Niclas Jensen
Encyclopedia
Niclas Christian Monberg Jensen (born 17 August 1974 in Copenhagen
, Denmark
) is a former Danish professional football player and current football agent
. He played as a left back, and most notably won three Danish Superliga
championships with F.C. Copenhagen
. He played abroad for Dutch
club PSV Eindhoven, English
clubs Manchester City and Fulham F.C.
, as well as German
club Borussia Dortmund
. Jensen played 62 games for the Danish national team
between 1998 and 2008, representing Denmark at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
and 2004 European Championship
. He was named 1995 Danish Under-21 Player of the Year.
He is the older brother of Danish national team player Daniel Jensen
.
(B.93). He moved on to Lyngby Boldklub
in the Danish Superliga
championship in 1992. He made his Lyngby debut in April 1993. Jensen played a total of 92 games and scored five goals for Lyngby in the Superliga between April 1993 and September 1996.
In the fall of 1996, Jensen was one of several Lyngby players sold by Lyngby CEO Flemming Østergaard
. Jensen was one of three Lyngby players sold to Dutch
team PSV Eindhoven, alongside Anders Nielsen and Dennis Rommedahl
. In his first season at PSV, Jensen played three games as the club won the 1996–97 Eredivisie championship. Jensen played only five games in one and a half seasons at PSV, as he underwent two groin
operations, and was used as back-up to Dutch international
Arthur Numan
.
In March 1998, Jensen returned to Denmark to play for F.C. Copenhagen
(FCK) on a 4½ year contract, brought in by FCK's new CEO Flemming Østergaard. Jensen went on to play almost five years for F.C. Copenhagen, winning the 2000–01 Danish Superliga
championship with the club. With former Lyngby team-mate Thomas Rytter
as right wingback, Jensen formed a wingback duo that was known as the best in the Superliga. Jensen played a total of 122 games and scored eight goals for FCK in the Superliga between April 1998 and December 2001. In January 2002, he was sold to Manchester City
in the English 1st Division, in a transfer deal worth £ 550,000.
Jensen played the remaining 18 games of the season, as Manchester City won promotion to the top-flight FA Premier League
in the summer 2002. Returning from the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, he played 33 of Manchester City's 38 games in the 2002–03 Premiership season
, as the club finished 9th in the Premier League. A high point came at home against Leeds United when Jensen scored a spectacular volley to win the game. Jensen played a total 51 league games, scoring two goals, for Manchester City.
Niclas Jensen was bought by German
team Borussia Dortmund
in July 2003 for a fee in the region of £750,000. He started well for Dortmund, but Jensen was eventually relegated to the role of substitute for Brazil
ian wingback Dedê
. In his two seasons in the club, Jensen played 43 games and scored two goals for Dortmund in the Bundesliga. After two years at Dortmund, he moved back to England in July 2005, to play for Fulham
in the FA Premier League. At Fulham, he joined former Lyngby team-mate Claus Jensen
.
In the first half of the 2005–06 season
, Niclas Jensen was a Fulham regular. When the club signed a loan deal
with English international
defender Wayne Bridge
in January 2006, Jensen was dropped from the Fulham first team after the January 14, 2006 Premiership game against Newcastle United. He would have to wait until September 2006, before he played his next Fulham game, being substituted off in a Football League Cup
game against Wycombe Wanderers. With only one competitive game for Fulham in almost a year, Jensen looked to leave Fulham in January 2007. It was rumoured the solution would be a move "home" to F.C. Copenhagen, and his return to FCK was published in January 2007. By waiting to move back to Denmark until January 2007, Jensen was eligible for preferential taxation rules.
In his first half season back at FCK, Jensen played 12 of 14 games, as FCK won the 2006–07 Superliga championship. In the following seasons, Jensen saw his playing time dwindling, as he became back-up for Swedish international
Oscar Wendt
. Jensen played seven of 33 games as FCK won the 2008–09 Superliga championship. He did not play any Superliga games in the fall of 2009, and in October 2009, Jensen decided to end his playing career, in order to pursue a career as a football agent
. Niclas Jensen played a total of 213 games and scored 10 goals for FCK in all competitions combined.
in July 1994, and he won the 1995 Danish Under-21 Player of the Year award.
While at F.C. Copenhagen, he was called up for the senior Danish national team under national team coach Bo Johansson. Jensen debuted in a friendly match against the Czech Republic
in August 1998. Following his debut, Jensen would have to wait more than two years to play his second national team game. Under new national team coach Morten Olsen
, Jensen was recalled for a friendly match against Germany
in November 2000.
He was selected for the Danish national team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, and in the progress of the tournament, he displaced Jan Heintze
as Denmark's starting left wingback. In his time at Dortmund, Jensen was selected to represent Denmark at the 2004 European Championship
. He played Denmark's first three matches at the tournament, before being replaced by Kasper Bøgelund
for Denmark's final game before elimination.
