{{short description|Norwegian footballer (born 1987)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Mats Solheim | image = Mats_Solheim.jpg | caption = Solheim playing for Hammarby in 2015 | fullname = Mats Goberg Solheim | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1987|12|03|df=y}} | birth_place = Loen, Norway<ref name="WorldFootball">{{WorldFootball.net|mats-solheim}}</ref> | height = 1.78 m<ref name="WorldFootball"/> | position = Defender | currentclub = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Loen | years1 = –2004 | clubs1 = Loen | years2 = 2005–2006 | clubs2 = Stryn | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 2006–2011 | clubs3 = Sogndal | caps3 = 115 | goals3 = 18 | years4 = 2012–2014 | clubs4 = Kalmar | caps4 = 50 | goals4 = 5 | years5 = 2015–2019 | clubs5 = Hammarby IF | caps5 = 111 | goals5 = 8 | years6 = 2020–2021 | clubs6 = Stabæk | caps6 = 40 | goals6 = 3 | club-update = }}
'''Mats Goberg Solheim''' (born 3 December 1987) is a former Norwegian footballer who played as a defender.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mats Solheim profile|url=https://svenskfotboll.se/allsvenskan/person/?playerid=7447|publisher=SVFF|accessdate=26 January 2017|date=26 January 2017|language=Swedish}}</ref>
==Career== ===Sogndal=== Solheim started his career at the local club Loen IL,<ref>{{NFF|2104077}}</ref> continuing at Stryn TIL in the lower divisions. He initially played as a striker.<ref name="solheim comeback">{{cite web|title=Norsk inhoppare blev Kalmars solskenshistoria|url=https://www.dn.se/arkiv/sport/norsk-inhoppare-blev-kalmars-solskenshistoria/|publisher=Dagens Nyheter|access-date=26 January 2017|date=2 April 2013|language=Swedish}}</ref> He attracted interest from the professional club Sogndal, then playing in the Norwegian second tier, during the summer of 2006. He subsequently joined the club and went on to enjoy a promotion to Tippeligaen four seasons later, in 2010.
During his time at Sogndal he got known as a utility player, being used in almost every outfield position. He has since established himself as a natural wing back on either flanks.<ref>{{cite web|title=Solheim - "Har spelat på alla positioner på planen - även målvakt"|url=https://htv.solidtango.com/video/solheim-har-spelat-pa-alla-positioner-pa-planen-aven-malvakt|publisher=Hammarby Fotboll|accessdate=26 January 2017|date=14 January 2017|language=Swedish}}</ref>
Solheim played a total of 25 games, scoring 4 times, during the 2011 Tippeligaen-season. He attracted interest from several other Norwegian clubs after the successful campaign, but opted to move abroad, signing for Kalmar FF in the Swedish Allsvenskan.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mats Solheim valde Kalmar FF framför Tippeligan|url=https://www.fotbolltransfers.com/site/news/14309|publisher=Fotbolltransfers|accessdate=26 January 2017|date=29 November 2011|language=Swedish}}</ref>
===Kalmar FF=== He had a rough start to his stint at Kalmar FF, when he injured his anterior cruciate ligament in February 2012 during the pre-season. He was forced to the sideline throughout the rest of the year.<ref>{{cite news|title=Solheim borta hela säsongen| newspaper=Sveriges Radio |url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=86&artikel=4977270|publisher=Svergies Radio|accessdate=26 January 2017|date=21 February 2012|language=Swedish}}</ref>
Solheim made his competitive debut for Kalmar on 2 April 2013 against Syrianska FC, on the first match day of the 2013 Allsvenskan. He crowned his debut for the side by scoring in a 3–0 victory.<ref name="solheim comeback"/> He played as a regular at Kalmar during the upcoming two seasons, featuring in a total of 50 games in Allsvenskan, scoring on 5 occasions.
===Hammarby IF=== On 31 March 2015, the last day of the Swedish transfer window, Hammarby IF announced that they had signed Solheim on a three-year contract.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mats Solheim lämnar Kalmar FF|url=http://www.kalmarff.se/nyheter/2015/03/31/mats-solheim|publisher=Kalmar FF|accessdate=26 January 2017|date=31 March 2015|language=Swedish|archive-date=2 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402093348/http://www.kalmarff.se/nyheter/2015/03/31/mats-solheim|url-status=dead}}</ref> He reunited with his former manager Nanne Bergstrand, who first had brought him to Sweden, at the Stockholm-based outfit.
