Per Ciljan Skjelbred (born 16 June 1987) is a Norwegian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Hertha Berlin. He has previously played for Rosenborg and Hamburger SV, and has been capped 43 times playing for Norway, but as of 2017, retired from international football.
Skjelbred was born in Trondheim and started his career at local football club Trygg/Lade. He made an impression, and was selected to compete in a football talent competition entitled Proffdrømmen ("The dream being Professional Football Player") on Norwegian TV3. Skjelbred won this competition and as first prize, he got a week's training with Liverpool Liverpool offered him a contract in order to include him in their youth team, but he declined. Instead, he went to the Norwegian club Rosenborg, where he soon made an impression.
Skjelbred made his debut in Tippeligaen against Bodø/Glimt in 2004, and aged 16 years and 358 days he is the second youngest player at Rosenborg. After scoring a goal in the first match of the 2005 Champions League against Olympiacos, he was tackled in the return match at Lerkendal on 23 November by Ieroklis Stoltidis. Both bones in Skjelbred's lower leg snapped just above the ankle. Although he went in with both legs and had no chance of getting the ball, Stoltidis said he had not meant to harm Skjelbred. Skjelbred returned to football on 10 March 2006 in Rosenborg's match against Aalesund, playing the first half of the match which Rosenborg won 5–1.