John Carew

John Carew is a Norwegian former footballer and cult hero at Aston Villa, renowned for his physical presence, who became the first Black player to represent Norway's national team.

John Carew was the first Black player to represent Norway's national team and went on to become one of Aston Villa's most beloved strikers of the modern era, scoring 38 Premier League goals across four seasons and earning 91 caps for his country across a career that spanned Spain, Italy, Turkey, France, and England. He began his career at hometown club Lørenskog before moving to Vålerenga and then Rosenborg, and became the first Black player to represent Norway's national team, making his senior debut in 1998. Carew built an eclectic, well-travelled career, spending time at Valencia in Spain, on loan at Roma in Italy, at Beşiktaş in Turkey, and at Lyon in France, before finding his most memorable club spell at Aston Villa from 2007 to 2011. Standing 6-foot-5 with a powerful physical presence, Carew became a cult hero at Villa Park, scoring 38 goals in 123 Premier League appearances and forming a strong strike partnership that helped the club challenge for European qualification. Carew earned 91 caps for Norway, scoring 24 goals, and remained the country's attacking focal point for over a decade before retiring in 2012 following brief spells at Stoke City and West Ham United. After football, he pursued an acting career, appearing in films and the Norwegian television series Heimebane, in which he played a fictional former professional footballer.

Powerful, physically dominant target man with strong hold-up play and aerial presence

A trailblazing figure for diversity in Norwegian football and a fan-favourite striker across multiple European leagues

• First Black player to represent Norway's national team
• 91 caps and 24 goals for Norway
• 38 goals in 123 Premier League matches for Aston Villa