Ex-Premier League star worked with police during career and still plays at 50

From playing football just to keep fit during detective training to featuring in the Champions League and an FA Cup final – Jo Tessem has had quite a career.

The former Southampton and Bournemouth midfielder, who is miraculously still playing at the age of 50, only had eyes on becoming a police detective before his natural skills on the pitch pushed him towards a career as a professional footballer.

Tessem applied for the Norwegian Police Academy in Oslo at the age of 20 but couldn't be signed up until the age of 21, so ended up asking to train with local side Lyn before accidentally getting into their first-team after one session.

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Having juggled the second-tier football with his studies, Tessem would sometimes work 10pm till 8am night shifts before joining his team-mates for training an hour later.

Despite having sleep deprivation, the attacking midfielder fired Lyn into the top tier having been forced to turn down a move to Hamburg in Germany due to his studies.

A transfer to Molde followed where he helped them to Champions League qualification, delaying a Premier League switch in order to take on Olympiacos, Porto and Real Madrid in the group stage.

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A £600,000 move to Dave Jones' Southampton following in 1999, where he found himself playing at right-back, in midfield and at times even up front with James Beattie.

He recently said of the switch on BBC Radio Solent: "I was due to go on holiday after my club [Molde] had played against Real Madrid in the Champions League. I'd packed my car and was ready to go.

"Then I was told Southampton had a made an offer for me and wanted me to go over and watch their game on the Saturday.

"So I flew over, sat down in Staplewood and the manager Dave Jones came over to me and said: 'You're playing tomorrow.' Those were his first words to me – I'd not signed a contract or anything!"

The 2002/03 season would prove to be memorable, with Tessem bringing his overall tally for the club to 16 goals and helping them into the FA Cup final where they lost to Arsenal.

Following 130 appearances, the Norway international returned to Lyn on a permanent deal following a loan at Millwall before returning with Bournemouth before dropping into non-league football.

Following a season with Eastleigh and seven with Totton & Eling, Tessem remains on the books in the Wessex Premier Division and into his sixth year with Hythe & Dibden.

Now 50, Tessem is also a pundit on BBC Radio Solent, having remained on the South Coast since moving back to England back in 2007.

Speaking at the time, Tessem said: "My body is better than it has been for many years and I want to play as long as it is possible."

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