Christian Eriksen
Encyclopedia
Christian Dannemann Eriksen (born 14 February 1992) is a Danish
professional football player, currently playing as an attacking midfielder for Dutch side Ajax. He joined the AFC Ajax youth academy from Odense Boldklub.
He made his debut for the Danish national team
in March 2010, and was the youngest player of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
in South Africa
.
In 2011, he was named Dutch Football Talent of the Year as well as Danish Football Player of the Year.
before his third birthday. In 2005 he switched to Odense Boldklub (OB), who competed in the Danish youth championships. His team lost the semi-final against Brøndby IF
, but afterwards he was named "Best Technical Player" of the tournament. The following year OB won the tournament, when Eriksen scored the only goal in the final. After some good performances for OB's U-16 team and later on U-19 team and the Danish U-17 team, major European football clubs including Chelsea
and Barcelona
began to take notice. The player had trials with Barcelona, Chelsea, and AC Milan, but finally decided to move to Ajax, stating "My first step should not be too big. I knew that playing in the Netherlands would be very good for my development. Then Ajax arrived and that was a fantastic option".
-based Ajax. The transfer fee received by OB was estimated at €1 million. He worked his way through the youth teams, and was promoted to the first team squad in January 2010, where he was given the number 51 shirt. Within the month, he made his first team debut for the Dutch team in the Eredivisie
on 17 January 2010 against NAC Breda
. Ajax manager Martin Jol
compared him to the likes of Ajax youth products Wesley Sneijder
and Rafael van der Vaart
and described him as a good reader of the game in the traditional "number 10" role like the two Dutch internationals and Danish legend Michael Laudrup
, who also played for Ajax.
On 25 March 2010 he scored his first goal for Ajax in a 6–0 win against opponent Go Ahead Eagles
in the Dutch Cup. On 10 April 2010, Eriksen extended his contract with Ajax until the summer of 2014, stating "I can still learn a lot here, I'm not finished yet and I hope I can mean a lot for the club." On 6 May 2010, Eriksen played in the second match of the final of the 2009-10 Dutch Cup as Ajax beat Feyenoord 1-4, with 1-6 on aggregate. At the end of his first professional season at Ajax, Eriksen had played 21 competitive matches, scoring one goal, and had made his international debut for Denmark. For his second season in the first team of Ajax, Eriksen was given the number 8 shirt.
well, scoring his first Ajax league goal on 29 August 2010 in an away victory over De Graafschap
. On 11 November 2010, Eriksen scored his first goal at the Amsterdam ArenA
a 3-0 Cup victory over BV Veendam
. In December, Eriksen was named Danish "Talent of the Year". Several days after receiving this award, Eriksen once again proved his value to Ajax by scoring the only goal in a 0-1 away league victory over Vitesse. On 17 February 2011, Eriksen scored his first goal in a European tournament, the Ajax goal to 2-0, when Ajax beat Anderlecht 3-0 in the 2010-11 Europa League. On 13 March 2011, Eriksen scored a solo goal, running from the half way line to finish it off with a strike to secure a 3-1 win over Willem II
.
During the rest of the season, Eriksen became more and more important for Ajax, due to his great capabilities as attacking midfielder. After a good season in 2010/2011, during which he developed himself into an undisputed starter in the side that won the 2010–11 Eredivisie
(Ajax's first Eredivisie title in seven years), he was named Ajax´s Talent of the Year. On 23 May 2011 he was named Dutch Football Talent of the Year, the second Danish player to win the award since Jon Dahl Tomasson
in 1996. He was elected by a jury under command of Holland's all-time best player Johan Cruyff
. "He's a player I really like with all my heart," Cruyff praised Eriksen. "This prize is just the beginning, a stimulus to get the maximum out of his career. The talent is there, the recognition also; now it is up to the player himself. He is a typical product of the Danish school. You can compare him with Brian
and Michael Laudrup
. Only time will tell if Eriksen can reach the same level as them.".
when Ajax beat Dinamo Zagreb
2-0 in the group stage, making him the 2nd youngest player to score in the 2011-2012 season. In the second match versus Dinamo Zagreb he provided two assists as well as being involved with a third goal. He was named Danish Football Player of the Year on November 7.
in July 2007, and impressed in his debut for the team on July 31. In 2008, he scored nine goals in 16 games for the U-17s, and was named Danish U-17 Talent of the Year in 2008 by the Danish FA
. He was also one of four nominees for the 2008 Danish Talent of the Year award, which was won by Mathias Jørgensen
. He played 27 games for the under-17 team until February 2009. He also played a total eight games for the Denmark U-18 and Denmark U-19
teams during 2009. Eriksen was also called up for the danish U/21 squad to the european championship in Denmark in 2011, the danish team did only participated in the group stage and Eriksen did score one goal against Belarus.
