Mats Møller Dæhli (born 2 March 1995) is a Norwegian professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who plays as a

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

for

Eliteserien Eliteserien () is a professional association football league in Norway and the highest level of the Norwegian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Norwegian First Division ...

club

Molde Molde () is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town and the seat of Molde Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Romsdal. It is located on the Romsdal Pen ...

and the Norway national team. Born in

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

, he was previously contracted to English club

Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...

, where he played for the

reserve team In sports, a reserve team is a team composed of players who are under contract to a club but who do not regularly play in matches for the club's primary team. Reserve teams usually include players who are part of the larger first-team squad but ...

. He joined Norwegian club

, then managed by now former Manchester United striker

Ole Gunnar Solskjær Ole Gunnar Solskjær (; born 26 February 1973) is a Norwegian professional football manager and former player who currently manages Süper Lig club Beşiktaş. He spent the majority of his playing career with Manchester United and made 67 appea ...

, in July 2013 and made his professional debut the same year. He transferred to Cardiff City in January 2014, after Solskjær had been hired as manager of the Welsh club. Dæhli has been a key player for every Norwegian youth team up to under-19 level. He has also played for the under-21 team, and made the step up to the senior team in 2013.

Early life

Dæhli was born in

to Mette Møller, a photographer for ''

Dagbladet () is one of Norway's largest newspapers and is published in the Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format. It has 1,400,000 daily readers on mobile, web and paper. Traditionally it was considered the main liberal newspaper of Norway, with a ...

'', and Truls Dæhli, a sports journalist for ''

Verdens Gang (), generally known under the abbreviation ''VG'', is a Norway, Norwegian Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper. In 2016, circulation numbers stood at 93,883, declining from a peak circulation of 390,510 in 2002. Nevertheless, ''VG'' is ...

'' (VG). He grew up at Ullevål Hageby in Oslo, but lived in London for two years when his father worked as a

correspondent A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is usually a journalist or commentator for a magazine, or an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, locati ...

for VG. While living in London, the seven-year-old Dæhli attended a training session with Chelsea. After returning to Oslo, he spent most of his childhood playing for

Lyn Lyn or LYN may refer to: People * Lyn (singer), South Korean singer * Lyn (gamer), South Korean ''Warcraft III'' player * Lyn (given name) * Lyn (surname) In science and technology * Lynx (constellation), standard abbreviation * Lyn (locomotive ...

, but after the club was bankrupted in 2010 he had a spell at Stabæk, where he was described by

Pål Berg Paul is a common Latin masculine given name in countries and ethnicities with a Christian heritage (Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism) and, beyond Europe, in Christian religious communities throughout the world. Paul – or its variat ...

, one of Stabæk's coaches, as "an exceptional talent" having "superior technique". He played for the

in the 2. divisjon, before he returned to Lyn. Dæhli was discovered at the age of 12 by the talent scout John Vik, who recommended

to sign the player. Dæhli trained with United a couple of times before he signed a contract with the club in November 2010, and he joined the

academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

in February 2011.

Club career

Manchester United

Dæhli signed a professional contract with Manchester United on his 17th birthday, and made his debut for the reserves in the match against West Bromwich later the same month. His skillful performances for

Paul McGuinness Paul McGuinness (born 16 June 1951) is an Irish talent manager. He was the founder of Principle Management Limited, a popular music act management company based in Dublin, Ireland. He was the manager of the rock band U2 from 1978 to 2013. Ea ...

' Under-18s led to his elevation to the reserve squad in July 2012, and he scored the match-winning goal against Irish side Longford on 22 July 2012 after an assist from countryman

Joshua King Josh or Joshua King may refer to: * Josh King (basketball) (born 1985), American basketball coach * Josh King (rugby league) (born 1995), Australian rugby league footballer * Joshua King (mathematician) Joshua King (16 January 1798 – 1 Sept ...

. He won the "Jimmy Murphy Young

Player of the Year award Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year. In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award. Association football In association football, this award is held on b ...

" at the end of his maiden season for Manchester United.

Molde

In July 2013, Dæhli returned to Norway to sign a two-and-a-half-year contract with former Manchester United forward

's club

. He made his professional début when he replaced

Daniel Chima Daniel Chima Chukwu (born 4 April 1991) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Indian Super League club Chennaiyin. Career Early career Chima started playing football for Festac Sport, before going on loan to Buss ...

at half time in the

Tippeligaen Eliteserien () is a professional association football league in Norway and the highest level of the Norwegian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Norwegian First Division ...

game against Brann on 3 August 2013. Solskjær praised Dæhli after his performance in the semi-final of the

2013 Norwegian Football Cup The 2013 Norwegian Football Cup was the 108th season of the Norway, Norwegian annual knockout association football, football tournament. It began with 2013 Norwegian Football Cup qualifying rounds, qualification matches in March 2013. The first r ...

against

Lillestrøm Lillestrøm is a municipality in Akershus county. It is located in the traditional district of Romerike. With a population of 85,757 inhabitants, it is the fourth most populated municipality in Viken. It was founded on 1 January 2020 as a merger ...

