HE’S ELECTRIC

Berge a smash hit but the Champions League theme is tune he’s yearning for

SANDER BERGE wants to repay the Sheffield United fans who serenaded him at Selhurst Park by making the words of their song come true.

Record £22million signing Berge was handed a winning debut when Crystal Palace keeper Vicente Guaita scored a calamitous own goal from a corner delivered by Oliver Norwood early in the second half.

That lifted the Blades within five points of fourth-placed Chelsea – and Berge already has his sights set on Champions League football at Bramall Lane next season.

Sheffield United skipper Billy Sharp ( far right) announced the 21-year-old’s big-money transfer from Genk in a Whatsapp message to the club’s socialmedia team in which he sang a song to the tune of “She’s Electric” by Oasis. It went: “He’s Norwegian. He plays for the Blades with John Egan. We’re playing in Europe next season. He’s Sander Berge.”

And Blades fans took it to their hearts straight away, singing it to the midfield debutant as he stood and applauded them on the pitch after Saturday’s victory (main pic).

Berge (in action, below) said: “Can we qualify for the Champions League?

Of course! Like the song goes, we’re playing in

Europe next season. That’s the ambition.

“We showed in a tough away game that we can do that. I love that song.

Thanks to Billy and for the fans who sang it. I got goosebumps!”

Berge already has Champions League experience under his belt, playing every minute of every game for

Genk in it this season, but he claims the Premier League is a different challenge altogether.

Berge, who had just one-and-a-half training sessions with his new team-mates before this trip south, said: “It was easy to come into this team. Easy to adapt to. But I worked harder in 60

minutes

than I ever did in 90 minutes in Belgium so it’s a new world for me. The pace and the intensity, there is just never a break in the game.”

Berge was coveted by a host of top clubs around Europe, including Liverpool and Italian giants Napoli, but spoke in glowing terms about how the

Blades convinced him to join them. He said: “In many ways. I’ve followed the team closely. I’ve seen how they have developed over many months and how they play, and I thought they would suit me.

“And Chris (Blades boss Wilder) spoke to me about my role and the family perspective of the club, saying that it is very humble and down to earth, with a hard-working mentality.

“All those things suited me and, when they pushed so hard to get me, it gave me a good feeling. The dressing-room is the best I’ve ever been a part of. It’s a team that’s getting better.”

MOAN GOAL Vicente Guaita can only carry the ball into his own net ROY HODGSON says Palace will target a summer splurge after missing out on Nathan Ferguson and Jarrod Bowen on a dismal transfer-deadline day. The Eagles pulled out of a £10million deal for West Brom full-back Ferguson after his medical revealed a knee issue, and watched loan target Bowen instead sign for London rivals West Ham for £20m. That left injured loan signing Cenk Tosun from Everton as the only new arrival. Christian Benteke and Patrick van Aanholt are back from injury but struggling Palace are without a win in six. Boss Hodgson (left) said: “We definitely wanted a centreforward and a full-back and, until Nathan had his medical, that’s what we had. We would still have liked one or two more as well. “We’ve only got Tosun in, which is less than we wanted. In the next window we are going to try and make sure the team gets stronger.”