Ex-Leeds United goalkeeper hangs up the gloves in shock retirement aged 25

Kristoffer Klaesson moved to Leeds in July 2021 in a £1.5m deal with Vålerenga and spent three years at Elland Road, playing just three times for the first team. The Norwegian youth international, who was capped up to Under 21 level, came off the bench to replace the injured Illan Meslier in a Premier League game at Wolves that ended in a 3-2 win. He made a single start in the Championship in the 2023/24 season due to a suspension for Meslier and an injury to Karl Darlow and played one game in the FA Cup at Peterborough United.

Klaesson departed in the summer of 2024, mutually agreeing to terminate his contract a year early and signed as a free agent for Polish side Raków Częstochowa. Concerns over his fitness saw that deal torn up inside two months without a single appearance and in September of 2024 the stopper moved to Danish Superliga club AGF. In January 2025 he moved again, having made a single senior appearance in Denmark, returning to Norway to sign for Viking. Klaesson made 14 league starts as Viking won the 2025 Eliteserien but failed to stick, joining rivals Aalesund in January of this year on a three-year contract.

But a statement released by the Norwegian club revealed that despite starting all of their games in the first part of the Eliteserien campaign, he has now departed and will be hanging up his gloves. It read: “Klaesson joined AaFK ahead of this season, but has now made the decision to hang up his gloves. It's a decision the club has respected.

“First and foremost, we would like to thank Kristoffer for the time he has been a part of AaFK. It is of course a shame that he chooses to end his career, but this is a choice he has made, and we want to meet it with respect. We wish him all the best going forward, says sporting director Oddbjørn Lie.

“The parties agree to terminate the contract, which originally expired on December 31, 2028. Throughout his career, Klaesson has represented several clubs both in Norway and abroad. After growing up in Strømmen, he moved to Vålerenga, where he established himself in the A-team and distinguished himself as one of the country's most promising goalkeepers. He then moved to English side Leeds United, before stints in Raków Częstochowa, AGF and Viking. He has also represented Norway at several age-specific national teams. We would like to thank Kristoffer for his efforts and time together in AaFK, and now wish him good luck with the next chapter in his life.”