He received his first senior Denmark call-up in February 2010, making his debut in Denmark's friendly match against Austria
in March, to become Denmark's fourth youngest full international, being the youngest debutant since Michael Laudrup
. On 28 May 2010, Denmark coach Morten Olsen
announced that Eriksen would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
in South Africa
. He was the youngest player participating in the tournament. At the World Cup, Eriksen played two matches, against the Netherlands
and Japan
, but Denmark were unable to progress beyond the group stage.
On 9 February 2011, in the 1-2 friendly loss home against England
, Eriksen was named Man of the match, and everyone, including Chelsea
star Frank Lampard
, Man Utd star Rio Ferdinand
(on Twitter
), manager Morten Olsen
and several media experts in Denmark and England praised his performance. On 4 June 2011 Eriksen scored his first national team goal, to give Denmark a 2-0 lead over Iceland in the Euro 2012 Qualifier. In doing so, he became the youngest Danish player ever to score a goal in European qualification, being 9 days younger than Michael Laudrup when he scored his first goal in 1983.
|2009–10||rowspan="3"|Ajax||rowspan="3"|Eredivisie
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|-
52||9||11||2||18||2||81||13
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
professional football player, currently playing as an attacking midfielder for Dutch side Ajax. He joined the AFC Ajax youth academy from Odense Boldklub.
He made his debut for the Danish national team
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
in March 2010, and was the youngest player of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
In 2011, he was named Dutch Football Talent of the Year as well as Danish Football Player of the Year.
Career
Christian Eriksen started playing football in his hometown MiddelfartMiddelfart
Middelfart is a town in central Denmark, with a population of 14,781 . The town is the municipal seat of Middelfart municipality on the island of Funen .-Overview:The Middelfart municipality has a population of 37,701 people as of 2011...
before his third birthday. In 2005 he switched to Odense Boldklub (OB), who competed in the Danish youth championships. His team lost the semi-final against Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF is a Danish professional football club based in Brøndbyvester, Brøndby, on the western outskirts of Copenhagen and is the biggest football club in Denmark with almost 2000 members. The club is also known as Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening, or Brøndby and BIF for short...
, but afterwards he was named "Best Technical Player" of the tournament. The following year OB won the tournament, when Eriksen scored the only goal in the final. After some good performances for OB's U-16 team and later on U-19 team and the Danish U-17 team, major European football clubs including Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
began to take notice. The player had trials with Barcelona, Chelsea, and AC Milan, but finally decided to move to Ajax, stating "My first step should not be too big. I knew that playing in the Netherlands would be very good for my development. Then Ajax arrived and that was a fantastic option".
Youth & entrance in the first squad
On 17 October 2008 it was announced that Eriksen had signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
-based Ajax. The transfer fee received by OB was estimated at €1 million. He worked his way through the youth teams, and was promoted to the first team squad in January 2010, where he was given the number 51 shirt. Within the month, he made his first team debut for the Dutch team in the Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
on 17 January 2010 against NAC Breda
NAC Breda
NAC Breda , simply often known as NAC, is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda, Netherlands. NAC Breda play in the Rat Verlegh Stadium, named after their most important player, Antoon 'Rat' Verlegh. They play in the Dutch Eredivisie and are known by the fierce and fanatic support of...
. Ajax manager Martin Jol
Martin Jol
Maarten Cornelis "Martin" Jol is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder who currently manages Fulham in the Premier League. Jol played over 400 games during his career which included spells in the Netherlands, Germany, and England, as well as earning three caps with the Dutch national team...
compared him to the likes of Ajax youth products Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
and Rafael van der Vaart
Rafael van der Vaart
Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart is a Dutch footballer who plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Dutch national team. His preferred position is as an attacking midfielder; he can, however, also operate in other positions, such as second striker...
and described him as a good reader of the game in the traditional "number 10" role like the two Dutch internationals and Danish legend Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup is a retired Danish footballer, who works as a manager and last coached La Liga side RCD Mallorca. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of football. His most prominent run of football came with Spanish club Barcelona, with whom he won four straight La...
