Sten Grytebust

Sten Grytebust

Grytebust in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Sten Michael Grytebust[1]
Date of birth	(1989-10-25) 25 October 1989 (age 35)
Place of birth	Ålesund, Norway
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Aalesund
Number	1
Youth career
	Ellingsøy IL
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009–2016	Aalesund	148	(0)
2016–2019	OB	114	(0)
2019–2022	Copenhagen	16	(0)
2021	→ Vejle (loan)	10	(0)
2022–	Aalesund	76	(0)
International career^‡
2006	Norway U17	2	(0)
2007	Norway U18	5	(0)
2008	Norway U19	1	(0)
2008–2010	Norway U21	3	(0)
2011-2013	Norway U23	2	(0)
2013–2022	Norway	5	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 6 September 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 November 2022

Sten Michael Grytebust (born 25 October 1989) is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Aalesund.

He previously played for Aalesunds FK in the Norwegian Tippeligaen and, until the end of the 2018–19 season, for Odense Boldklub in Denmark. He made his debut for the Norway national team in 2013.

Early life

Born in Ålesund in western Norway,^[2] Grytebust was raised on the adjacent island of Ellingsøy. His father is a native of Ellingsøy and his mother is Liberian^[3] and Grytebust has described former Liberian international George Weah as his idol growing up.^[4]

Grytebust did not originally play as a goalkeeper, but as a teenager deputised in goal when his team's goalkeeper was injured. A good performance led to him becoming the first-choice goalkeeper for the side. In 2004, aged 15 he was approached by Aalesunds FK, but chose to play for Ellingsøy IL's first-team in the Norwegian fourth tier before joining Aalesund's youth team one year later.^[5] After two season in the youth setup, Grytebust joined Aalesund's first team ahead of the 2008 season.^[6]

Club career

Aalesund

After joining Aalesund's first-team squad, the young Grytebust was the third-choice goalkeeper behind Adin Brown, Andreas Lie and later Anders Lindegaard who joined the side on loan.^[4] In August 2009, after Lindegaard's loan-spell ended the team's coaching staff decided to give Grytebust his first team debut in place of Lie. He made his debut against local rivals Molde FK on 22 August 2009,^[7] and delivered a good performance despite conceding three goals.^[6] After his debut, Aalesund signed Lindegaard permanently and Lie left the team, leaving Grytebust as the second-choice goalkeeper for the following season. He played in the two first rounds of the 2010 Norwegian Football Cup.^[4]

Grytebust was told by the club during autumn 2009 that he would be the next first-choice goalkeeper at the club. After the 2010 season, Lindegaard was bought by Manchester United and Grytebust was confirmed as the team's goalkeeper.^[8] Lindegaard stated that he believed Grytebust was ready for the task, and was certain that he would play for the Norwegian national side one day.^[6]

The 2011 season started poorly with Aalesund losing against Fredrikstad partly due to a bad goal kick by Grytebust,^[9] but after his match-winning saves against Viking and Stabæk, the team's head coach Kjetil Rekdal also predicted Grytebust would be the next national team goalkeeper.^[10] He delivered a stable performance throughout the season and was rewarded by being selected to the Under-23 national team together with his teammate Peter Orry Larsen, despite neither of them knowing that such a team existed.^[11] His performance also received praise from national team goalkeeping coach Frode Grodås who stated that Grytebust was "without weaknesses".^[12] After ending the season with a victory in the 2011 Norwegian Football Cup Final,^[13] Grytebust was named "Aalesund player of the year" by the local paper, Sunnmørsposten alongside Daniel Arnefjord.^[5]

The 2012 season continued with Grytebust unchallenged as first-choice goalkeeper for Aalesund. Results varied and he received criticism when Aalesund were eliminated from the domestic cup in the fourth round against Sandefjord, with Grytebust being sloppy with a pass and conceding a goal.^[14] Later, during a match against SK Brann, he was again careless with a goal-kick, which ended with another goal conceded.^[15] In August the club reported that it had re-signed Andreas Lie as a back-up keeper,^[16] with Lie stating that he was keen to "play for a permanent spot".^[17]

Move to Danish football

Grytebust left Aalesund in February 2016, joining Danish Superliga club Odense BK on a free transfer.^[18] He was voted Danish goalkeeper of the year in both 2017 and 2018 before joining FC København, again on a free transfer in May 2019, having opted not to sign a new contract at Odense. On 31 August 2021, Grytebust was loaned out to Vejle Boldklub for the 2021–22 season.^[19]

Return to Aalesund

On 15 February 2022, Grytebust returned to Aalesund on a two-year contract.^[20]

In December 2023, Aalesund announced that Grytebyst had extended his contract for an additional season, after the club got relegated from the Eliteserien the season prior.^[21]

