Flo: Tore Andre

2007- 2008 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

Centre Forward

Born: Stryn, Norway: 15-06-1973

Debut v West Bromwich Albion (a) F.A. Cup (Substitute): 06-01-2007

6’4” 13st 8lb (2007)

Tore Andre Flo, a Norwegian International striker, signed a one year deal with Leeds on 9th August 2007. His brothers Jostein Flo and Jarle Flo, and cousin Håvard Flo were also professional footballers. Flo started his career with his local amateur club Stryn in August 1992. In 1994, he moved to Sogndal, playing with his brothers Jostein and Jarle. He scored five goals in twenty-two appearances. When Sogndal were relegated from the Norwegian Premier League in 1994, Flo was transferred to Tromso. He scored eighteen goals in twenty-six appearances the 1995-96 season, and was the club's top goalscorer. His performances in that season resulted in Flo making his International debut for Norway. He moved to Brann of Bergen in 1996, where he scored twenty-eight goals in forty appearances. Acknowledged as one of Norway's best players, he drew attention from Chelsea and signed for them on 1st August 1997 for a bargain £300,000. Flo would have become available on a Bosman transfer at the end of the year, which influenced the fee, but he was seen as a traitor by the Brann fans, who felt the fee was far too small, compared to the players real value. Everton had made a bid of around £3 million, but their Manager, Joe Royle, resigned and it was not followed through. Flo Scored on his Chelsea debut against Coventry City and netted fifteen goals in his debut season, including a hat-trick in a 6-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane and two in a 6-2 win over Crystal Palace as Chelsea finished fourth in the EPL and won the League Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup. Flo hit ten League goals in the following season as Chelsea challenged for the Championship, but with the squad rotation system employed by the club after the signing of Pierluigi Casiraghi, he constantly found it restricted his participation in the first team. Chelsea eventually finished third, and qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time. Flo scored nineteen goals in the 1999-2000 season, making him Chelsea's top scorer and helped the club win the FA Cup and reach the Champions League quarter-finals. Chelsea had signed strikers Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen,before the start of the 2000-01 season. This left Flo on the bench and he requested a move. He made one hundred and sixty-three appearances for Chelsea (sixty-nine of which were as a substitute) and scored fifty goals. He scored thirty-four in fifty-nine starts and fifty-three games from the bench in the League, once in five starts and five off the bench in the F.A. Cup, three in eight starts and two games from the bench in the League Cup and twelve in twenty-three starts and nine substitute appearances in European and other games. On 23rd November 2000 Flo was sold to Scottish Premier team Rangers, for a record £12 million, making Flo the most expensive Norwegian player ever, the most expensive Scottish Premier League signing and Chelsea's most expensive sale. Flo scored on his debut for Rangers in a 5-1 thrashing of arch rivals Celtic, and hit eighteen goals in thirty SPL games. However, Flo was not considered a success in Scotland. After scoring twenty-nine League goals in forty-four starts and nine games from the bench, four goals in five Scottish Cup ties, one goal in the Scottish League Cup from two starts and one game as a substitute and four goals from ten starts and one game from the bench in European and other matches, he was sold to Sunderland on transfer deadline day at the beginning of the 2002-03 season for £6.75m, making him Sunderland's all-time most expensive purchase. Sunderland's Manager Peter Reid had been under-fire for his failure to buy a big-name striker to replace Niall Quinn, but the relatively high price-tag for a player who was struggling in Scotland, led many fansand pundits, to believe that Flo was a deadline-day panic buy. Once again he scored in his debut match, in a 1-1 draw with Manchester United. It was clear by Sunderland's tactics that Reid expected Flo to slot into Quinn's role as a tall target-man for long-balls. It was not a role he was comfortable with and he struggled to form a partnership with fellow striker Kevin Phillips. When Reid was sacked in November 2002 and replaced by Howard Wilkinson, Flo immediately fell out of favour, failing to make the bench for Wilkinson's first game, as Wilkinson questioned the Norwegian's fitness. Flo managed to work his way back into the first-team until Wilkinson's dismissal in March. His successor, Mick McCarthy failed to give Flo ninety minutes of football in any of the remaining nine games of the season. In twenty-three starts and six games from the bench he managed just four League goals, failed to score in one start and one game off the bench in the F.A. Cup, but got two in two games in the League Cup and Sunderland were relegated to the First Division. With massive debts they were forced to sell or release most of the players on high wages. After one League Cup game in the 2003-04 he was released by Sunderland on 28th August 2003. Flo then tried his luck in Italy, joining newly-promoted Serie A team Siena. Flo played for Siena for two seasons, becoming a success in Italian football and helping the club establish themselves in the top division for the first time. Flo's wife and children found it difficult living in Southern Europe, and wanted him to return to the United Kingdom. He had scored thirteen goals in sixty-three games of which sixteen were as a substitute. Flo was close to signing for QPR but decided to go back to Norway. Flo signed for the ambitious club Valerenga from Oslo in August 2005, on a one year contract. His stay was hampered by numerous injuries that prevented him from making a serious impact. Vålerenga did not offer him a new contract at the end of the season, leaving Flo free to sign with other clubs. He had scored just four goals in twenty-four games of which eleven had been from the bench. On 3rd January 2007, Leeds United signed Flo on a free transfer until the end of the season, with the option of future extension. It was reported his wages were £6,000 per week, with a £1,000 bonus for every goal scored. It was Leeds' Manager Dennis Wise that was one of the main influences for Flo coming to Leeds as they were team mates at Chelsea. Flo made his away debut as a substitute in Leeds' 3-1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup. A week later Flo made his full debut and scored his first goal for Leeds against the same opposition in a League match which ended in a 3-2 defeat. Subsequent injury prevented Flo from playing any significant part during the rest of the season. Assistant Manager Gus Poyet announced that Flo would be remaining at Leeds for the following season. He was sponsored by famous Leeds fans, the Kaiser Chiefs. Although he was used very sparingly by Leeds he became a crowd cult favourite, but he announced his retirement on 11th March 2008. Somewhat surprisingly, Flo joined another former Chelsea team-mate, Roberto Di Matteo, at Milton Keynes Dons on 21st November 2008 on a contract until the end of the season. He played his first game for his new club as a substitute against Scunthorpe United on 6th December 2008, but the season was almost over before he actually started a game against Walsall. He missed a penalty in a vital play-off Semi-Final shoot-out, which contributed to the club failing to gain promotion. Flo was released from his contract on 19th May 2009. While at MK Dons he started two League games, came on eleven times as a substitute but failed to score. Two years later, in 2011, he made a second comeback, this time with newly-promoted former club, Sogndal. His first game was as a substitute against Rosenborg on 30th July 2011. He made his run-on debut in the final game of the season and scored twice in a 2-1 win over Molde, the Norwegian League Champions, coached by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He scored twice in nine games. He also runs a school of excellence in Berkshire and takes part in the coaching of promising young players.Flo made seventy-six appearances for the Norwegian national team and made his debut in a 0-0 draw with England. He scored twenty-three goals, making him Norway's joint-fourth highest goalscorer, along with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Flo played for Norway at the 1998 World Cup, scoring a goal in a 2-1 win over holders Brazil as they reached the second round. Flo chose to retire from international football in 2004.