Steffen Højer
Encyclopedia
Steffen Højer is a Danish
former football player, who played most of his career for Viborg FF
. He has played for a number of Danish clubs, and most notably won the 1998-99 Danish Superliga
with AaB. A prolific striker
in the Superliga, he finished league top scorer three years in row in the 2003-04
(joint), 2004-05
and 2005-06 seasons
. He has played a single match for the Danish national team
.
Højer started on January 7, 2008, the day of his retirement, as head of sport in Viborg FF.
, Højer made his senior debut for hometown club Viborg FF in the Danish 1st Division
in 1992. Through four years at the club, Højer and Viborg struggled to get a foothold in the top-flight Danish Superliga. When they succeeded in the 1995-96 season
, Højer scored 16 goals in 32 games, and was sold to league rivals Aalborg Boldspilklub (AaB). He made his debut for the Danish national team, when he was substituted into an August 1996 match against Sweden
for the last ten minutes of play. He was an immediate success at AaB, though he did not score as many goals as he did for Viborg FF. In his final year of contract at AaB, he helped the club win the 1998-99 Danish championship. He did not play much that season due to stiff competition from Norwegian
player Frank Strandli
and fellow Dane Søren Frederiksen
, which prompted Højer to look for a new club.
He signed a contract with Italian
club Brescia Calcio
and was loaned out from AaB to Viborg FF, while awaiting his AaB contract to expire in the summer 1999. At Viborg, he played four games before he suffered a knee injury, which meant he started his Italian career injured. His stay at Brescia was short, and he never played a game for the club. He moved back to Denmark in 2000, in order to play the season out at Danish 1st Division team FC Midtjylland
. He helped the club win promotion to the Superliga, before moving back to play with childhood club Viborg FF. Not regaining his former goal scoring prowess, lacklustre play in the first half of the 2002-03 season
meant that Højer was sold to Odense BK
in January 2003. At Odense, he looked to replace league top scorer Kaspar Dalgas
, who had been sold to Brøndby IF
before that season.
Højer rediscovered his goal scoring form at Odense, as he finished the 2003-04 season
as joint top scorer with Mohamed Zidan
, Mwape Miti
and Tommy Bechmann
. He was the sole top scorer of the 2004-05 season
. As Højer still lived in Viborg, he decided to once again play for Viborg FF when his contract expired following the 2004-05 season. In his first season back at Viborg FF, he set the record of three consecutive Superliga top scorer titles, improving Peter Møller
's former record of two, set in the 1991–92
and 1992–93 seasons
.
Steffen Højer scored 125 goals in Danish Superliga.
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...
former football player, who played most of his career for Viborg FF
Viborg FF
Viborg FF is a Danish professional football club located in Viborg. The full name of the club is Viborg Fodsports Forening , but the name is frequently abbreviated as Viborg FF or VFF. The club was founded in 1896, but would have to wait more than a century before winning its only countrywide...
. He has played for a number of Danish clubs, and most notably won the 1998-99 Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga 1998-99
The 1998-99 Danish Superliga season was the 9th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 26, 1998 to final match on June 16, 1999....
with AaB. A prolific striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
in the Superliga, he finished league top scorer three years in row in the 2003-04
Danish Superliga 2003-04
The 2003-04 Danish Superliga season was the 14th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 26, 2003 to the final match on May 29, 2004....
(joint), 2004-05
Danish Superliga 2004-05
The 2004-05 Danish Superliga season was the 15th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 24, 2004 to the final match on June 19, 2005....
and 2005-06 seasons
Danish Superliga 2005-06
The 2005-06 Danish Superliga season was the 16th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 19, 2005 to the final match on May 14, 2006....
. He has played a single match 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...
.
Højer started on January 7, 2008, the day of his retirement, as head of sport in Viborg FF.
Biography
Born in ViborgViborg, Denmark
Viborg , a town in central Jutland, Denmark, is the seat of both Viborg municipality and Region Midtjylland. Viborg is also the seat of the Western High Court, the High Court for the Jutland peninsula...
, Højer made his senior debut for hometown club Viborg FF in the Danish 1st Division
Danish 1st Division
The 1st Division has been the name of the second highest football league in Denmark since 1991. From 1945 to 1991 the 1st Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark...
in 1992. Through four years at the club, Højer and Viborg struggled to get a foothold in the top-flight Danish Superliga. When they succeeded in the 1995-96 season
Danish Superliga 1995-96
The 1995-96 Danish Superliga season was the 6th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, Højer scored 16 goals in 32 games, and was sold to league rivals Aalborg Boldspilklub (AaB). He made his debut for the Danish national team, when he was substituted into an August 1996 match against Sweden
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...
for the last ten minutes of play. He was an immediate success at AaB, though he did not score as many goals as he did for Viborg FF. In his final year of contract at AaB, he helped the club win the 1998-99 Danish championship. He did not play much that season due to stiff competition from Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
player Frank Strandli
Frank Strandli
Frank Strandli is a Norwegian former professional footballer.He signed for league champions Leeds in 1993 and scored on his debut, coming off the bench against Middlesbrough. His Leeds career never really got any better than this and he failed to live up to the expectations this 'dream start'...
and fellow Dane Søren Frederiksen
Søren Frederiksen
Søren Frederiksen is a Danish former association footballer, who has scored a record 134 goals in the Danish Superliga championship. He played six games and scored one goal for the Denmark national football team....
