Sport
Best Danish footballers in Premier League history
It’s not uncommon for small nations to excel in football and the Danish national team are no exception to this. The nation of just 5.2 million people shocked Europe with their 1992 European Championships win and there have been plenty of Danish footballers who have excelled in the Premier League over the last 30 years. Whilst some of the most famous footballers from Denmark, such as Brian Laudrup and Jon Dahl Tomasson, have just made cameo appearances, others have left unforgettable imprints on English football. So just who are the greatest Danish Premier League Players of all time?
Six best Danish footballers
Daniel Agger (Liverpool)
Underappreciated by many during his time at Anfield, Daniel Agger proved himself to be one of the Liverpool’s most consistent faces in the league for almost a decade. Following a £6m move to The Reds from Brondby in 2005, it wasn’t until the start of the 2006-07 where Agger made his impact felt with a 35-yard thunderbolt against West Ham proving to be one of the goals of the season.
From there, Agger’s tenacity and tackling skills made him a nightmare for attackers throughout the league and earned him no less than 2 Danish Footballer of the Year Awards in 2007 and 2012. Growing discontent with life on Merseyside, Agger left Liverpool to return to former club Brondby in 2014 before retiring from the sport just 2 years later. Now content drawing tattoos in the Spanish sun, Agger can look back fondly on his successful stint with The Reds.
Thomas Sorensen (Sunderland, Aston Villa, Stoke)
A perennial part of several Premier League sides, Thomas Sorensen was often seen as one of the most reliable goalkeepers in England during the 2000’s featuring for no less than 3 sides. Known as a jack of all trades, Sorensen proved himself constantly with quick reactions, good distribution and generally void of any dreadful errors. Whilst he failed to win any trophies during his 15-year stint in the Premier League, he is a member of a rare club having played over 400 games in England’s top flight showcasing his status as one of the best goalkeepers to ever come out of Denmark.
Peter Schmeichel (Manchester United, Aston Villa, Manchester City)
It’s hard to think of a more famous Danish footballer in the Premier League than Peter Schmeichel. Part of the famous treble winning Manchester United side, the Dane’s honour roll is one of the richest in English football with no less than 5 winner’s medals to his name stretching from 1991-1999. His size helped him pull off saves that many deemed impossible and his presence on the pitch inspired players across multiple eras.
His prowess is unmatched having been the only goalkeeper to have won the Player of the Year award in 1996 as well as earning a spot in the English Football Hall of Fame in 2003. Alongside that, Schmeichel also became the first goalkeeper to score in the Premier League with a header for Aston Villa against Everton in 2003 as well as being one of only a few players to have remained unbeaten in the Manchester derby whilst playing for both sides. Certainly among the best Danish footballers to have played in England and arguably the best goalkeeper overall.
Kasper Schmeichel (Manchester City, Leicester City)
With footballing pedigree in his blood, Peter Schmeichel’s son Kasper has enjoyed a top career of his own forging a very different path to his father’s. After a promising start with Manchester City faded away in 2009, Kasper settled to a move with then Championship side Leicester City in 2011 to earn more regular starts. It has proven to be a match made in heaven as Schmeichel has become a legendary figure at The Foxes, becoming a key part of a side that fought doggedly for survival over several seasons.
His passing skills and agility have made him an outstanding keeper in his own right and played an integral part to Leicester’s fairytale title win during the 2015-2016 season. He is one of the few current Danish footballers in the division and the only one on this list, with Christian Eriksen now struggling in Italy. His form has earnt him no less than 2 Danish Footballer of the Year awards in 2016 and 2017 whilst he was also voted 3rd in FIFA’s Best Goalkeeper Award in 2018. Like father, like son eh?
Martin Laursen (Aston Villa)
If a side ever needed a commanding leader, then look no further than Martin Laursen. The big centre-back gave everything on the pitch making him a fan favourite during his 5-year spell with Aston Villa. Physically imposing and dominant in the air, Laursen cleared crosses at eases and proved himself to be a threat from set pieces. Whilst he struggled somewhat with injuries, Laursen formed a strong partnership with Olof Mellberg at the back making Villa one of the hardest sides to break down during the mid-late 2000s. His passion and tenacity has made him a legend at Villa Park earning himself their 2008 Player of the Year award as well as a spot in the club’s legends section when he retired from the sport with the club at the end of the 2008/09 season.
Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur)
One of the best Danish footballers of the last 30 years, Christian Eriksen formed one of the most dangerous Spurs’ lineups in living memory. Signed from Ajax in 2013, the attacking midfielder stole the spotlight with exquisite passes, everlasting energy and spectacular free kicks. His ability from set pieces rivalled many of the best in the league and saw him 51 goals in 226 appearances for Spurs twice reaching double figures for his goal tally. Ranked as one of the best attacking midfielders of the 2010’s, Eriksen has been voted Danish Footballer of the Year no less than 4 times as well as Tottenham’s Player of the Year on two separate occasions. A big money move to Inter Milan in 2020 brought an end to Eriksen’s time in the Premier League as the crafty winger aims to continue his path of destruction back on the continent.
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