Fulham’s Sander Berge: ‘I can be more brutal, more nasty … you need that’

Jacob Steinberg - TheGuardian - 01/03
As he prepares to face Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday, the midfielder opens up to Jacob Steinberg about tactics, up and downs and being part of Norway’s ‘little golden generation’
Sander Berge at Fulham’s training ground. ‘We want to go all the way,’ he says of his side’s FA Cup chances. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer
View image in fullscreen
Sander Berge at Fulham’s training ground. ‘We want to go all the way,’ he says of his side’s FA Cup chances. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer
Interview

Fulham’s Sander Berge: ‘I can be more brutal, more nasty … you need that’

Jacob Steinberg

As he prepares to face Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday, the midfielder talks tactics, up and downs and being part of Norway’s ‘little golden generation’

As Fulham finalise their preparations for Sunday’s trip to Manchester United in the fifth round of the FA Cup, Sander Berge is thinking about how to handle adversity. “It taught me a lot about myself,” the midfielder says, recalling how spirits could have sagged when he was part of unsuccessful fights for survival with Burnley and Sheffield United.

“When you’re struggling every day it’s difficult. That’s a time to show character more than ever. You demand the ball, you take pride in going out there and showing you have the ability to stay at that level. It’s about who you want to be.”

The aim for Berge was to establish himself as a Premier League player after dropping out of the top flight with Sheffield United in 2021 and Burnley last season. The Norway international talks about “growing a lot” and he is loving life at Fulham. There is a “very nice family feeling” around the club, Berge s...
[Short citation of 8% of the original article]