{{short description|Norwegian footballer (born 1977)}} {{Distinguish|Erik Bakker}} {{BLP sources|date=September 2008}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Eirik Bakke | image = Eirik Bakke, 2016 (cropped).jpg | caption = Bakke with [[Sogndal Fotball|Sogndal]] in 2016 | full_name = <!-- If different--> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|9|13|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Sogndal Municipality|Sogndal]], Norway | height = 1.88 m | position = [[Midfielder]] | currentclub = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = [[Sogndal Fotball|Sogndal]] | years1 = 1993–1999 | clubs1 = [[Sogndal Fotball|Sogndal]] | caps1 = 99 | goals1 = 18 | years2 = 1999–2006 | clubs2 = [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]] | caps2 = 143 | goals2 = 8 | years3 = 2005–2006 | clubs3 = → [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] (loan) | caps3 = 14 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2006–2010 | clubs4 = [[SK Brann|Brann]] | caps4 = 82 | goals4 = 8 | years5 = 2011–2012 | clubs5 = [[Sogndal Fotball|Sogndal]] | caps5 = 38 | goals5 = 1 | totalcaps = 386 | totalgoals = 35 | nationalyears1 = 1996–1999 | nationalteam1 = [[Norway national under-21 football team|Norway U21]] | nationalcaps1 = 28 | nationalgoals1 = 2 | nationalyears2 = 1999–2008 | nationalteam2 = [[Norway national football team|Norway]] | nationalcaps2 = 27 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | manageryears1 = 2015–2021 | managerclubs1 = [[Sogndal Fotball|Sogndal]] | manageryears2 = 2023 | managerclubs2 = [[Lillestrøm SK|Lillestrøm]] (caretaker) | manageryears3 = 2024–2026 | managerclubs3 = [[Åsane Fotball| Åsane]]
}} '''Eirik Bakke''' (born 13 September 1977) is a Norwegian [[Association football|football]] coach and a former player. He played as a right or centre midfielder. After retiring he went on to manage [[Sogndal Fotball|Sogndal]], his home town.
His son [[Johan Johanessen Bakke]], is also a footballer, currently playing for [[Strømsgodset Toppfotball | Strømsgodset]].
==Club career==
===Sogndal (1993–1999)=== Bakke played 99 matches for [[Sogndal Fotball|Sogndal]]. His father [[Svein Bakke|Svein]] had previously also played for the team.
===Leeds United (1999–2006)=== Bakke was bought by [[Leeds United]] in 1999 from Sogndal for £1.75 million. After an encouraging start to his career at Leeds in 1999 and 2000, injuries and poor form meant that he was never a first-team regular, even after the club was relegated from the Premiership in 2004.
Bakke's career was set back by recurring knee injuries. [[Tendinitis|Patella tendinitis]] kept him out of the team for the start of the 2004–05 season and he tore a [[cruciate ligament]] on his return in January 2005. In August 2005, having recovered from his injury, Bakke was loaned to [[Aston Villa]], but the loan was ended early after Leeds told Aston Villa that they wished to let Bakke go permanently, rather than on loan, and Villa chairman [[Doug Ellis]] decided against buying him.
Speculation continued over Bakke's future when he was left out of the Leeds United squad for the match against [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]] on 27 August 2006, with some in the press and supporters speculating that this was due to an imminent transfer. The club released a statement on 29 August 2006 effectively confirming that Bakke would be leaving Leeds United,<ref name=LUFC1>Leeds United (2006). [http://www.leedsunited.com/page/NewsroomDetail/0,,10273~889321,00.html "Eirik Bakke:Club Statement"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927011532/http://www.leedsunited.com/page/NewsroomDetail/0,,10273~889321,00.html |date=27 September 2007 }} LeedsUnited.com (accessed 29 August 2006)</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Pearson |first1=James |title=No way Bakke for Eirik |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/2387650/no-way-bakke-for-eirik |website=Sky Sports |access-date=22 May 2024}}</ref> but Bakke said that he would like to stay,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Adams |first1=Tom |title=Bakke heading for Leeds exit |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/2387738/bakke-heading-for-leeds-exit |website=Sky Sports |access-date=22 May 2024}}</ref> and continued training with Leeds despite not playing, not wanting to return to playing in Norway at that time.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dunn |first1=Alex |title=Eirik's Bakke at Leeds |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/2387903/eiriks-bakke-at-leeds |website=Sky Sports |date=30 August 2006 |access-date=22 May 2024}}</ref> The problem arose due to his £23,000-a-week wages and £4,000 appearance fees,<ref name=LUFC2>Leeds United (September 2006). [http://www.leedsunited.com/page/NewsroomDetail/0,,10273~894684,00.html "Wolves Bid For Lewis (Info Later in Same Page)"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929094229/http://www.leedsunited.com/page/NewsroomDetail/0,,10273~894684,00.html |date=29 September 2007 }} LeedsUnited.com (accessed 13 September 2006)</ref> which were originally agreed during [[Peter Ridsdale]]'s chairmanship, but which the club could no longer afford. Leeds United tried to resolve the issue by offering Bakke lower wages to stay at the club, but his agent stated he wanted the contractually agreed wage.<ref name="LUFC2"/> Eventually, Bakke left the club, as part of a wider attempt by Leeds United to reduce expenditure on player wages.
