Vålerenga and BK Häcken agree on a transfer for Ola Kamara. The 34-year-old passed the medical test on Wednesday morning, has signed an agreement until the 2024 season and is already ready for his first session in royal blue now at 11.30am.
Kamara has a long and rich career behind him, with, among other things, eight different adventures abroad, league gold with Stabæk, league gold, league silver and cup gold with Strømsgodset, European matches for Molde and international matches for Norway.
Now he is very happy to be in place in Vålerenga and to help the club back to the Eliteserien.
– It feels very good to be at home. I grew up in Bislett and when I was young we would sneak into the stadium and watch Super-Musa and the gang win matches. My relationship with Vålerenga is incredibly good, and I’m looking forward to getting to know the people here better and to playing and scoring in front of ØSTBLOKKA, he says and continues:
– I am very hungry for revenge, I feel good and I am incredibly motivated to get home. Hopefully I can contribute with goals, but I will also ensure unity, that we win and that we get back to the Eliteserien. The year in the OBOS league is going to be tough, but I think it’s also going to build character.
Head coach Geir Bakke talks about a good process ahead of the signing, and he feels very confident about the type and player who will now be part of the squad.
– The most important thing is that Ola is extremely motivated. When we spoke to him, he was clear that he really wanted to come to Vålerenga, and he really wants to show that he can do it. He wants to show it on Norwegian soil, and he wants to show it for Vålerenga in particular, says the boss and continues:
– Ola has a record that has been playing for many years, which indicates that he is very productive. Anyone can look at his date of birth, but he has been a dedicated player who has managed to keep this going. We have a fairly young pair of forwards here from before, and now we are bringing in one who has scored goals on a regular basis throughout his career and who is extremely motivated. I also think it is important that when we have now been through a journey with a number of experiences that you don’t shout hallelujah for, then a type comes in who has a relaxed relationship with exactly that. He will go out there to play with enthusiasm and joy, and help to ensure that we are a productive team, concludes Bakke.
Sports manager Joacim Jonsson is very happy to have the striker in place, and is sure that he will be an important contributor in the coming year.
– We have an extremely young squad with an average age of just over 22 years, and we wanted an experienced player who stands for a good training culture. In addition to delivering for us, he will also act as a mentor for our young strikers, says Jonsson and adds:
– Ola has always been careful to take care of his body, and has hardly been injured during his very eventful career. He is a striker who is good in the link game, good at positioning himself in the box and a finisher who knows where the goal is.
The last few weeks have shown that the pieces are starting to fall into place, but even if the sporting director is well satisfied with the stable that is here now, things can still happen before the series kicks off.
– We are very satisfied with the people we have brought in and that Ola is now in place. We are getting close to a full squad, but we will use the last eleven days to see if there is anything more that needs to be done. We are very happy with the current squad, but in a long season you need many players, he concludes.
See interview here: