10 Greatest Denmark Players in Football History [Ranked]

Denmark may not be among the traditional European elite but when you tot up all the exquisite footballers that the Scandinavian nation has produced over the generations, as well as their infamous Euro 92 success, a slick subtlety rises to the fore.

World class players have emerged at a consistent rate down the years and have cast their lights upon a host of teams and leagues, including treble-winning Premier League sides and the great Barcelona and Real Madrid teams in the 1980s and 1990s. From Peter Schmeichel to Christian Eriksen, the top 10 Danish players to ever grace the game have been ranked.

Ranking factors

• Individual success at both club and international level
• Trophies won
• Awards won
• Impact and legacy in football

Related

UEFA European Championship Winners List

Spain set a new record by defeating England in the final of Euro 2024.

10

Poul Nielsen

Career Span: 1907-1928

Poul ‘Tist’ Nielsen kicks off this list, and despite playing for the national team between 1910 and 1925, his remarkable national team record of 52 goals in just 38 games more than justifies his place in this feature. Nielsen was born and raised in Copenhagen, and earned his ‘Tist’ nickname from a childhood spent sneaking into games as a gratist (or free rider). From a young age, Nielsen spent his entire senior career (aside from a very brief spell in Canada) at Kjobenhavns Boldklub and powered them to six Danish championships while scoring 276 league goals in 207 games.

He made his debut for the Denmark national team in May 1910 as the then youngest player, at 18 years and 131 days old and went on to reach that aforementioned team record, while winning a silver medal at the 1912 Olympics along the way. Because his career spanned the nascent years of international football, Nielsen never got a chance to play in the World Cup. However, he still managed to score eight hat-tricks in his international career.

9

Soren Lerby

Career Span: 1975-1990

Now the agent of Dries Mertens, Soren Lerby plies his current trade in the modern big-money side of football. However, back in his playing days, he was one of the most dominant and hardworking midfielders of his time. Playing with socks rolled down, and no shinpads, Lerby was renowned for a powerful shot, great stamina, and immense leadership. Moving to the Netherlands at 17, alongside fellow great, Frank Arnesen, Lerby spent the majority of his career in Dutch football, winning five Eredivisie championships with Ajax and two with PSV Eindhoven. With the latter, he also lifted the 1988 European Cup.

Before that, and sandwiched between Dutch escapades, he spent three years at Bayern Munich and one with AS Monaco. With the Bavarian giants, he won two Bundesliga titles and two DFB Pokals. For Denmark, Lerby played 67 matches from 1978 to 1989, and represented his country at the 1986 FIFA World Cup and two European Championship tournaments.

8

Jon Dahl Tomasson

Career Span: 1992-2011

Jon Dahl Tomasson shares that illustrious national scoring record with Nielsen, yet played in an undeniably contrasting era. Like Nielsen, Tomasson was an excellent finisher, yet the global dexterity of football enabled him to truly spread his wings. His most prolific periods came with his first stint at Feyenoord, with whom he won the 2002 UEFA Cup, and then AC Milan, where he won the UEFA Champions League in 2003 and reached the final in 2005.

With the Rotterdam outfit, Tomasson scored 55 goals in 122 league games and won an Eredivisie title in 1998/99, as well as a league shield the following year. In Milan, the Dane struck 22 times in 76 league outings, while taking more of a periphery role as the likes of Andriy Shevchenko and Inzaghi ruled the roost.

When he played, he offered superb positional awareness, as well as immense poaching skills despite no real pace or physicality. His joint top tally wasn’t the only honour in the national conscience as Tomasson won the Danish Player of the Year award in both 2002 and 2004. He played at the UEFA European Championship in 2000 and 2004 and the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and 2010.

Related

Ranking the 9 Greatest Games in Euros History

Euro 2024 is off to a flyer, but which game goes down as the greatest in competition history?

