There is no doubt that Blackburn got value for money when they paid Tromso an initial £1.5 million for Pedersen's services in 2004. A left-footed midfielder with excellent technique and set-piece delivery, he can explode into life in spectacular fashion. Although he looked set to leave Ewood Park on a couple of occasions, he has remained loyal to Rovers - even if his form has been inconsistent. Sam Allardyce injected a new lease of life into the winger when handing him a more central role and was a major reason behind his signing of a new long-term deal in 2010.

For all his flashes of brilliance, some will argue his best form came around 2007 when he was a constant threat, along with David Bentley on the opposite flank, as Blackburn made real progress under Mark Hughes.

The resurgence under Allardyce came at just the right time and he is already showing he can produce his best form for current boss Steve Kean, even if the club's new owners' apparent over-eagerness to spend on new recruits must be of some concern.

A key figure for Norway, he has also become something of a stalwart for his country since making his debut in 2004, even though he has never had the chance to appear in a major tournament with them.

Pedersen is popular with the Ewood Park supporters and scoring a late winner against fierce local rivals Burnley in a hotly-contested FA Cup tie in 2005 ensured he was always destined to be in favour with the hard-core fans.

After a year of transfer negotiations, Pedersen signed a new four-year deal in May 2010 to keep him at Ewood Park until the summer of 2014. In November 2010, Pedersen scored a screaming 40-yard free-kick in a 2-1 win against Wigan before netting against Newcastle four days later and was punched in the stomach by Joey Barton for his troubles.

Strengths: His left foot is like a magic wand and there is little doubt he is one of the sweetest strikers of a ball in the league. A set-piece expert who can whip dangerous balls into the box, he is graceful when in possession and capable of producing moments of real quality. His defensive work is also under-valued and under-appreciated.

Weaknesses: He openly admits he needed to work on his strength and stamina. Hughes helped toughen him up at Blackburn but he can still be infuriatingly inconsistent and flit in and out of games. His critics will argue he is too often on the periphery.

Career high: One sublime strike against Luton in the FA Cup springs to mind but it has to be his brace at Old Trafford in 2005 that earned a shock defeat of Manchester United.

Career low: FA Cup semi-finals do not come along that often at Blackburn and Pedersen had a glorious late chance to win one, against Chelsea in 2007. Although he performed well in the tie, some fans felt it played on his mind for some time afterwards as he let Jose Mourinho's side off the hook and they went on to win in extra-time and beat Manchester United in the final.

Style: Laid-back, creative and intelligent, he is always liable to produce something out of nothing.

Quotes: "It shows what a key signing he was [on a new contract]. We actually signed a free transfer who would cost, in today's market, £8m-£10m. He's 28, made 200-odd Premier League appearances, scores goals, delivers balls into the box. Where can you find one of them now?" Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce, 2010.

Trivia: The man who released a single after making a record with fellow players also starred in a Norwegian TV commercial promoting the benefits of healthy eating, admitting he "made a fool of himself".