Vegard Heggem (Defender)
Date of Birth: 13/7/75
Squad number: 14
Height: 5'11" (1.83m)
Weight: 12st 2lb (77kg)
Characteristics: A revelation down the right flank, capable of scoring brilliant goals.
Former clubs: Rennebu, Orkdal, Rosenborg
Birth Place: Trondheim
Vegard Heggem was the first signing of Roy Evans and Gérard Houllier in
their roles of joint managers and he soon repaid the faith shown in him by performing to a consistently high standard for the Reds.
With his former club Rosenborg set to qualify for the Champions League,
Heggem passed up the chance of competing in the biggest European competition of them all for the chance to pursue a career with
Liverpool, seeing off the competition of Rob Jones, Bjorn Kvarme and Jason McAteer to make the right back position his own.
Equally comfortable either as an orthodox right back or as a right sided
wing back, Heggem's high energy performances endeared him to the Liverpool fans while his ability to attack as well as he defends soon
made him a vital member of the Reds' line-up.
He also showed an ability to score goals as well with one strike in particular at Middlesbrough during the 1998/99 season being shown time
and again on television. A regular at international level with Norway, he even managed to score on his international debut against France during
the 1998/99 season. Heggem was a member of the World Cup squad in
France in 1998 but injury robbed him of the chance to play a prominent
role in Norway's matches.
He once again started the 1999/2000 season in the starting line-up for
Liverpool and, while fellow Norwegian Oyvind Leonhardsen left for Spurs and with Bjorn Tore Kvarme seemingly on his way out, Heggem ensured
that Liverpool's once thriving Norwegian contingent continued to perform well at Anfield, despite losing his place in the starting line-up to
the more defensively minded Rigobert Song.