7

Frank Arnesen

Career Span: 1975-1988

In recent times, Frank Arnesen may be known for his maturity and leadership in Sporting Director roles for clubs like Feyenoord, Tottenham, Chelsea, and Hamburg – yet back in his playing career, he utilised similar traits to boss football pitches from Ajax to Valencia.

Arnesen joined Ajax as a youth, alongside the already featured Soren Lerby. In Arnesen’s six seasons at Ajax, he won three Dutch Eredivisie championship titles and one KNVB Cup. His return was superb, scoring 75 league goals in 209 appearances as Ajax proved dominant. After a brief foray away with Valencia and then Anderlecht, the midfielder returned to the Netherlands with PSV and won the Eredivisie three times in three years, as well as helping his side to the 1988 European Cup.

In his career, the brilliant creative spark in midfield won 12 honours in total and notably won 52 Denmark caps while participating in the Euro 1984 and 1986 FIFA World Cup tournaments. In the former, he was featured in the Team of the Tournament as Denmark reached the semi-finals.

Related

Man Utd eye Joao Gomes With Christian Eriksen Future in Doubt

Manchester United’s midfield transfer targets could largely depend on the futures of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, and Scott McTominay at Old Trafford.

6

Christian Eriksen

Career Span: 2010-Present

Another Danish Ajax exponent, Christian Eriksen now plies his trade at Manchester United, yet gained his notoriety on British soil with a seven-year stint for Tottenham Hotspur. A brief dalliance with Inter and then Brentford helped restart his career after suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020. However, Eriksen’s career shines brighter than the very darkest period seen on Copenhagen turf in 2021. Eriksen began his senior club career at age 18 in 2010, playing for Ajax, where he won three Eredivisie titles and the KNVB Cup. After signing for Tottenham in 2011, Eriksen was twice named the club’s Player of the Year, was voted into the 2017/18 PFA Team of the Year.

At Inter, he won a Scudetto in 2021 before returning to the Premier League with Brentford and now Manchester United. Eriksen’s international debut for Denmark came in 2010 at 18 and he has since earned 136 caps, including appearances in five major tournaments. A free-kick master, with an eye for an exquisite pass and key goal, Eriksen has steadily become one of his country’s finest players and ranks as the fifth-highest all-time goalscorer.

5

Brian Laudrup

Career Span: 1986-2000

Able to play as a midfielder, winger, or forward – Brian Laudrup was lauded as one of the best players of his generation. Starting at Brondby, he won two Danish championships in the late 1980s. He then played for German and Italian clubs, winning the 1993–94 Serie A and the 1994 Champions League title with Milan. He was huge part of the Rangers team which dominated the Scottish Premiership in the 1990s, winning three championships. He won the 1998 UEFA Super Cup in his brief stint with Chelsea before ending his career with Ajax in 2000.

Laudrup, who was described as an elegant, technical and creative player, scored 84 goals in 342 all-time club appearances. Laudrup loved to create for others. Regarding his unselfishness, John Greig of Rangers stature, commented:

Laudrup played 82 matches and scored 21 goals for Denmark, and was a vital part of the teams which won Euro 1992 and the 1995 Confederations Cup. He won Danish Player of the Year four times and was even named by FIFA as the fifth-best player in the world in 1992.

Related

Who scored the most goals in the past 5 Euros?

Here are the players that have scored the most goals in the past 5 Euros competitions, including some megastars of global football.

4

Preben Elkjaer

Career Span: 1976-1990

Preben Elkjaer sits pretty as one of his country’s deadliest forwards with a fine reputation in his homeland, national team, and in Italy – after a cult spell in Serie A with Hellas Verona. Elkjaer’s career started with Vanlese IF before moving abroad to Germany. After a difficult and brief spell at Koln, it was with Lokeren in Belgium, where he flourished. Scoring 98 goals in 190 games, Elkjaer caught the attention of Hellas Verona and instantly inspired history – with four goal-laden years and his first term culminated in the club’s only major title, lifting the 1985 Serie A crown.