, who also played for Ajax.
On 25 March 2010 he scored his first goal for Ajax in a 6–0 win against opponent Go Ahead Eagles
Go Ahead Eagles
The Go Ahead Eagles are a football club from Deventer, Netherlands, currently playing in the Eerste Divisie. The club's home stadium is De Adelaarshorst. To date, the club has won the national championship four times...
in the Dutch Cup. On 10 April 2010, Eriksen extended his contract with Ajax until the summer of 2014, stating "I can still learn a lot here, I'm not finished yet and I hope I can mean a lot for the club." On 6 May 2010, Eriksen played in the second match of the final of the 2009-10 Dutch Cup as Ajax beat Feyenoord 1-4, with 1-6 on aggregate. At the end of his first professional season at Ajax, Eriksen had played 21 competitive matches, scoring one goal, and had made his international debut for Denmark. For his second season in the first team of Ajax, Eriksen was given the number 8 shirt.
Breakthrough season
Eriksen started the 2010-11 season2010–11 Eredivisie
-Managerial changes:-League table:-Results:...
well, scoring his first Ajax league goal on 29 August 2010 in an away victory over De Graafschap
De Graafschap
De Graafschap is a professional football club from Doetinchem, Netherlands. It was formed on 1 February 1954 and they play their home games at the "De Vijverberg" stadium. Their current home ground stands on where the old pitch used to be located and was opened on 12 August 2000...
. On 11 November 2010, Eriksen scored his first goal at the Amsterdam ArenA
Amsterdam ArenA
Amsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events...
a 3-0 Cup victory over BV Veendam
BV Veendam
SC Veendam is a Dutch football club based in Veendam, Groningen province, playing in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of football in the Netherlands. The club's official colours are black and yellow.- History :...
. In December, Eriksen was named Danish "Talent of the Year". Several days after receiving this award, Eriksen once again proved his value to Ajax by scoring the only goal in a 0-1 away league victory over Vitesse. On 17 February 2011, Eriksen scored his first goal in a European tournament, the Ajax goal to 2-0, when Ajax beat Anderlecht 3-0 in the 2010-11 Europa League. On 13 March 2011, Eriksen scored a solo goal, running from the half way line to finish it off with a strike to secure a 3-1 win over Willem II
Willem II
Willem II may refer to:People*William II, Prince of Orange , stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands*William II of the Netherlands , King of the NetherlandsOther*Willem II , a Dutch football club...
.
During the rest of the season, Eriksen became more and more important for Ajax, due to his great capabilities as attacking midfielder. After a good season in 2010/2011, during which he developed himself into an undisputed starter in the side that won the 2010–11 Eredivisie
2010–11 Eredivisie
-Managerial changes:-League table:-Results:...
(Ajax's first Eredivisie title in seven years), he was named Ajax´s Talent of the Year. On 23 May 2011 he was named Dutch Football Talent of the Year, the second Danish player to win the award since Jon Dahl Tomasson
Jon Dahl Tomasson
Jon Dahl Tomasson is a retired Danish footballer and assistant manager at the Dutch football club SBV Excelsior....
in 1996. He was elected by a jury under command of Holland's all-time best player Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff OON , known as Johan Cruyff, is a retired Dutch footballer and is currently the manager of the Catalan national team as well as a member of the AFC Ajax board of directors. He won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974, which is a record jointly held with...
. "He's a player I really like with all my heart," Cruyff praised Eriksen. "This prize is just the beginning, a stimulus to get the maximum out of his career. The talent is there, the recognition also; now it is up to the player himself. He is a typical product of the Danish school. You can compare him with Brian
Brian Laudrup
Brian Laudrup is a Danish former football player and current football commentator, pundit and analyst on TV3+. Along with former international goalkeeper Lars Høgh, Laudrup manages a football academy for marginalized youth...
and Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup is a retired Danish footballer, who works as a manager and last coached La Liga side RCD Mallorca. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of football. His most prominent run of football came with Spanish club Barcelona, with whom he won four straight La...
. Only time will tell if Eriksen can reach the same level as them.".
Rising influence in the squad
On 18 October 2011, Eriksen scored his first goal in the UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
when Ajax beat Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
2-0 in the group stage, making him the 2nd youngest player to score in the 2011-2012 season. In the second match versus Dinamo Zagreb he provided two assists as well as being involved with a third goal. He was named Danish Football Player of the Year on November 7.
International
Eriksen was called up for the Denmark U-17Denmark national under-17 football team
The Denmark national under-17 football team was founded in 1964 as a under-16 team. In 2001, it was changed to a under-17 team.-Competitive record:The Danish under-17 squad will make its World Cup debut at the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico....
in July 2007, and impressed in his debut for the team on July 31. In 2008, he scored nine goals in 16 games for the U-17s, and was named Danish U-17 Talent of the Year in 2008 by the Danish FA
Danish Football Association
The Danish Football Association is the governing body of football in Denmark. It is the organization of the Danish football clubs and runs the professional Danish football leagues and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in the city of Brøndby and is a founding member of both FIFA...
. He was also one of four nominees for the 2008 Danish Talent of the Year award, which was won by Mathias Jørgensen
Mathias Jørgensen
Mathias Jattah-Njie "Zanka" Jørgensen is a Danish footballer who plays as a central defender for F.C. Copenhagen in the Danish Superliga. He was recently named as captain for F.C. Copenhagen.-Biography:...
. He played 27 games for the under-17 team until February 2009. He also played a total eight games for the Denmark U-18 and Denmark U-19
Denmark national under-19 football team
The Denmark national under-19 football team was founded in 1950 as a under-18 team. In 2001, it was changed to a under-19 team.-Competitive record:...
teams during 2009. Eriksen was also called up for the danish U/21 squad to the european championship in Denmark in 2011, the danish team did only participated in the group stage and Eriksen did score one goal against Belarus.
He received his first senior Denmark call-up in February 2010, making his debut in Denmark's friendly match against Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
in March, to become Denmark's fourth youngest full international, being the youngest debutant since Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup is a retired Danish footballer, who works as a manager and last coached La Liga side RCD Mallorca. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of football. His most prominent run of football came with Spanish club Barcelona, with whom he won four straight La...
. On 28 May 2010, Denmark coach Morten Olsen
Morten Olsen
Morten Per Olsen is a Danish football manager and former football player. He has been the head coach of the Danish national team since 2000, guiding Denmark to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 European Championship and 2010 FIFA World Cup...
announced that Eriksen would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. He was the youngest player participating in the tournament. At the World Cup, Eriksen played two matches, against the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
and Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
, but Denmark were unable to progress beyond the group stage.
On 9 February 2011, in the 1-2 friendly loss home against England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Eriksen was named Man of the match, and everyone, including Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
star Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
, Man Utd star Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand
Rio Gavin Ferdinand is an English footballer. He plays at centre back for Manchester United in the Premier League and for the England national football team...
(on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
), manager Morten Olsen
Morten Olsen
Morten Per Olsen is a Danish football manager and former football player. He has been the head coach of the Danish national team since 2000, guiding Denmark to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 European Championship and 2010 FIFA World Cup...
and several media experts in Denmark and England praised his performance. On 4 June 2011 Eriksen scored his first national team goal, to give Denmark a 2-0 lead over Iceland in the Euro 2012 Qualifier. In doing so, he became the youngest Danish player ever to score a goal in European qualification, being 9 days younger than Michael Laudrup when he scored his first goal in 1983.
Statistics
|-|2009–10||rowspan="3"|Ajax||rowspan="3"|Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
||15||0||4||1||2||0||21||1
|-
|2010–11||28||6||6||1||12||1||46||8
|-
|2011–12||9||3||1||0||4||1||14||4
|-
52||9||11||2||18||2||81||13
International goals
- Scores and results list Denmark's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 4 June 2011 Reykjavík ReykjavíkReykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
2 – 0 2 – 0 Euro 2012 qualifier UEFA Euro 2012 qualifyingThe qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...2 10 August 2011 Glasgow GlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
1 – 1 1 – 2 Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
Club
Ajax- EredivisieEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
(1): 2010-11 - KNVB CupKNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
(1): 2009-10
Individual
- Danish Football Player of the Year: 2011
- Young Player in The Netherlands: 2011
- AFC Ajax Talent of the Year: 2011
- Danish U-17 Talent of the Year 2008