B | Player Pics | A-Z of Players
Personal
Fullname: Jo Inge Berget
aka: Jo Berget
Born: 11 September 1990
Birthplace: Oslo, Norway
Signed: 28 July 2014 (loan from Cardiff City)
Left: 31 January 2015
Position: Attacking Midfielder, Left-Midfielder
Debut: Legia Warsaw 4-1 Celtic, Champions League, 30 July 2014
Squad No.: 16
Internationals: Norway
International Caps: 20 [complete at end of career]
International Goals: 2 [complete at end of career]
Biog
Berget made quite an impression for some on his arrival at Celtic on loan. Stepping on to the pitch for the first time he didn’t half stand out with his samurai hairstyle, which made him look more suited to some half-baked MTV friendly American rock band (e.g. Nickleback). His top-knot hairdo was the talk of the fashionistas on the terraces (camp hairdos was becoming a fashion in the Celtic squad for some curious reason).
His debut was the curious match v Legia Warsaw which saw a 4-1 defeat over-turned by UEFA due to player registrations issues. A reboot over the next few games saw better results, including scoring two goals in a 6-1 win over Dundee Utd. However, that game was a bit of an anomaly as anyone who watched it would agree, and his two goals came after we were already 4-1 up (although credit where credit is due).
The big problem was that he played in the disastrous 1-0 defeat by NK Maribor to knock us out the Champions League qualifiers. He was poor that night and the first to be hooked, and from this point his reputation was in the red with the support. He was given few more opportunities after that match, and as is the risk for trialists, if you don’t do well and hit the ground running then you’ll be cut, and that’s simply what happened to him. He was easily sidelined and forgotten about by the management as much as by the support.
The problem was that he was creating a greater impression for his appearances than for his performances. Trying to play the fancy trick move rather than just get on with it all frustrated many a supporter, and he thus got off on the wrong foot with the fans . His constant knack of trying to do a back heel rather than concentrate on the basics made many fans go nuts.
The disaster that was the start of the Ronnie Deila regime was compounded by players like Berget. The club has historically had a great record with Scandinavian players, but Berget was obviously not going to join that league.
Despite his size and athletic frame, he was little agile on the pitch and seemed to be too easily beaten (anvils for feet), and he was easily pushed out the first team with the glut of midfielders we had (even pushed out by other underperforming ones). If anything, he was to be labelled to have been a bad transfer in, more out of desperation rather then anything else as Celtic scrambled to bring in any players to satisfy an increasingly agitated support.
As one wit on the web was to put it caustically on Berget’s form:
“Berget has all the speed and agility of a man wearing full Victorian era deep sea diving apparatus while six feet under water.”
The few sympathetic were arguing that he was being played out of position, and a role on the wing did not suit his physique or ability. Possibly a forward role would have been of more value, and he might even have been better than some of the less than impressive strikers Celtic already had. Not many convinced by this argument.
Ronnie Deila made clear towards the end of Berget’s time that he would not be retained for the second half of the season, and by the time of this admission, Berget had already been filed away in everyone’s minds into the archives section.
He was to return to Cardiff but was cut as soon as he arrived back, and so then moved to Sweden with Malmo. Despite the poor spell at Celtic we wished him the best.
Post-Celtic
For the second time in recent seasons, Celtic were again to face one of the club’s former players against a Swedish team in the Champions League. In August, Celtic were to face Malmo in the vital play-off matches to reach the group stages, and Berget was Malmo’s top scorer and player for the season so far. The papers played it up stating he was wanting revenge for being snubbed at Celtic. He scored against Celtic and set the side up to knock Celtic out the tournament.
He’d proven something at least to himself, and in many ways unintentionally had now set up the collapse of the Ronny Deila management spell, which was to drag on till the end of the season.
After a successful time with Malmo, he later moved to New York City FC in the then burgeoning MLS for a season, but returned home to play for Malmo again. If he had hung about at New York he ironically would have again been playing under Ronnie Deila who took over in 2020.
Back at Malmo, he won further titles with the club, and alos once again he was to return to Glasgow when Malmo were drawn v Sevco in the Champions League qualifiers. He was to help knock Sevco out 4-2 on aggregate, despite going down to ten men in the away leg but still winning 2-1.
[…]
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 2014 | 4 | – | – | 4 | 8 |
| Goals | 2 | – | – | 0 | 2 |
Honours with Celtic
Scottish League