Who are Rosenborg's players? From Football Manager wonderkid to son of former Leeds star | OneFootball

New faces have emerged from the pre-season friendly two years ago

For the second time in two years, Rosenborg are Manchester United’s opponents in a pre-season friendly.

When the sides met in July 2024, Rosenborg came out on top 1-0 thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Noah Jean Holm. Though, the chatter after the game largely centred around promising youngster Sverre Nypan.

Nypan was immediately linked with a move to Man United, but ended up joining Manchester City instead in June 2025.

As such the team that Rosenborg fielded that afternoon will be largely be different to the one that takes to the pitch at the Lerkendal Stadion, in Trondheim, Norway on Friday afternoon.

With new-found interest in the Norwegian side ahead of facing Man Utd, Standard Sport ran the rule over which players to look out for in the pre-season friendly...

Leopold Wahlstedt

Rosenborg’s first-choice goalkeeper. Wahlstedt has previously had a spell in England as he spent a season in the Championship with Blackburn, but was sold after being criticised for a series of mistakes.

Simen Bolkan Nordli

A goalscoring central midfielder, Nordli earned a switch to Rosenborg last year on the back of netting 14 times in 32 appearances for Randers, earning the Danish Superliga player of the season award in the process.

Iver Fossum

Arguably Rosenborg’s most recognisable player at present - certainly those who play Football Manager. On the 2016 edition of the game, Fossum was touted as a future star as he was seen as one of Norway’s greatest talents.

Unfortunately, unlike Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland, the 30-year-old hasn’t quite hit those heights.

Iver Fossum in training for the Norway national team, alongside Martin Odegaard

Getty

Dino Islamovic

The tall centre-forward is a product of the Fulham youth academy having spent two years in west London from 2012 to 2014. This is his second spell at Rosenborg after rejoining in 2025 from Kalmar, but is an injury doubt for the Man United game.

Ole Selnaes

A leader in this Rosenborg squad, Selnaes is the vice-captain having come through the youth system. He has also been capped 32 times by the senior Norway national team.

Amin Chiakha

The Algeria international currently on loan at Rosenborg from Copenhagen. Chiakha scored twice in the 3-0 win over IK Start last time out, Man United beware.

Aleksander Borgersen

The midfielder made history when he made his senior debut against Haugesund in September 2025 aged 16 years and 82 days. A record only beaten by a certain Sverre Nypan - now of Manchester City.

Widely regarded as Rosenborg’s next big thing.

Tomas Nemcik

Imposing central defender who will be looking to keep the likes of Joshua Zirkzee and Bryan Mbeumo at bay. He is a survivor from the last Man United friendly where he was booked for a foul on Casemiro.

Tomas Nemcik has previous with Manchester United

AFP/Getty

Adrian Pereira

Needs just one more appearance to bring up 100 league outings for Rosenborg. A regular at left-back.

Jonas Svensson

The Rosenborg captain. No player in the entire squad has made more appearances than Svensson and he returned to the club in January after nearly a decade away.

John Bakke

The surname should alert Premier League watchers of the 90’s. Bakke is the son of Eirik, the former Leeds and Aston Villa midfoelder.

Magnus Holte

In September 2022, Holte became the youngest player to feature for Rosenborg in a league fixture after coming on as a substitute against Lillestrom. It’s a record he held for less than two months, losing it to Nypan.