Solheim established himself as a first choice left defender at Hammarby during the 2015 season. He missed out on the whole first half of the 2016 season due to another, less serious, knee injury.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mats Solheim skadad – missar vårsäsongen|url=https://www.expressen.se/sport/fotboll/allsvenskan/mats-solheim-skadad--missar-varsasongen/ |publisher=Expressen|accessdate=26 January 2017|date=4 March 2016|language=Swedish}}</ref>
===Stabæk=== In November 2019, Solheim returned to Norwegian football, joining Stabæk on a three-year contract.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nrk.no/vestland/solheim-til-stabaek-1.14798589|title=Solheim til Stabæk|work=NRK|language=no|date=27 November 2019|access-date=4 November 2021}}</ref> He retired in August 2021 to become a banker.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nettavisen.no/sport/stabak-spiller-avslutter-fotballkarrieren/s/12-95-3424164454|title=Stabæk-spiller avslutter fotballkarrieren|work=Nettavisen|date=6 August 2021|access-date=4 November 2021}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altomfotball.no/element.do?cmd=player&personId=138662|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305203408/http://www.altomfotball.no/element.do?cmd=player&personId=138662|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 March 2016|title=Mats Solheim|website=Altomfotball|language=no|access-date=4 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="Soccerway">{{Soccerway|29433}}</ref> |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="7"|Sogndal |2006 |rowspan="5"|1. divisjon |8||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||8||0 |- |2007 |18||3||0||0||colspan="2"|—||18||3 |- |2008 |28||5||1||0||2{{efn|name=PPO|Appearance(s) in promotion play-offs}}||0||31||5 |- |2009 |14||5||0||0||1{{efn|name=PPO}}||0||15||5 |- |2010 |22||1||2||0||colspan="2"|—||24||1 |- |2011 |Eliteserien |25||4||4||1||colspan="2"|—||29||5 |- !colspan="2"|Total !115!!18!!7!!1!!3!!0!!125!!19 |- |rowspan="4"|Kalmar |2012 |rowspan="3"|Allsvenskan |0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0 |- |2013 |24||3||1||1||colspan="2"|—||25||4 |- |2014 |26||2||1||0||colspan="2"|—||27||2 |- !colspan="2"|Total !50!!5!!2!!1!!colspan="2"|—!!52!!6 |- |rowspan="6"|Hammarby IF |2015 |rowspan="5"|Allsvenskan |26||2||1||0||colspan="2"|—||27||2 |- |2016 |16||2||1||0||colspan="2"|—||17||2 |- |2017 |27||1||3||0||colspan="2"|—||30||1 |- |2018 |15||0||2||0||colspan="2"|—||17||0 |- |2019 |27||3||3||1||colspan="2"|—||30||4 |- !colspan="2"|Total !111!!8!!10!!1!!colspan="2"|—!!121!!9 |- |rowspan="3"|Stabæk |2020 |rowspan="2"|Eliteserien |29||3||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||29||3 |- |2021 |11||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||12||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !40!!3!!1!!0!!colspan="2"|—!!41!!3 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !316!!34!!20!!3!!3!!0!!339!!37 |} {{notelist}}
==Honours== ;Sogndal * Norwegian First Division: 2010<ref name="Soccerway"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.nifs.no/personprofil.php?person_id=20035 Mats Solheim] at NIFS {{inlang|no}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Solheim, Mats}} Category:1987 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Stryn Municipality Category:Norwegian men's footballers Category:Stryn TIL players Category:Sogndal Fotball players Category:Kalmar FF players Category:Hammarby Fotboll players Category:Stabæk Fotball players Category:Norwegian First Division players Category:Eliteserien players Category:Allsvenskan players Category:Norwegian expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Sweden Category:Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in Sweden Category:Men's association football utility players Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Footballers from Vestland Category:21st-century Norwegian sportsmen