Fredrik Aursnes is special! Former coach admits: 'He was the only... | OneFootball

Fredrik Aursnes returned this week to training with the Norway national team, more than two years after his last appearance. The Benfica midfielder’s return to the national side also brought to light a curious account from Lars Arne Nilsen, the coach who oversaw the early steps of the player’s career, who revealed an exception he never repeated throughout his career.

"Fredrik was completely special. He was the only player in my entire career to whom I said: 'come and train whenever you want'. I had never done that with anyone and I never did it again," he confessed, in comments to TV2.

Nilsen also explained that he even adapted training sessions themselves to motivate the young talent. "I always put Fredrik in the best team when he trained with us. I planned the sessions based on what I thought he would enjoy. It was the only time I made that kind of concession with myself. I really wanted him to come to the club and I knew I was looking at a player different from all the others," the Norwegian coach revealed.

After returning to work with the national team, Aursnes said he was pleased to be back with the group. "It felt good. Good pitch and good training. It’s good to be back", said the Benfica player, who decided to return to the national team at a time when Norway are preparing for a return to the World Cup.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.