Name: Stale Stensaas
DOB: 07/07/71
POB: Trondheim,
Norway
Position: Left back, centre back
Clubs: Rangers, Rosenberg, Nottingham Forest, Lyn, Lillestrom.
International caps: 9
One of these days the mystery hero on the show will be
someone who demands respect and flattering for their football abilities, but
for the time being we will stick to ridicule: introducing Stale Stensaas.
Stensaas’ legacy is Scottish football is thankful for the
existence of Olivier Bernard five years after his departure. For it is the
Frenchman who this generation of Rangers fans regard as the worst left back
they have witnessed. Stensaas comes a close second.
Stensaas was a part of the massive influx of players in the
summer of 1997 when the reigning champions spend ridiculous amounts of money to
push themselves farther in the Champions League and obliterate local rivals
Celtic on the march to ten in a row. All that occurred was another early exit
in Europe and then forfeiting the league title
by registering the lowest points total in the three points for a win era.
On paper he should have been a strong signing. With the
amount of money David Murray was fluttering at the time he represented little
risk having starred for Norwegian giants Rosenberg for six seasons and helping
the club to three successive league championships before leaving for Glasgow.
While in his homeland he had been both a dependable defender
and an addition to the attacking arsenal while roaming the sides at the
wingback position. Once he had transferred to Rangers he became one of those
hopelessly floundering fish-out-of-water types who fans often wonder how they
even took up the profession in the first place.
Smith spotted him first team opportunities on a sporadic
basis, presumably in denial about his abilities or biased towards a player he
had scouted and spent the club’s money on. Either way Smith started the
defender in what many at the time thought would be his last ever game as
manager of Rangers: the 1998 Cup Final. Rangers lost 2-1 and the full-back was
hauled off at half-time in favour of Ally McCoist, who almost recovered the
match with a late goal.
Dick Advocaat arrived, announced that everyone would get a
fair whack and promptly decided that Stensaas would not do at left-back, going
out and signing Arthur Numan instead; good shout. Rangers would win the title
the next two seasons but Stensaas would not feature enough to get his hands on a
winner’s medal.
Chalking up his Scottish journey to a case of misadventure,
Stensaas returned to the comforts of Norway
and Rosenberg
once again. Back at his old club he was once again regarded an important first
team member and picked up where he left off by grabbing team honours in every
season. Returning to his home country also returned him to the forefront of the
national team conscious and he was selected to represent The Drillos, earning
the first of nine caps in 2001.
The last of his 13 years in Trondheim occurred in 2007 when the 36-year
old Stensaas moved to Lyn Oslo for one
season before retiring upon the completion of the campaign.
Where he is now? Stale is a trained carpenter but after a
16-year career playing at the highest level it is only fitting that he remains
in football, currently coaching the Rosenberg youth team.
Show: Direct Rangers
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