, and claimed that Dæhli could have been playing for Manchester United's first-team if he had not returned to Norway. Solskjær also compared him to

Adnan Januzaj Adnan Januzaj (born 5 February 1995) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger for La Liga club Las Palmas, on loan from Sevilla. Born and raised in Brussels, Januzaj began his career with Anderlecht before joining Manchester U ...

, stating that the two played together at the under-18 team and that it was Dæhli who won the Player of the Year award. During Dæhli's first eight matches in the Tippeligaen, 91.88% of his passes were successful, and was a contributor to Molde's good form during the second half of the 2013 season. In October 2013 Dæhli was awarded the "

Statoil Equinor ASA (formerly Statoil and StatoilHydro) is a Norwegian multinational energy company headquartered in Stavanger, Norway. It is primarily a petroleum company operating in 36 countries with additional investments in renewable energy. In th ...

Talent of the Month" award.

Cardiff City

Dæhli returned to the Premier League on 11 January 2014, joining up with former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær at

Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...

for an undisclosed fee, making him their second signing of the window after fellow Norwegian

Magnus Wolff Eikrem Magnus Wolff Eikrem (born 8 August 1990) is a Norwegian professional association football, footballer who plays for Molde FK in Eliteserien. His regular playing position is in Midfielder#Attacking midfielder, attacking midfield, though he can pla ...

. Solskjær stated upon signing Dæhli for the second time in his managerial career: "It's taken a bit of time because we've met some competition from

signing Mats and I'm glad to say he's chosen to come to Cardiff. That shows the desire he has for doing well for Cardiff. Mats is an outstanding talent. He'll be 19 in March, he's just made his debut for Norway - made two appearances in November - so he'll give us energy and enthusiasm." Dæhli made his debut for Cardiff on 25 January 2014 in the

2013–14 FA Cup The 2013–14 FA Cup (also known as The FA Cup with Budweiser for sponsorship reasons) was the 133rd season of the FA Cup, the main domestic cup competition in English football, and the oldest football knock-out competition in the world. It wa ...

fourth round victory over

Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...

at the

Reebok Stadium The Toughsheet Community Stadium is a Association football, football stadium in Horwich near Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It is the home ground of Bolton Wanderers F.C., Bolton Wanderers Football Club, with an all-seated capacity of 28, ...

, coming on for Joe Mason in the 79th minute of the game. Dæhli scored a 95th-minute equaliser after coming on at half-time as Cardiff twice came back to steal a potentially crucial point against

West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...

on 29 March 2014.

SC Freiburg

On 22 December 2014, Dæhli agreed to join

Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany and the highest level of the German football league system. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams ...

club

SC Freiburg Sport-Club Freiburg e.V., commonly known as SC Freiburg (), is a Football in Germany, German professional football club, based in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg. It plays in the Bundesliga, having been promoted as champions ...

in the January 2015 transfer window. He made his debut against

Borussia Mönchengladbach Borussia Verein für Leibesübungen 1900 e.V. Mönchengladbach, better known as Borussia Mönchengladbach () and colloquially known as just Gladbach, is a professional Association football, football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-W ...

in a 1–0 defeat.

FC St. Pauli

On 18 January 2017, Dæhli went on loan to

club

FC St. Pauli Fußball-Club St. Pauli von 1910 e.V., commonly known as simply FC St. Pauli (), is a German professional association football, football club based in the St. Pauli district of Hamburg. The team plays in the Bundesliga from the 2024–25 Bundesli ...

, who had the option of making the transfer permanent when the loan agreement ended on 30 June 2018. The club availed themselves of this opportunity, signing Dæhli permanently on 1 July 2018.

Genk

On 4 January 2020, St. Pauli announced that Dæhli would be joining Belgian club

K.R.C. Genk Koninklijke Racing Club Genk (), commonly known as KRC Genk or Racing Genk, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Genk in Belgian Limburg. Racing Genk plays in the Belgian Pro League and have won four championship title ...

with immediate effect after three and a half years with the club.

