Who is Marcus Pedersen? A rumoured Liverpool target

Apparently being scouted by Liverpool according to reports in the Norwegian press, who is Marcus Pedersen, the Norwegian striker who has been linked with a move to Merseyside? Pedersen actually had a trial for Liverpool back in 2006 but he failed to get a contract from the Reds before returning to Norway. Something of a child prodigy, he made his debut in a friendly for his team HamKam aged just 14 and made his full debut for the team against Skeid in 2007 at 17.

Pedersen however would only make 5 appearances in the next two seasons for HamKam as he struggled with injuries. His only senior goal for the club however came remarkably against Norwegian giants Rosenborg, who he helped defeat 2-1. Despite his lack of game time though, he had impressed enough to be compared to Wayne Rooney because of his hard working, combative style of play and he was bought on a free transfer by Premier League side Stromsgodset for the start of the 2009 season.

He made a massive impact in his first season at the club, scoring two goals on his league debut for his new club in a 3-3 draw against Start. Still in his teens, Pedersen became a first team player for Stromsgodset and in 24 appearances during the 2009 campaign; he scored 10 goals, a promising start for the youngster.

His abilities have not gone unnoticed at international level either, and although he is yet to make his debut for Norway’s senior team, he has appeared at every youth level from the under 15s to the under 21s where he has already scored three goals in four games. A fantastic start to the 2010 season has also increased Pedersen’s reputation, scoring 8 league goals for the club mid way through the Norwegian season, partnering another young talented striker Jo Inge Berget, on loan from Udinese.

Now 20, Pedersen is developing into a consummate centre forward. He possesses a great deal of pace and has a great right foot which is just as much a threat from outside of the box as it is deadly clinical inside. He now takes the free kicks for Stromsgodset and has been known to play as a lone target man up front, demonstrating also his capabilities in the air despite his relatively small stature at 5ft 9.

Being compared to Wayne Rooney in the Norwegian press, he also inevitably has a very competitive edge to his game, and loves winning the ball back and starting attacks for his team. Although he can be a bit selfish on the ball sometimes, the combination of speed and a powerful right foot has attracted the attentions of many top Premier League and Bundesliga clubs. Celtic, West Brom, Sunderland, Blackburn, Bolton, Everton and Fulham have all rumoured to have sent scouts to watch the player.

Liverpool sent scouts to watch the player against Haugesund recently according to Norwegian daily Dagbladet. A young striker with potential, Pedersen is rated at £2million by his Norwegian club, would it be worth the risk? Here is some footage of the player:

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