===Brann (2006–2010)=== On 31 August 2006, Bakke signed a two-year deal with [[SK Brann|Brann]], and returned to Norway.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stanton |first1=Chris |title=Bakke seals Leeds exit |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/2388348/bakke-seals-leeds-exit |website=Sky Sports |access-date=22 May 2024 |date=1 September 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bakke agrees to end stay at Leeds |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/5293398.stm |website=BBC Sport |access-date=22 May 2024 |date=1 September 2006}}</ref> The deal was financed by [[Hardball (company)|Hardball]]. Some media outlets claimed that Bakke and Brann had a "[[gentlemen's agreement]]", that Bakke could leave Brann if a larger club wanted to sign him, which Brann denied.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
Bakke debuted for Brann on 11 September 2006 against [[Stabæk Fotball|Stabæk]]. He started the 2007 season playing for Brann second team while returning to full fitness from his injury problems. He experienced an erratic season, making his first full Tippeliga start on 26 June 2007. He scored the winning goal against the club's arch-rivals [[Rosenborg BK|Rosenborg]] on 11 August 2007.
Bakke promised Brann that when he was close to retirement he would finish his career in Norway with the club, playing a further one or two seasons.<ref name=SKYSP2>Sky Sports (25 May 2006). [http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=390025&plid=984&clid=2&cpid=10 "Brann Wait On Bakke"]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} skysports.com (accessed 29 August 2006)</ref> In the run-up to the 2008 season, Bakke became captain of Brann. On 30 May 2008, Bakke extended his Brann deal to 2010, but with a clause permitting him to re-evaluate his deal if the club decided to lay artificial turf at Brann Stadion. A few weeks later, Brann announced that the club would continue with natural grass as the turf at Brann Stadion for the coming years.
=== Sogndal (2011–2012) === Bakke signed a two-year deal with Sogndal in 2011. In November 2012 he retired from active football.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/norsk/artikkel.php?artid=10071230 |language=no |title=Eirik Bakke legger opp |work=vg.no |publisher=[[Verdens Gang|VG]] |date=21 November 2012 |access-date=20 December 2012}}</ref>
==International career== Bakke made his debut for [[Norway national football team|Norway]] in a January 1999 friendly against [[Israel national football team|Israel]], coming on as a substitute for [[Egil Østenstad]], and earned 26 caps, without scoring any goals.<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/noo-recintlp.html Norway – Record International Players] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504194906/http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/noo-recintlp.html |date=4 May 2013 }} – RSSSF</ref> His last international match was a March 2008 friendly against [[Montenegro national football team|Montenegro]], coming on as a substitute for [[Martin Andresen]].
