{{short description|Norwegian footballer (born 1983)}} {{EngvarB|date=June 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}} {{BLP sources|date=June 2009}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Christian Grindheim | image = Christian Grindheim 2006-06-06.jpg | image_size = | caption = Grindheim in 2006 | fullname = Christian Grindheim<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fotball.no/fotballdata/person/profil/?fiksId=3599472 |title=Christian Grindheim |publisher=Football Association of Norway |access-date=12 October 2019 |language=no}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|7|17|df=y}} | birth_place = Haugesund, Norway | height = 1.79 m<ref name="altomfotball"/> | position = Midfielder | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Haugar | years1 = 2000–2004 | clubs1 = Haugesund | caps1 = 98 | goals1 = 22 | years2 = 2005–2008 | clubs2 = Vålerenga | caps2 = 70 | goals2 = 7 | years3 = 2008–2011 | clubs3 = Heerenveen | caps3 = 97 | goals3 = 7 | years4 = 2011–2013 | clubs4 = F.C. Copenhagen | caps4 = 37 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2013 | clubs5 = → Vålerenga (loan) | caps5 = 14 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2013–2017 | clubs6 = Vålerenga | caps6 = 120 | goals6 = 16 | years7 = 2018–2020 | clubs7 = Haugesund | caps7 = 81 | goals7 = 7 | nationalyears1 = 2004–2005 | nationalteam1 = Norway U-21 | nationalcaps1 = 15 | nationalgoals1 = 1 | nationalyears2 = 2005–2015 | nationalteam2 = Norway | nationalcaps2 = 54 | nationalgoals2 = 2 | club-update = 22 December 2020 | nationalteam-update = 29 August 2015 }} '''Christian Grindheim''' (born 17 July 1983) is a Norwegian retired professional footballer who last played as a midfielder for Eliteserien club FK Haugesund. Grindheim is known as a hardworking midfielder with tough tackling and powerful shots. He has made over 50 appearances for the Norway national team.
==Club career== Grindheim was born in Haugesund<ref name="altomfotball">{{cite web |url=http://www.altomfotball.no/element.do?cmd=player&personId=23145 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206123912/https://www.altomfotball.no/element.do?cmd=player&personId=23145 |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 December 2022 |language=no |title=Christian Grindheim |work=altomfotball.no |access-date=22 November 2012}}</ref> and started his career in the local club Haugar, before he joined Haugesund where he made his debut for the first team in Tippeligaen at the age of 17. After Haugesund's relegation from the First Division in 2004, several Tippeligaen clubs were interested in his signature.
Viking, with Roy Hodgson as manager, made an offer for Grindheim, but he chose Vålerenga. At Vålerenga, he played regularly for the team that won the league in 2005.<ref name="fifty"/>
On 7 January 2008, Grindheim joined Heerenveen. Heerenveen paid Vålerenga a reported transfer fee of €3 million.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hedlundh|first1=Kent|title=Grindheim joins Heerenveen|url=http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11906/3032833/grindheim-joins-heerenveen|website=Sky Sports|access-date=8 December 2017|date=10 January 2008}}</ref> He played 86 matches for the club winning the 2008–09 Dutch Cup.<ref name="copenhagen">{{cite web|last1=van Leeuwen|first1=Gerrit|title=Copenhagen snap up Grindheim|url=http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11917/6991632/copenhagen-snap-up-grindheim|website=Sky Sports|access-date=8 December 2017|date=16 June 2011}}</ref>
On 15 June 2011, Grindheim transferred to FC Copenhagen on a three-year contract, for a reported transfer fee of €750,000.<ref name="copenhagen"/>
In February 2013, Grindheim returned to Vålerenga on loan with an option to buy,<ref>{{cite web|title=Christian Grindheim til Vålerenga|url=http://www.h-avis.no/sport/christian-grindheim-til-valerenga-1.7756430|website=h-avis.no|date=7 February 2013 |access-date=30 July 2014|language=no}}</ref> which Vålerenga took up in July 2013, signing Grindheim to a three-year contract.<ref>{{cite web|title=Grindheim blir i Vålerenga: – Nå er han hjemme for godt|date=July 2013 |url=http://www.nrk.no/sport/fotball/grindheim-klar-for-valerenga-1.11110503|publisher=NRK|access-date=30 July 2014|language=no}}</ref>
==International career== Grindheim made his debut for the Norwegian national team, on 17 August 2005 in a friendly match against Switzerland. Grindheim played 45 minutes in a match Norway lost 2–0.<ref name="fifty"/> He scored his first goal in Egil Olsen first match in his second stint as head coach of Norway, the friendly match against Germany on 11 February 2009, He reached his 50th cap in the friendly match against England.<ref name="fifty">{{cite web |url=http://www.tv2.no/sport/fotball/landslag/for-en-nordmann-er-englandkampen-ekstra-spesiell-3790957.html |language=no |title=For én nordmann er England-kampen ekstra spesiell |work=tv2.no |publisher=TV 2 (Norway) |first=Karianne Nelly |last=Skuseth |date=26 May 2012 |access-date=27 May 2012}}</ref><ref name="Søfting">{{cite web |url=http://www.home.no/greenriver/players/grindheim.html |language=no |title=Christian Grindheim |access-date=12 November 2011 |first=Thomas | last=Søfting}}</ref>
== Career statistics == {{updated|22 December 2020}}<ref>{{cite web|title=NIFS – Norsk & Internasjonal Fotballstatistikk|url=https://www.nifs.no/personprofil.php?person_id=200|website=nifs.no|access-date=6 January 2018|language=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Christian Grindheim » Club matches|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/person/pe23025/christian-grindheim/club-matches/|website=worldfootball.net|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Other<ref group="nb">Eredivisie playoffs</ref> !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="6"|Haugesund |2000 |Tippeligaen |1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||1||0 |- |2001 |1. divisjon |12||1||0||0||colspan="2"|–||12||1 |- |2002 |1. divisjon |28||5||1||0||colspan="2"|–||29||5 |- |2003 |1. divisjon |29||7||5||2||colspan="2"|–||34||9 |- |2004 |1. divisjon |28||9||1||1||colspan="2"|–||29||10 |- !colspan="2"|Total !98!!22!!7!!3!!0!!0!!105!!25 |- |rowspan="4"|Vålerenga |2005 |Tippeligaen |24||2||5||1||colspan="2"|–||29||3 |- |2006 |Tippeligaen |24||2||3||0||colspan="2"|–||27||2 |- |2007 |Tippeligaen |22||3||3||1||colspan="2"|–||25||4 |- !colspan="2"|Total !70!!7!!11!!2!!0!!0!!81!!9 |- |rowspan="5"|Heerenveen |2007–08 |Eredivisie |9||0||0||0||4||0||13||0 |- |2008–09 |Eredivisie |30||4||3||1||colspan="2"|–||33||5 |- |2009–10 |Eredivisie |28||1||2||0||colspan="2"|–||30||1 |- |2010–11 |Eredivisie |30||2||2||0||colspan="2"|–||32||2 |- !colspan="2"|Total !97!!7!!7!!1!!4!!0!!108!!8 |- |rowspan="3"|Copenhagen |2011–12 |Superliga |30||0||5||0||colspan="2"|–||35||0 |- |2012–13 |Superliga |7||0||1||0||colspan="2"|–||8||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !37!!0!!6!!0!!0!!0!!43!!0 |- |rowspan="6"|Vålerenga |2013 |Tippeligaen |24||1||3||0||colspan="2"|–||27||1 |- |2014 |Tippeligaen |29||4||2||0||colspan="2"|–||31||4 |- |2015 |Tippeligaen |30||5||0||0||colspan="2"|–||30||5 |- |2016 |Tippeligaen |28||1||3||0||colspan="2"|–||31||1 |- |2017 |Eliteserien |23||5||4||0||colspan="2"|–||27||5 |- !colspan="2"|Total !134!!16!!12!!0!!0!!0!!146!!16 |- |rowspan="4"|Haugesund |2018 |rowspan="3"|Eliteserien |28||4||3||1||colspan="2"|–||31||5 |- |2019 |28||3||2||0||colspan="2"|–||30||3 |- |2020 |25||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||25||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !81!!7!!5!!1!!0!!0!!86!!8 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !517!!59!!48!!7!!4!!0!!569!!66 |}
;Notes <references group="nb" />
===International goals=== {| class="wikitable" ! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition |- | 1 || 11 February 2009 || LTU Arena, Düsseldorf || {{fb|GER}} || 1–0 || Win || Friendly |- | 2 || 29 May 2010 || Ullevaal stadion, Norway || {{fb|MNE}} || 2–1 || Win || Friendly |} :Source:<ref name="Søfting"/>
==Honours== ;Vålerenga IF * Norwegian Premier League: 2005
;SC Heerenveen * KNVB Cup: 2008–09
;F.C. Copenhagen * Danish Cup: 2011–12
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{NFT player}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grindheim, Christian}} Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Haugesund Municipality Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Norwegian men's footballers Category:21st-century Norwegian sportsmen Category:Norway men's international footballers Category:Norway men's under-21 international footballers Category:FK Haugesund players Category:Vålerenga Fotball players Category:SC Heerenveen players Category:F.C. Copenhagen players Category:Eliteserien players Category:Norwegian First Division players Category:Eredivisie players Category:Danish Superliga players Category:Norwegian expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands Category:Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Denmark Category:Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in Denmark