Stine Hovland

Stine Hovland is a Norwegian football defender, who plays for Arna-Bjørnar in the Toppserien. A relatively late bloomer, Hovland did not play in the Norwegian Toppserien until she was 24 years old and she made her national team debut at 27 years old.

Club career

Hovland joined Bergen-based Sandviken from Kaupanger in December 2013 and went on to be an important player and club captain. In her first season Sandviken were promoted to the Toppserien as 1. divisjon champions. In 2018 she helped Sandviken reach the Norwegian Women's Cup final, which they lost 4–0 to LSK Kvinner FK.
In April 2019, Hovland was reported to be a transfer target for professional clubs A.C. Milan and West Ham United. She signed for Milan in July.

International career

In November 2018, Hovland won her first cap for the senior Norway women's national football team, in a 4–1 friendly defeat by Japan at Tottori Bank Bird Stadium. She was also included in the 2019 Algarve Cup-winning squad and secured her place in Norway's 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup panel.

Personal life

Hovland's brother Even is also an international footballer. The siblings were team mates in their local youth team. At the time of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, Hovland was not a professional footballer. She had to take annual leave from her day job as a preschool teacher to attend the tournament in France.