== Career statistics == {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|includes [[FA Cup]], and [[Norwegian Football Cup]].}} !colspan="2"|League cup !colspan="2"|Continental{{efn|Include [[UEFA Champions League|Champions League]] and [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]].}} !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="9"|[[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]] |[[1999–2000 FA Premier League|1999–2000]] |rowspan="5"|[[Premier League]] |29||2||3||4||2||0||10||2||44||8 |- |[[2000–01 FA Premier League|2000–01]] |29||2||2||0||1||0||12||1||44||3 |- |[[2001–02 FA Premier League|2001–02]] |27||2||0||0||2||1||6||1||35||4 |- |[[2002–03 FA Premier League|2002–03]] |34||1||4||2||1||0||6||1||45||4 |- |[[2003–04 FA Premier League|2003–04]] |10||1||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||11||1 |- |[[2004–05 Football League Championship|2004–05]] |rowspan="3"|[[EFL Championship|Championship]] |1||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||1||0 |- |[[2005–06 Football League Championship|2005–06]] |9||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||9||0 |- |[[2006–07 Football League Championship|2006–07]] |3||0||0||0||1||1||colspan="2"|–||4||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !142!!8!!10!!6!!7!!2!!34!!5!!193!!21 |- |[[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] (loan) |[[2005–06 FA Premier League|2005–06]] |Premier League |14||0||0||0||3||0||colspan="2"|–||14||0 |- |rowspan="6"|[[SK Brann|Brann]] |[[2006 Norwegian Premier League|2006]] |rowspan="5"|[[Tippeligaen]] |7||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||7||0 |- |[[2007 Norwegian Premier League|2007]] |10||1||3||0||colspan="2"|–||0||0||13||1 |- |[[2008 Norwegian Premier League|2008]] |21||0||1||0||colspan="2"|–||2||0||24||0 |- |[[2009 Norwegian Premier League|2009]] |18||2||3||1||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||21||3 |- |[[2010 Norwegian Premier League|2010]] |26||5||0||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||26||5 |- !colspan="2"|Total !82!!8!!7!!1!!0!!0!!2!!0!!91!!9 |- |rowspan="3"|[[Sogndal Fotball|Sogndal]] |[[2011 Norwegian Premier League|2011]] |rowspan="2"|Tippeligaen |19||1||0||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||19||1 |- |[[2012 Norwegian Premier League|2012]] |19||0|||1||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||20||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !38!!1!!1!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!39!!2 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !276!!17!!18!!7!!10!!2!!36!!5!!340!!31 |}
{{notelist}}
== Managerial statistics == ''Updated 6 February 2026'' {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |- !rowspan="2"|Team !rowspan="2"|From !rowspan="2"|To !colspan="5"|Record |- !G!!W!!D!!L!!Win % |- |align=left|[[Sogndal Fotball|Sogndal]] |align=left|1 January 2015 |align=left|31 December 2021 {{WDL|222|100|50|72}} |- |align=left|[[Lillestrøm SK|Lillestrøm]] |align=left|20 August 2023 |align=left|21 December 2023 {{WDL|12|4|2|6}} |- |align=left|[[Åsane Fotball| Åsane]] |align=left|30 July 2024 |align=left|6 February 2026 {{WDL|50|17|13|20}} |- !colspan="3"|Total {{WDLtot|284|121|65|98}} |}
==Honours== '''Brann''' *[[Norwegian Premier League]]: [[Norwegian Premier League 2007|2007]]
'''Individual''' *[[Norwegian Football Association Gold Watch]] – 11 June 2003
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{NFT player|4954}} * {{Soccerbase|16779}}
{{Åsane Fotball squad}} {{Norwegian First Division managers}} {{Norway Squad 2000 UEFA Euro}} {{Sogndal Fotball managers}} {{Lillestrøm SK managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bakke, Eirik}} [[Category:1977 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Sogndal Municipality]] [[Category:Footballers from Vestland]] [[Category:Norwegian men's footballers]] [[Category:Men's association football midfielders]] [[Category:Norway men's international footballers]] [[Category:Norway men's youth international footballers]] [[Category:Norway men's under-21 international footballers]] [[Category:UEFA Euro 2000 players]] [[Category:Eliteserien players]] [[Category:Premier League players]] [[Category:Sogndal Fotball players]] [[Category:Leeds United F.C. players]] [[Category:Aston Villa F.C. players]] [[Category:SK Brann players]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England]] [[Category:Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in England]] [[Category:Norwegian expatriate men's footballers]] [[Category:English Football League players]] [[Category:Norwegian football managers]] [[Category:Eliteserien managers]] [[Category:Sogndal Fotball managers]] [[Category:Lillestrøm SK managers]] [[Category:Åsane Fotball managers]]