 Jensen withF.C. Copenhagen in 2008 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Niclas Christian Monberg Jensen | ||
| Date of birth | (1974-08-17)17 August 1974 (age 51) | ||
| Place of birth | Copenhagen, Denmark | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Left-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| B.93 | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993–1996 | Lyngby FC | 92 | (7) |
| 1996–1998 | PSV Eindhoven | 5 | (0) |
| 1998–2002 | F.C. Copenhagen | 122 | (7) |
| 2002–2003 | Manchester City | 51 | (2) |
| 2003–2005 | Borussia Dortmund | 43 | (2) |
| 2005–2007 | Fulham | 16 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | F.C. Copenhagen | 37 | (0) |
| Total | 366 | (18) | |
| International career | |||
| 1990–1991 | Denmark U17 | 15 | (2) |
| 1992–1993 | Denmark U19 | 11 | (0) |
| 1994–1996 | Denmark U21 | 18 | (2) |
| 1998–2008 | Denmark | 62 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Niclas Christian Monberg Jensen (born 17 August 1974) is a Danish former professionalfootball player and currentfootball agent. He played as aleft-back, and most notably won threeDanish Superliga championships withF.C. Copenhagen. He played abroad for Dutch clubPSV Eindhoven, English clubsManchester City andFulham, as well as German clubBorussia Dortmund. Jensen played 62 games for theDenmark national team between 1998 and 2008, representing Denmark at the2002 FIFA World Cup and2004 European Championship. He was named 1995DanishUnder-21 Player of the Year.
He is the older brother of Denmark national team playerDaniel Jensen.
Born inCopenhagen, Denmark, Jensen started playing football for Danish clubBoldklubben 1893 (B.93). He moved on toLyngby Boldklub in theDanish Superliga championship in 1992. He made his Lyngby debut in April 1993.[1] Jensen played a total of 92 games and scored five goals for Lyngby in the Superliga between April 1993 and September 1996.[1]
In the fall of 1996, Jensen was one of several Lyngby players sold by Lyngby CEOFlemming Østergaard.[2] Jensen was one of three Lyngby players sold to Dutch teamPSV Eindhoven, alongsideAnders Nielsen andDennis Rommedahl.[3] In his first season at PSV, Jensen played three games as the club won the1996–97 Eredivisie championship.[4] Jensen played only five games in one and a half seasons at PSV, as he underwent twogroin operations, and was used as back-up toDutch internationalArthur Numan.[5]
In March 1998, Jensen returned to Denmark to play forF.C. Copenhagen (FCK) on a4+1⁄2-year contract, brought in by FCK's new CEO Flemming Østergaard.[5] Jensen went on to play almost five years for F.C. Copenhagen, winning the2000–01 Danish Superliga championship with the club. With former Lyngby teammateThomas 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.[1] In January 2002, he was sold toManchester City in theEnglish 1st Division, in atransfer deal worth£ 550,000.[6]
Jensen played the remaining 18 games of the season, as Manchester City won promotion to the top-flightFA Premier League in the summer 2002. Returning from the2002 FIFA World Cup, he played 33 of Manchester City's 38 games in the2002–03 Premiership season, as the club finished ninth in the Premier League. A high point came at home againstLeeds United when Jensen scored a spectacular volley to win the game. Jensen played a total 51 league games, scoring two goals, for Manchester City.[7]
Niclas Jensen was bought by German teamBorussia Dortmund in July 2003 for a fee in the region of £750,000.[8] He started well for Dortmund, but Jensen was eventually relegated to the role of substitute for Brazilian wingbackDedê.[9] In his two seasons in the club, Jensen played 43 games and scored two goals for Dortmund in the Bundesliga.[10] After two years at Dortmund, he moved back to England in July 2005, to play forFulham in the FA Premier League. At Fulham, he joined former Lyngby teammateClaus Jensen.
In the first half of the2005–06 season, Niclas Jensen was a Fulham regular.[7] When the club signed aloan deal withEnglish international defenderWayne Bridge in January 2006, Jensen was dropped from the Fulham first team after the 14 January 2006 Premiership game againstNewcastle United.[7] He would have to wait until September 2006, before he played his next Fulham game, being substituted off in aFootball League Cup game againstWycombe Wanderers.[7] 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,[11] and his return to FCK was published in January 2007.[12] By waiting to move back to Denmark until January 2007, Jensen was eligible for preferential taxation rules.[11]
In his first half season back at FCK, Jensen played 12 of 14 games, as FCK won the2006–07 Superliga championship.[1] In the following seasons, Jensen saw his playing time dwindling, as he became back-up forSwedish internationalOscar Wendt. Jensen played seven of 33 games as FCK won the2008–09 Superliga championship.[1] 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 afootball agent.[13] Niclas Jensen played a total of 213 games and scored 10 goals for FCK in all competitions combined.[14]
While at B.93, Jensen made his debut for the Denmark under-17 national teams in July 1990, and he played three matches at the 1991UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship.[15] While playing for Lyngby, Jensen debuted for theDenmark under-21 national team in July 1994,[15] and he won the 1995DanishUnder-21 Player of the Year award.[16]
While at F.C. Copenhagen, he was called up for the senior Denmark national team under national team coachBo Johansson. Jensen debuted in afriendly match against theCzech Republic in August 1998.[15] Following his debut, Jensen would have to wait more than two years to play his second national team game. Under new national team coachMorten Olsen, Jensen was recalled for afriendly match againstGermany in November 2000.[15]
He was selected for the Denmark national team at the2002 FIFA World Cup,[17] and in the progress of the tournament, he displacedJan Heintze as Denmark's starting left wingback. In his time at Dortmund, Jensen was selected to represent Denmark at the2004 European Championship.[17] He played Denmark's first three matches at the tournament, before being replaced byKasper Bøgelund for Denmark's final game before elimination.
In January 2007, having only played few games for his club team Fulham, Jensen received anultimatum from national manager Morten Olsen to either find himself a new club or be dropped from the Denmark national team.[18] Jensen moved to F.C. Copenhagen, and was a part of the Denmark national team until he played his last national team game in March 2008.[15] He played a total 62 games for the Denmark national team.
PSV Eindhoven
F.C. Copenhagen
Individual
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