In January 2007, having only played few games for his club team Fulham, Jensen received an ultimatum
from national manager Morten Olsen to either find himself a new club or be dropped from the Danish national team. Jensen moved to F.C. Copenhagen, and was a part of the Danish national team until he played his last national team game in March 2008. He played a total 62 games for the Danish national team.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
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...
) is a former Danish professional football player and current football agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
. He played as a left back, and most notably won three Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
championships with F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....
. He played abroad for Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
club PSV Eindhoven, English
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...
clubs Manchester City and Fulham F.C.
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, as well as German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
club Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
. Jensen played 62 games 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...
between 1998 and 2008, representing Denmark at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
and 2004 European Championship
2004 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in...
. He was named 1995 Danish Under-21 Player of the Year.
He is the older brother of Danish national team player Daniel Jensen
Daniel Jensen
Daniel Monberg Jensen is a Danish professional football player who is currently a free agent. He most recently played as a midfielder for Werder Bremen in the German Bundesliga. He has played more than 40 matches and scored three goals for the Danish national team, and represented his country at...
.
Club career
Jensen started playing football for Danish club Boldklubben 1893Boldklubben 1893
Boldklubben af 1893 is a Danish football club currently playing in the Danish 2nd Division East. They play at the 7,000 seat Østerbro Stadion in Østerbro, Copenhagen.-Achievements:* Danish championship titles :...
(B.93). He moved on to Lyngby Boldklub
Lyngby Boldklub
Lyngby Boldklub is a professional Danish football club founded in 1921. It is based at Lyngby Stadion in Kongens Lyngby, Denmark. From 1994 to 2001 the club was known as Lyngby FC.-History:...
in the Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
championship in 1992. He made his Lyngby debut in April 1993. Jensen played a total of 92 games and scored five goals for Lyngby in the Superliga between April 1993 and September 1996.
In the fall of 1996, Jensen was one of several Lyngby players sold by Lyngby CEO Flemming Østergaard
Flemming Østergaard
Flemming Ammentorp Østergaard is a retired businessman, best known as long-time chairman of Parken Sport & Entertainment, who owns the football club F.C. Copenhagen...
. Jensen was one of three Lyngby players sold to Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
team PSV Eindhoven, alongside Anders Nielsen and Dennis Rommedahl
Dennis Rommedahl
Dennis Rommedahl is a Danish footballer, who currently plays as a right winger for Brøndby IF. He has played 112 matches and scored 21 goals for the Danish national side. Rommedahl was selected for the Danish squads at the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004 and the 2010 World Cup...
. In his first season at PSV, Jensen played three games as the club won the 1996–97 Eredivisie championship. Jensen played only five games in one and a half seasons at PSV, as he underwent two groin
Groin
In human anatomy, the groin areas are the two creases at the junction of the torso with the legs, on either side of the pubic area. This is also known as the medial compartment of the thigh. A pulled groin muscle usually refers to a painful injury sustained by straining the hip adductor muscles...
operations, and was used as back-up to Dutch international
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...
Arthur Numan
Arthur Numan
Arthur Numan is a retired Dutch footballer. He played as a left back and was a regular fixture in Netherlands national football team...
.
In March 1998, Jensen returned to Denmark to play for F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....
(FCK) on a 4½ year contract, brought in by FCK's new CEO Flemming Østergaard. Jensen went on to play almost five years for F.C. Copenhagen, winning the 2000–01 Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga 2000-01
The 2000–01 Danish Superliga season was the 11th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
championship with the club. With former Lyngby team-mate Thomas Rytter
Thomas Rytter
Thomas Rytter Jakobsen is a retired Danish footballer who played as a right-back. In 2001 he won the Danish Superliga championship with F.C. Copenhagen, and most prominently played for Spanish club Sevilla and German club Wolfsburg...
as right wingback, Jensen formed a wingback duo that was known as the best in the Superliga. Jensen played a total of 122 games and scored eight goals for FCK in the Superliga between April 1998 and December 2001. In January 2002, he was sold to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
in the English 1st Division, in a transfer deal worth £ 550,000.
Jensen played the remaining 18 games of the season, as Manchester City won promotion to the top-flight FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
in the summer 2002. Returning from the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, he played 33 of Manchester City's 38 games in the 2002–03 Premiership season
FA Premier League 2002-03
The 2002–03 FA Premier League was the eleventh season of the Premier League, the top division in English football. The first matches were played on 17 August 2002 and the last were played on 11 May 2003...
, as the club finished 9th in the Premier League. A high point came at home against Leeds United when Jensen scored a spectacular volley to win the game. Jensen played a total 51 league games, scoring two goals, for Manchester City.
Niclas Jensen was bought by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
team Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
in July 2003 for a fee in the region of £750,000. He started well for Dortmund, but Jensen was eventually relegated to the role of substitute for Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian wingback Dedê
Dedé
Leonardo de Deus Santos , nicknamed Dedê, is a Brazilian-German footballer, who plays for Turkish club Eskişehirspor. He has played a single match for the Brazil national team...
. In his two seasons in the club, Jensen played 43 games and scored two goals for Dortmund in the Bundesliga. After two years at Dortmund, he moved back to England in July 2005, to play for Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
in the FA Premier League. At Fulham, he joined former Lyngby team-mate Claus Jensen
Claus Jensen
Claus William Jensen is a former Danish professional footballer, who played as a midfielder. Jensen played more than 40 games and scored 8 goals for the Denmark national football team, and represented Denmark at the 2002 World Cup and 2004 European Championship tournaments. He is the cousin of AaB...
.
In the first half of the 2005–06 season
FA Premier League 2005-06
The 2005–06 season of the FA Premier League began on 13 August 2005, and concluded on 7 May 2006. The season saw Chelsea F.C retain their title after defeating Manchester United 3–0 at Stamford Bridge towards the end of April...
, Niclas Jensen was a Fulham regular. When the club signed a loan deal
Loan (football)
In sports, a loan involves a particular player being allowed to temporarily play for a club other than the one he is currently contracted to. Loan deals may last from a few weeks to all season-long....
with English international
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
defender Wayne Bridge
Wayne Bridge
Wayne Michael Bridge is an English footballer who plays as a left back for Manchester City.A graduate of the Southampton Academy where he made his debut in 1998, he has also played for Chelsea and Fulham during his Premiership career....
in January 2006, Jensen was dropped from the Fulham first team after the January 14, 2006 Premiership game against Newcastle United. He would have to wait until September 2006, before he played his next Fulham game, being substituted off in a Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
game against Wycombe Wanderers. With only one competitive game for Fulham in almost a year, Jensen looked to leave Fulham in January 2007. It was rumoured the solution would be a move "home" to F.C. Copenhagen, and his return to FCK was published in January 2007. By waiting to move back to Denmark until January 2007, Jensen was eligible for preferential taxation rules.
In his first half season back at FCK, Jensen played 12 of 14 games, as FCK won the 2006–07 Superliga championship. In the following seasons, Jensen saw his playing time dwindling, as he became back-up for Swedish international
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
Oscar Wendt
Oscar Wendt
Oscar Wendt is a Swedish footballer who currently plays as a left back for Borussia Mönchengladbach and the Swedish national team.When Oscar Wendt transferred to F.C...
. Jensen played seven of 33 games as FCK won the 2008–09 Superliga championship. He did not play any Superliga games in the fall of 2009, and in October 2009, Jensen decided to end his playing career, in order to pursue a career as a football agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
. Niclas Jensen played a total of 213 games and scored 10 goals for FCK in all competitions combined.
International career
While at B.93, Jensen made his debut for the Danish under-17 national teams in July 1990, and he played three matches at the 1991 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship. While playing for Lyngby, Jensen debuted for the Danish under-21 national teamDenmark national under-21 football team
The Denmark national under-21 football team has played since 1976 and is controlled by the Danish Football Association. Before 1976, the age limit was 23 years.-U-21 European Championship:*1978 – Quarterfinals*1980 to 1984 – Did not qualify...
in July 1994, and he won the 1995 Danish Under-21 Player of the Year award.
While at F.C. Copenhagen, he was called up for the senior Danish national team under national team coach Bo Johansson. Jensen debuted in a friendly match against the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
in August 1998. Following his debut, Jensen would have to wait more than two years to play his second national team game. Under new national team 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...
, Jensen was recalled for a friendly match against Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
in November 2000.
He was selected for the Danish national team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, and in the progress of the tournament, he displaced Jan Heintze
Jan Heintze
Jan Heintze is a retired Danish professional football player, a left-sided defensive midfielder and defender who started and ended his career in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven, where he was a part of the PSV team which won the 1988 European Cup...
as Denmark's starting left wingback. In his time at Dortmund, Jensen was selected to represent Denmark at the 2004 European Championship
2004 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in...
. He played Denmark's first three matches at the tournament, before being replaced by Kasper Bøgelund
Kasper Bøgelund
Kasper Bøgelund Nielsen is a Danish footballer. He currently plays as a right back for AaB in the Danish Superliga...
for Denmark's final game before elimination.
In January 2007, having only played few games for his club team Fulham, Jensen received an ultimatum
Ultimatum
An ultimatum is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance. An ultimatum is generally the final demand in a series of requests...
from national manager Morten Olsen to either find himself a new club or be dropped from the Danish national team. Jensen moved to F.C. Copenhagen, and was a part of the Danish national team until he played his last national team game in March 2008. He played a total 62 games for the Danish national team.
Honours
- 1995 Danish Under-21 Player of the Year
- 1996–97 Eredivisie
- Danish SuperligaDanish SuperligaThe Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
: 2001–02, 2006–07, 2008–09 - 2008–09 Danish CupDanish Cup 2008-09The Danish Cup 2008–09 was the 53rd season of only Danish football cup competition. It was the first time since 2004 that the cup had a sponsor name: the daily Newspaper Ekstra Bladet has signed a 3-year contract with the Danish Football Association , making the official name Ekstra Bladet Cup...