, which prompted Højer to look for a new club.
He signed a contract with Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
club Brescia Calcio
Brescia Calcio
Brescia Calcio , known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club in the Lombard city of Brescia, where it was founded in 1911.In the 2009–10 season, in the return leg of the Serie B playoff final, they defeated Torino 2-1 at home , returning to Serie A after a 5-year absence...
and was loaned out from AaB to Viborg FF, while awaiting his AaB contract to expire in the summer 1999. At Viborg, he played four games before he suffered a knee injury, which meant he started his Italian career injured. His stay at Brescia was short, and he never played a game for the club. He moved back to Denmark in 2000, in order to play the season out at Danish 1st Division team FC Midtjylland
FC Midtjylland
FC Midtjylland is a professional Danish football team from Herning and Ikast. The team is a result of a merger between Ikast FS and Herning Fremad...
. He helped the club win promotion to the Superliga, before moving back to play with childhood club Viborg FF. Not regaining his former goal scoring prowess, lacklustre play in the first half of the 2002-03 season
Danish Superliga 2002-03
The 2002–03 Danish Superliga season was the 13th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
meant that Højer was sold to Odense BK
Odense BK
Odense Boldklub is a Danish professional football club based in the town of Odense. The club has won three Danish championships and five Danish Cup trophies. OB play in the Danish Superliga and their home field is TRE-FOR Park in Odense on Funen...
in January 2003. At Odense, he looked to replace league top scorer Kaspar Dalgas
Kaspar Dalgas
Kaspar Buhl Dalgas is a former Danish footballer who was the joint top scorer of the Danish Superliga 2001-02 season with 22 goals in 31 games. He represented the Danish U21 team once, in 1997.-Biography:...
, who had been sold to 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...
before that season.
Højer rediscovered his goal scoring form at Odense, as he finished the 2003-04 season
Danish Superliga 2003-04
The 2003-04 Danish Superliga season was the 14th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 26, 2003 to the final match on May 29, 2004....
as joint top scorer with Mohamed Zidan
Mohamed Zidan
Mohamed Abdullah Zidan is an Egyptian footballer. He currently plays as a striker for the German club Borussia Dortmund as well as the Egyptian national team. Nicknamed "Zizou", he is known for putting unique designs in his hair.-Early career:Zidan was born in Port Said, Egypt, to an Egyptian...
, Mwape Miti
Mwape Miti
Mwape Miti is a former Zambian football striker.He has played 246 matches and scored 109 goals for his team Odense BK, having joined them in the summer of 1997 from Power Dynamos. Prior to that he played for Mulungushi Chiefs. In the 2003-04 season he became joint top league goalscorer with 19...
and Tommy Bechmann
Tommy Bechmann
Tommy Bechmann is a Danish football forward who plays for SønderjyskE.Bechmann started his professional career for Esbjerg fB. In 2003–04 he became top scorer of the Danish Superliga....
. He was the sole top scorer of the 2004-05 season
Danish Superliga 2004-05
The 2004-05 Danish Superliga season was the 15th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 24, 2004 to the final match on June 19, 2005....
. As Højer still lived in Viborg, he decided to once again play for Viborg FF when his contract expired following the 2004-05 season. In his first season back at Viborg FF, he set the record of three consecutive Superliga top scorer titles, improving Peter Møller
Peter Møller
Peter Møller-Nielsen is a Danish former professional football player who became a sports journalist after ending his football career in December 2005. He won three Danish Superliga championships for the rival clubs Brøndby IF and F.C. Copenhagen, and became the most scoring Superliga player ever...
's former record of two, set in the 1991–92
Danish Superliga 1991-92
The 1991-92 Danish Superliga season was the 2nd season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
and 1992–93 seasons
Danish Superliga 1992-93
The 1992–93 Danish Superliga season was the 3rd season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
.
Steffen Højer scored 125 goals in Danish Superliga.
Honours
- 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...
(1): - 1998-99Danish Superliga 1998-99The 1998-99 Danish Superliga season was the 9th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 26, 1998 to final match on June 16, 1999....
- Danish Superliga Top ScorerDanish 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...
(3): - 2003-04Danish Superliga 2003-04The 2003-04 Danish Superliga season was the 14th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 26, 2003 to the final match on May 29, 2004....
- 2004-05Danish Superliga 2004-05The 2004-05 Danish Superliga season was the 15th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 24, 2004 to the final match on June 19, 2005....
- 2005-06Danish Superliga 2005-06The 2005-06 Danish Superliga season was the 16th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 19, 2005 to the final match on May 14, 2006....
External links
- Danish national team profile AaB profile
- Career stats at Danmarks RadioDanmarks RadioDR – officially rendered into English as the Danish Broadcasting Corporation – is Denmark's national broadcasting corporation. Founded in 1925 as a public-service organization, it is today Denmark's oldest and largest electronic media enterprise...