Gothenburg. Midfield star Elias Hagen, 22, has left the successful and European side Bodo/Glimt.
Now he explains the move to the eighth Allsvenska table IFK Göteborg.
– It was the best option, he says.
According to the information, IFK Göteborg has laid out approximately SEK 7.5 million for the Norwegian U-21 national team member and central midfielder.
Elias Hagen succeeded in Bodo/Glimt’s European and league matches last year with solid efforts against big teams like Roma, Celtic and AZ.
But the 22-year-old had a harder fall when the club brought back Patrick Berg for more than 40m, Hagen was on the bench and has now opted instead to move to Allsvenskan table eight. Surprise for some.
– I need game time and I want to develop. IFK Göteborg is a very big club, and we see that today with the number of people who welcome us. They play on the grass, it’s a good league. It’s exciting, says Hagen, after he completed his first training session with Blåvitt in front of around 1,000 supporters on site.
Aim for the big leagues
– It was the first time I encountered something like this. A bit special, but nice. They’re here to support us, so that’s been great.
Do you have many bids from abroad?
– The agent almost asked you about that. I came with my wishes, then they came with what they heard from different clubs and then we put it together and see what would be the best and then IFK became the best option.
What do you hope to get out of this trade on your own one-on-one, just more playing time?
– No, I hope, of course, to improve, develop myself and continue my career later. Maybe for a big league, a good league as it can be, says Elias Hagen.
How difficult is it to go from a successful team that will play the playoffs in the Conference League to 8th place in the Allsvenskan?
It wasn’t that difficult anyway. I felt it was important to do. Then there was nothing to wait for.
There is no doubt that IFK Göteborg will get a talented, ambitious and disciplined player into training.
In Norway, Elias Hagen was known for how he always trained a lot on his own.
Exercising a lot
Bodo/Glimt went on vacation in mid-November, but not Hagen.
– I’ve always trained a lot, ever since I was little. It has always worked well for me.
How did you train during the holidays?
– I haven’t gone on any holidays, I’ve been home in Oslo and spent time with family and friends. We were a group of players from the two highest divisions in Norway who met and played together in a hall.
How many passes did you make?
– There were probably two shifts a day. Severity can be varied. I have a little weakness in my ankles and I can train without getting tired. At Bodö/Glimt, the physical trainers didn’t have to tell me to train less because they noticed I was performing on the field anyway, says Elias Hagen.