1. FC Nürnberg

On 25 January 2021, Dæhli moved to

2.Bundesliga The 2. Bundesliga ( ; ) is the second division of professional football in Germany. It was implemented 11 years after the founding of the Fußball-Bundesliga as the new second division for professional football. The 2. Bundesliga is ranked belo ...

team 1. FC Nürnberg, on a loan deal until the end of the season. The deal included a purchase option. On 21 May 2021, he joined the club permanently.

Return to Molde

On 8 January 2024, Dæhli returned to

on a four-year contract.

International career

Dæhli made his debut for the Norway under-15 team against Sweden U15 in 2010, and in an under-15 tournament against Spain, France and Netherlands in October 2010 he was named "player of the tournament". After his performances for Norway's youth teams, he was dubbed the most talented footballers in Norway by the former footballers Hallvard Thoresen and Nils Johan Semb while

called him one of the biggest talents in Europe and was compared to

Xavi Xavi () is a Catalan given name, usually used as a nickname for Xavier. Notable people with the name include: Football * Xavi Hernández (born 1980), Spanish football manager and former player * Xavi Andorrà (born 1985), Andorran footballe ...

by TV 2-pundit Morten Langli. Dæhli decided in August 2012 to take a break from the Norway youth team, after he was promoted to Manchester United's reserve team to reduce the number of matches, as he was playing for both United's under-18 and reserve teams. The next month he had a meeting with under-21 coach

Per Joar Hansen Per Joar Hansen (born 17 August 1965) is a Norwegian football coach. He grew up in the small community of Trofors in Nordland. He played for and managed Rosenborg BK, and he has managed GIF Sundsvall, Aalesunds FK, Ranheim and the Norwegian un ...

, after the under-21 match against England U-21, where Hansen told Dæhli that he soon wanted Dæhli to play for the under-21 team. After qualifying for the

2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, or simply the 2013 Euro Under-21, was the 19th staging of UEFA's UEFA European Under-21 Championship, European Under-21 Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Israel from 5–18 June 2013. The Is ...

, Hansen successor Tor Ole Skullerud, stated that he might include Dæhli in the squad for the championship. After Dæhli's break from the Norway youth team was over, he was selected in the under-19 squad that was playing three matches at

La Manga Club La Manga Club is a sports and leisure resort located in the south-eastern region of Spain, Murcia, south of La Manga, and bordered by the Mar Menor and Calblanque Regional Park. The resort complex opened in 1972 and covers an area of 1,400 ...

in February 2013. He was suspended from the last match, after receiving yellow cards in the first two matches, and together with Ivar Furu Dæhli was promoted to the under-21 squad that was also playing at La Manga. The 17-year-old made his debut for the under-21 team when he replaced Kristoffer Larsen after 60 minutes in the semi-final of the 2011–13 International Challenge Trophy against Russia U-21 on 7 February 2013. When Skullerud announced the squad for friendly matches against Spain U-21 and Netherlands U-21 he did not call up Dæhli, and stated that because the under-19 team were playing qualification matches as the under-21 championship, he would not bring Dæhli to Israel unless he was a certain starter. Instead of playing in the under-21 championship, Dæhli was a part of the under-19 team that played three matches in the elite qualification for the

2013 UEFA European Under-19 Championship The 2013 UEFA European Under-19 Championship was the 12th edition of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship, since its reclassification from an under-18 tournament in 2002, and the 62nd since the tournament was created in 1948. It was hosted in Li ...

, where Norway finished second behind

the Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. At the age of 18, Dæhli was for the first time called up for the Norway senior team for the friendly matches against

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

and

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

in November 2013.

Career statistics

Club

International

:''Scores and results list Norway's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Dæhli goal''

Honours

Molde *

Norwegian Football Cup The Norwegian Football Cup () is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament ...

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

Individual * Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year: 2011–12

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Daehli, Mats Moller 1995 births Living people Footballers from Oslo Men's association football midfielders Norwegian men's footballers 21st-century Norwegian sportsmen Lyn Fotball players Stabæk Fotball players Manchester United F.C. players Molde FK players Cardiff City F.C. players SC Freiburg players SC Freiburg II players FC St. Pauli players K.R.C. Genk players 1. FC Nürnberg players Eliteserien players Premier League players English Football League players Bundesliga players 2. Bundesliga players Regionalliga players Belgian Pro League players Norway men's youth international footballers Norway men's under-21 international footballers Norway men's international footballers Norwegian expatriate men's footballers Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in England Expatriate men's footballers in England Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in Wales Expatriate men's footballers in Wales Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in Germany Expatriate men's footballers in Germany Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in Belgium Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium