Arild Andersen

Sogndal In Sogndal, he rented a basement flat, as did teammate Eivind Karlsbakk in the same building. The first weeks were dented by homesickness; the Sogndal officials acknowledged that players needed to adapt when moving from cities to tiny Sogndalsfjøra (with a population less than 4,000). Andersen earned more, and did not need to work full-time in his old job as a plumber, which he had kept while playing for Fyllingen. In June 1997, Sogndal reprimanded him for public alcohol consumption the night before May Day.

Highlights in Sogndal include his first Eliteserien goal, which came in a 3–1 victory over Lillestrøm in June 1997. His second Eliteserien goal came in a 2–1 victory over Brann in July 1998. Andersen also scored in the 1997 cup, where Sogndal thrashed the reigning champions Tromsø 5–0.

As the 1998 season was nearing its end, Sogndal negotiated a new two-year contract with Andersen. In September, he accepted the terms orally, but the next day he received a counter-offer from FK Haugesund and signed for that club instead, letting Sogndal's chairman know by telephone. The manager and chairman called his decision "despicable" and added that "one almost feels stabbed in the back". They stated that Andersen was immediately expelled from Sogndal's first team, and would train with the B team or even the C team. They also threatened to withhold the paycheck for October, anticipating the expiry of his contract on 31 October. Hence, his last Sogndal match came the day before he revealed his signing for Haugesund. Andersen later stated that he telephoned secretly with Haugesunds Avis in his bedroom while the Sogndal manager was visiting his home. He explained that the terms in Sogndal would entail a monthly pay decrease, which was "a slap in the face". The 1998 Eliteserien ended with Sogndal being relegated.

Playing position Andersen was used in a number of playing positions. He started out as a left winger, On rarer occasions he was used in a free role in central midfield or as an anchor. In late 2000, Haugesund moved him back up from left back to left winger. Haugesunds Avis considered him their best outfield player in his comeback in that position. Andersen stated that "I don't mind where I play, as long as it's on the left side". By late October 2001, he had recorded 5 goals and 13 assists, being one of Haugesund's main assets in attack.

In the winter of 2002, Andersen was approached by Vålerenga regarding a possible move to that club. The prospect was "tempting", considering Haugesund's relegation and pay cuts. In the summer, Haugesund were contacted by SK Brann, who were interested in acquiring Andersen as an alternative on left back. Andersen expressed keen interest to join the largest club in Bergen, and stated that such a move would be "fantastic". Haugesund stated that Andersen was for sale, given "the right price". After a short deliberation, Brann decided that Andersen was too expensive, having recently spent transfer money on Alonso Solis and Nkosinathi Nhleko.

Andersen entered his last contract year with Haugesund in 2003. At the time, he was the only Haugesund player with as much as five seasons in a row. Having sat on the bench throughout the 2007 Norwegian Football Cup final, Andersen finally retired after the 2007 season, and would work in the club with marketing, together with teammate and fellow retiree Jostein Grindhaug. Andersen and Grindhaug were number one and two on the list of most capped players for FK Haugesund.

As the winter of 2007–08 approached, Andersen decided to continue in the lower tiers, first as player-coach of SK Haugar. Ahead of the 2010 season he took over Avaldsnes IL. His tenure started with relegation from the 2010 Norwegian Third Division. Aged 40, Andersen still played in central defense. He left Avaldsnes in March 2014, weeks before the start of a new season.

Andersen later coached Djerv 1919's U16 team. His son Eirik Viland Andersen eventually broke into Djerv 1919's senior team. After leaving full-time football, Arild Andersen worked with drug addict care in Kirkens Bymisjon.