Sivert Heltne Nilsen

Sivert Heltne Nilsen (born 2 October 1991) is a Norwegian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Scottish Premiership club Aberdeen. He has previously played for IL Hødd, Vålerenga Fotball, SK Brann, AC Horsens, IF Elfsborg and Waasland-Beveren and has represented his country at youth level.^[1] He is the son of former Hødd and Brann manager Lars Arne Nilsen.

Sivert Heltne Nilsen

Personal information
Date of birth	(1991-10-02) 2 October 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth	Bergen, Norway
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Central midfielder
Team information
Current team	Aberdeen
Number	6
Youth career
	Volda
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009–2013	Hødd	116	(8)
2014–2015	Vålerenga	41	(0)
2015–2018	Brann	80	(6)
2018–2019	Horsens	32	(1)
2019–2021	Elfsborg	33	(2)
2021	Waasland-Beveren	9	(0)
2021–2024	Brann	88	(14)
2024–	Aberdeen	26	(0)
International career‡
2013–2015	Norway U23	2	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16 March 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 26 March 2015

Club career

Heltne Nilsen started his professional career at Norwegian Second Division side IL Hødd. He started the 2012 Norwegian Football Cup final, playing the full match and scoring in the penalty shootout to help his team win its first cup title.^[2]

In January 2014, Heltne Nilsen moved to Vålerenga.^[3] He went to SK Brann in July 2015.^[4]

In July 2018, Heltne Nilsen moved to Danish Superliga side AC Horsens. He signed a five-year contract with the club,^[5] but was sold to Swedish club IF Elfsborg in 2019.^[6] After a brief spell with Belgium's Waasland-Beveren, Heltne Nilsen rejoined Brann for three years.^[7] In 2024, he reunited with former manager Jimmy Thelin at the latter's new club, Aberdeen, in the Scottish Premiership.^[8]

Career statistics

As of 16 March 2025^[9][10]

Club	Season	League			National cup[a]		League cup[b]		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Hødd	2009	2. divisjon	10	0	0	0	—		—		—		10	0
	2010	2. divisjon	19	1	0	0	—		—		—		19	1
	2011	1. divisjon	29	1	1	0	—		—		—		30	1
	2012	1. divisjon	29	3	7	0	—		—		—		36	3
	2013	1. divisjon	29	3	3	0	—		1[c]	0	1[d]	0	34	3
	Total		116	8	11	0	—		1	0	1	0	129	8
Vålerenga	2014	Eliteserien	28	0	3	3	—		—		—		31	3
	2015	Eliteserien	13	0	1	0	—		—		—		14	0
	Total		41	0	4	3	—		—		—		45	3
Brann	2015	1. divisjon	10	0	0	0	—		—		—		10	0
	2016	Eliteserien	28	3	1	0	—		—		—		29	3
	2017	Eliteserien	27	1	3	1	—		2[c]	0	1[e]	0	33	2
	2018	Eliteserien	15	2	3	0	—		—		—		18	2
	Total		80	6	7	1	—		2	0	1	0	90	7
Horsens	2018–19	Danish Superliga	27	1	0	0	—		—		1[f]	0	28	1
	2019–20	Danish Superliga	5	0	0	0	—		—		—		5	0
	Total		32	1	0	0	—		—		1	0	33	1
Elfsborg	2019	Allsvenskan	10	1	0	0	—		—		—		10	1
	2020	Allsvenskan	23	1	3	0	—		—		—		26	1
	Total		33	2	3	0	—		—		—		36	2
Waasland-Beveren	2020–21	Belgian First Division A	9	0	1	0	—		—		2[g]	0	12	0
	Total		9	0	1	0	—		—		2	0	12	0
Brann	2021	Eliteserien	15	0	1	0	—		—		1[h]	1	17	1
	2022	1. divisjon	29	5	3	0	—		—		—		32	5
	2023	Eliteserien	29	9	8	1	—		4[i]	0	—		41	10
	2024	Eliteserien	15	2	3	0	—		—		—		18	2
	Total		88	14	15	1	—		4	0	1	1	108	16
Aberdeen	2024–25	Scottish Premiership	26	0	0	0	6	0	—		—		32	0
Career Total			425	31	41	5	6	0	7	0	6	0	485	37

1. Includes Norwegian Cup, Danish Cup, Svenska Cupen, Belgian Cup, Scottish Cup
2. Includes Scottish League Cup
3. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
4. Appearance in 1. divisjon promotion play-offs
5. Appearance in Mesterfinalen
6. Appearance in Danish Superliga relegation play-offs
7. Appearances in Belgian First Division Relegation play-offs
8. Appearance in Eliteserien play-offs
9. Appearances in UEFA Conference League

Honours

Hødd

• Norwegian Cup: 2012^[10]

Brann

• 1. divisjon: 2022^[10]
• Norwegian Cup: 2022–23^[10]

Aberdeen Scottish cup 2025