International career

Grytebust was first called up for the Norway national team in June 2013, and made his debut a friendly match against Macedonia on 11 June 2013 when he replaced André Hansen a couple of minutes before full-time. He became the 150th player Egil "Drillo" Olsen used during his two spells as national team coach.^[22]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 3 December 2023^[23][24]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup[a]		Europe		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Aalesund	2009	Tippeligaen	1	0	0	0	–		1	0
	2010		0	0	0	0	–		0	0
	2011		30	0	5	0	6[b]	0	41	0
	2012		30	0	1	0	4[b]	0	35	0
	2013		30	0	1	0	–		31	0
	2014		30	0	4	0	–		34	0
	2015		27	0	0	0	–		27	0
	Total		148	0	11	0	10	0	169	0
OB	2015–16	Danish Superliga	15	0	0	0	–		15	0
	2016–17		30	0	0	0	–		30	0
	2017–18		34	0	1	0	–		35	0
	2018–19		35	0	3	0	–		38	0
	Total		114	0	4	0	–		118	0
Copenhagen	2019–20	Danish Superliga	7	0	2	0	5[c]	0	14	0
	2020–21		9	0	0	0	0	0	9	0
	Total		16	0	2	0	5	0	23	0
Vejle (loan)	2021–22	Danish Superliga	10	0	3	0	–		13	0
	Total		10	0	3	0	–		13	0
Aalesunds	2022	Eliteserien	30	0	1	0	–		31	0
	2023		29	0	1	0	–		30	0
	2024	1. divisjon	0	0	0	0	–		0	0
	Total		59	0	2	0	–		61	0
Career total			347	0	24	0	15	0	386	0

1. Including Norwegian Cup, Danish Cup
2. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
3. Three appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in the UEFA Europa League

International

As of match played 7 June 2019

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Norway	2013	1	0
	2014	1	0
	2015	0	0
	2016	0	0
	2017	1	0
	2018	1	0
	2019	1	0
	2020	0	0
	2021	0	0
Total		5	0

Honours

Aalesund

• Norwegian Football Cup: 2009, 2011

References

1. "Sten Michael Grytebust" (in Norwegian). Football Association of Norway. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
2. "Sten Grytebust" (in Norwegian). altomfotball.no. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
3. "Skjebnekamper for både store- og lillebror Grytebust" (in Norwegian). aftenposten.no. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
4. "I bildet: Ein tålmodig, ung mann" (in Norwegian). nyttiuka.no. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
5. Stenerud, Kristian (25 March 2012). "Grytebust: Jeg følte ikke noe ekstra press". Sunnmørsposten (in Norwegian). Retrieved 24 April 2012.
6. "Lindegaard: – Han blir norsk landslagskeeper" (in Norwegian). Sunnmørsposten. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
7. "No vil Grytebust bryte forbanninga – som han ikkje trur på" (in Norwegian). NRK. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
8. "Tok opp hansken etter Lindegaard" (in Norwegian). fotball.no. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
9. Nedregrotten, Sveinung (21 March 2011). "- To avgjørende feil gjør at vi taper". 100% fotball (in Norwegian). Retrieved 19 August 2012.
10. Stenerud, Kristian (14 June 2011). "Rekdal: Norges neste landslagskeeper". Aftenposten.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 24 April 2012.
11. Stenerud, Kristian (1 November 2012). "Tatt ut på et landslag de ikke visste eksisterte". 100% fotball (in Norwegian). Retrieved 20 August 2012.
12. Stenerud, Kristian (14 May 2012). "Grodås – Grytebust har ingen svakheter". 100% fotball. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
13. "Barrantes ble den store cuphelten" (in Norwegian). NRK. 6 November 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
14. Hjelvik, Eirik Nessetq (8 July 2012). "Grytebust: – Beste medisin er å slå tilbake". 100% fotball (in Norwegian). Retrieved 20 August 2012.
15. Bøyum, Mads (22 July 2012). "Grytebust: – ikke artig". 100% fotball (in Norwegian). Retrieved 20 August 2012.
16. Eikrem, Allan (13 August 2012). "Lie vender hjem". 100% fotball (in Norwegian). Retrieved 20 August 2012.
17. Hjelvik, Eirik Nesset (13 August 2012). "Lie: Skal spille meg til fast plass". 100% fotball (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
18. OB sikrer sig norsk keeper, ob.dk, 17 February 2016.
19. Vejle Boldklub lejer Sten Grytebust i resten af efterårssæsonen, vejle-boldklub.dk, 31 August 2021
20. "TILBAKE I AAFK-DRAKT" (Press release) (in Norwegian). Aalesund. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
21. "En julegave fra oss til dere" (in Norwegian). Aalesund FK. 24 December 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
22. "Grytebust ble spiller nummer 150 under Drillo" (in Norwegian). TV 2. Norwegian News Agency. 12 June 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
23. Sten Grytebust at Soccerway
24. Sten Grytebust at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)

External links

• Sten Grytebust – UEFA competition record (archive)