Mohammed Abdellaoue built his reputation in his native Norway with Valerenga
Mohammed Abdellaoue built his reputation in his native Norway with Valerenga

New horizons in Stuttgart

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When Mohammed Abdellaoue first arrived in Germany in 2010, few people knew much about the Norwegian striker with Moroccan roots. However, 29 Bundesliga goals and 80 league appearances later, the slippery striker is a familiar face in the German footballing world. He begins the 2013/14 season at VfB Stuttgart after three years at Hannover 96.

Prolific in Norway

The unassuming striker made his breakthrough with Norwegian second division side Skeid FK, but having scored close to a goal every other game, was soon snapped up by Oslo's top side Valerenga Fotball. The forward finished as the club's top scorer in his first season and helped guide them to the final of the 2008 Norwegian Cup, where his goals sealed a first cup triumph in six years.

"Moa", as he's more affectionately known, made his international debut the same year and soon began attracting interest from abroad. Having successfully dipped into the Norwegian market the previous year with the signing of Didier Ya Konan, Hannover 96 drafted Abdellaoue in ahead of the 2010/11 season.

Best described as a penalty box striker, he has since become one of Norway's foremost footballing talents. Abdellaoue collected the 2010 Norwegian Striker of the Year award before going one better twelve months later when he was crowned Footballer of the Year by the Norwegian Players' Association.

North to south


In his first season in the German top flight, he managed an impressive ten goals, but it was the following season that he established himself, netting eleven times in the league and three times in Europe, as Hannover reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League.

His final season in Lower Saxony was interrupted by injury, but he still finished the 2012/13 campaign with a respectable eight goals to his name. In Stuttgart, the experienced frontman will be charged with easing the goalscoring burden on Vedad Ibisevic and have another opportunity at impressing in the Europa League.