After an encouraging start to his career at Leeds in 1999 and 2000, injuries and poor form meant that he was never a first-team regular, even after the club was relegated from the Premiership in 2004.

[4] The problem arose due to his £23,000-a-week wages and £4,000 appearance fees,[5] which were originally agreed during Peter Ridsdale's chairmanship, but which the club could no longer afford.

[5] Eventually, Bakke left the club, as part of a wider attempt by Leeds United to reduce expenditure on player wages.

He started the 2007 season playing for Brann second team while returning to full fitness from his injury problems.

Bakke promised Brann that when he was close to retirement he would finish his career in Norway with the club, playing a further one or two seasons.

[9] Bakke made his debut for Norway in a January 1999 friendly against Israel, coming on as a substitute for Egil Østenstad, and earned 26 caps, without scoring any goals.