The striker scored 38 goals for the Denmark national team in 11 years, being a leading figure for the Danish side under coach Sepp Piontek that played at the Euro 1984 and the 1986 World Cup, often hailed as the golden generation of Danish football by their compatriots. Elkjaer won the Bronze Ball award at the latter competition.

3

Allan Simonsen

Career Span: 1971-1989

Despite his diminutive 5ft5 stature, Allan Simonsen is another fine forward from Danish footballing history. He most prominently played for Borussia Monchengladbach, winning the 1975 and 1979 UEFA Cups, as well as for Barcelona in Spain, winning the 1982 Cup Winners’ Cup.

After starting with hometown club Vejle, Simonsen spent seven years in Gladbach. After two opening season proved tricky, the small striker adapted and went on to score 76 in 178 Bundesliga appearances, winning three league titles while also claiming those aforementioned UEFA Cups. He also won the 1977 Ballon d’Or. At Barcelona, Simonsen added the Cup Winners’ Cup as well as a Copa del Rey to his cabinet.

For the national team, Simonsen was capped 55 times, and scored 20 goals. He represented Denmark at the 1972 Summer Olympics, 1984 European Championship and 1986 World Cup tournaments. He was voted into the Danish Football Hall of Fame in November 2008.

Related

10 Greatest Scandinavian Players in Football History [Ranked]

Scandinavia has produced many fine footballers, but who are the 10 greatest?

2

Peter Schmeichel

Career Span: 1981-2003

A commanding goalkeeper, Peter Schmeichel goes down as one of the world’s finest, let alone Denmark. After first steps with hometown club Gladsaxe-Hero, Hvidovre and then giants Brøndby – Schmeichel became synonymous with some of the Premier League’s greatest goalkeeping moments. During eight seasons at Manchester United, he won 15 trophies including five league titles and three FA Cups. He also captained the club to victory in the dramatic 1999 Champions League final to complete the treble that year.

Unusual for a goalkeeper, up the other end, he scored 11 goals during his career, including one for the national team. He was also the most capped player for Denmark, with 129 games between 1987 and 2001, until he was overtaken by Simon Kjaer in 2023.

As well as Euro ’92, Schmeichel represented his country at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and three additional European Championship tournaments. He captained the national team in 30 matches. His club career lasted from 1981 until 2003 and yielded 24 trophies.

Related

Ranking the 20 Greatest Goalkeepers in Premier League History

The 20 greatest goalkeepers in Premier League history have been ranked by GIVEMESPORT.

1

Michael Laudrup

Career Span: 1981-1998

During his illustrious playing career, Michael Laudrup deservedly became one of his country’s leading talents. The older Laudrup brother, he won league titles with Ajax, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus, playing mainly as an attacking midfielder.

A big player within Johan Cruyff’s “Dream Team” at Barcelona, he won nine trophies, including four successive LaLiga titles from 1991 to 1994 and the European Cup in 1992. Controversially, he then moved to arch-rivals Real Madrid in 1994, with whom he won his fifth LaLiga title in a row. These feats followed homeland grounding with KB and Brondby before a move to Lazio ultimately set him on his path to the elite levels as Juventus liked what they saw in 1985.

Laudrup is considered by many in the sport as one of the best passers of all time and as one of the most technically accomplished players ever. A quick and intelligent ball-player with a seemingly innate brilliance, the fleet-footed Laudrup presents as one of the most effective and versatile attacking midfielders ever, as well as one of the most skilful and elegant players in the history of the game. He was capable of playing in several positions in or behind the front-line.

Laudrup made his debut for Denmark on his 18th birthday in 1982, and ended up scoring 37 goals in 104 appearances. He starred in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, and from November 1994, he captained his country 28 times, including in the victorious 1995 Confederations Cup.

Stats via Transfermarkt (as of 17/06/24).

Related

Every European Championship Player of the Tournament (Ranked)

The eight Euros Player of the Tournament award recipients include Ballon d’Or nominees, World Cup champions and a League Cup winner with Leicester.

Stats via Transfermarkt (correct as of 26/09/24)