Benjaminsen". Budstikka (in Norwegian). 23 August 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ↑ "Rongen Finalizes U-20 Roster for the Cor Groenewegen in the Netherlands". May 5, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2010.
- ↑ Bakkehaug, Wegard (19 September 2010). "Stabæk-kompiser med felles USA-drøm" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. Retrieved 4 November 2012.