Simen Vidtun Nilsen

Simen Vidtun Nilsen
Personal information
Date of birth (2000-03-03) 3 March 2000 (age 24)
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Ranheim
Number 1
Youth career
–2017 Tistedalen
2018–2020 Sarpsborg 08
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018 Tistedalen 6 (0)
2020–2023 Sarpsborg 08 11 (0)
2023 → Skeid (loan) 28 (0)
2024– Ranheim 14 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 July 2024

Simen Vidtun Nilsen (born 3 March 2000) is a Norwegian football goalkeeper who currently plays for Ranheim.[1]

Nilsen hails from Tistedal[2] and made his senior debut for Tistedalen in the 2018 Norwegian Fourth Division. In mid-2018 he joined Sarpsborg 08 as a youth player.[3] He was drafted into the senior team in 2020.[2] However, he did not play matches in any competition in 2020 due to the COVID-19-related lockdowns of football in Norway.[4]

Nilsen made his Sarpsborg 08 debut in the 2021 Norwegian Football Cup against Kvik Halden,[5] followed by his Eliteserien debut in December 2021 against Brann.[6]

Nilsen won the spot as Sarpsborg 08's first-choice goalkeeper in the summer of 2022, when Anders Kristiansen sustained a thumb injury. Nilsen was placed in the starting eleven against Aalesund only 15 minutes before the game started,[7] but continued playing in the following months. Nilsen also penned a new contract until the summer of 2025.[8] In July 2022, Nilsen was sent off, this time paving the way for Leander Øy's debut.[9]

In 2023, Sarpsborg 08 did not favor starting with Nilsen, and sent him on loan to Skeid for the entire 2023 1. divisjon campaign. While the team languishing in the bottom of the table, Nilsen gained experience as their near-undisputed first-choice goalkeeper.[4] He was bought by another 1. divisjon team Ranheim ahead of the 2024 season.[10]

References

  1. ^ Simen Vidtun Nilsen at Soccerway
  2. ^ a b Austerheim, Daniel (24 December 2020). "Simen (20) var nære gjennombruddet – så kom marerittbeskjeden". Halden Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  3. ^ Simen Vidtun Nilsen at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)
  4. ^ a b Engebretsen, Victor (4 June 2023). "Skeids keeper ble kastet til ulvene: – Rakk ikke tenke på det". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  5. ^ Duan, Mats (25 July 2021). "Debutanten reddet Sarpsborg 08 i en tam cupkamp: – Jeg koser meg i kaoset". Sarpsborg Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  6. ^ Karlsen, Pål Andre (13 December 2021). "Simen (21) debuterte: – Har ventet et helt år på dette". Sarpsborg Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  7. ^ "Drømmetreff og overtidsmål da Haugen reddet AaFK: – Det var helt konge" (in Norwegian). Eurosport. 22 May 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  8. ^ Biørnstad, Carl Henning (9 June 2022). "Forlenget kontrakten: – Opp til han selv hvor god han kan bli" (in Norwegian). Eurosport. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Sarpsborg fikk keeperen utvist – vant ellevilt drama". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 3 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  10. ^ Hagen, Mathias; de Wahl, Stian André (29 December 2023). "Ranheim kjøper eliteseriekeeper". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 10 July 2024.