 Fischer withAjax in 2013 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Viktor Gorridsen Fischer[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1994-06-09)9 June 1994 (age 31) | ||
| Place of birth | Copenhagen, Denmark | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | |||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999–2004 | IF Lyseng | ||
| 2004–2009 | AGF | ||
| 2009–2011 | Midtjylland | ||
| 2011–2012 | Ajax | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2016 | Ajax | 79 | (24) |
| 2015–2016 | Jong Ajax | 10 | (2) |
| 2016–2017 | Middlesbrough | 13 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Mainz 05 | 10 | (0) |
| 2018–2021 | Copenhagen | 89 | (21) |
| 2021–2023 | Antwerp | 25 | (3) |
| 2023 | →AIK (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| Total | 234 | (50) | |
| International career | |||
| 2008–2010 | Denmark U16 | 10 | (4) |
| 2009–2011 | Denmark U17 | 30 | (20) |
| 2011–2012 | Denmark U19 | 6 | (3) |
| 2012–2016 | Denmark U21 | 7 | (2) |
| 2012–2018 | Denmark | 21 | (3) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Viktor Gorridsen Fischer (born 9 June 1994) is a Danish former professionalfootballer who played as anattacking midfielder orwinger for clubs such asAjax andCopenhagen as well as for theDenmark national team.[3]
Widely considered among the most promising young footballers in world football during his time at Ajax, his career was hindered by persistent injury problems, which prompted his retirement from football at the age of 29.[4][5][6]
After playing in the youth ranks forIF Lyseng. He then decided in 2004 to move toAGF and then laterFC Midtjylland in his native Denmark, Fischer joined the youth ofAFC Ajax, where he played for the A1 selection in his first year with the Amsterdam side, having signed a three-year contract, binding him to the club until 30 June 2014. He had attracted interest from other clubs as well, such asChelsea,Inter Milan,Manchester City andManchester United due to his performance for Denmark in the U17 World Cup, but decided to sign with Ajax instead.[7] In his first season with Ajax, Fischer played for theAjax A1 youth squad, helping his team to the finals of theNextGen Series, the Champions League equivalent for under-20 youth squads.[8] Ajax would eventually lose the final toInter Milan 5–3 on penalties, when the match ended 1–1 after extra time, finishing the tournament as runners-up.[9] Fischer also finished as joint top scorer of the competition with 7 goals, together with Cameroonian youth InternationalJean Marie Dongou fromFC Barcelona.[10]
Fischer made his debut for the Ajax first team in the 2012–13 pre-season, in a win against SV Huizen, defeating the Huizen side 3–1, scoring his first goal in the 63rd minute.[11] He made his Eredivisie debut on 20 October 2012 as a substitute in the 84th minute of a match againstHeracles Almelo which ended in a 3–3 draw.[12] He scored his first goal in a regular season for Ajax on 31 October 2012 starting the match againstONS Sneek in theKNVB Cup making it 1–0 in the 74th minute in the 2–0 win.[13] His Champions League debut was in the group D fixture of the2012–13 UEFA Champions League series on 6 November 2012, in an away match againstManchester City, which ended in a 2–2 draw, coming in as an 87th-minute substitute forChristian Poulsen, making his continental debut at the top flight, at the age of 18 years.[14] Having started in theDutch Super Cup match againstPSV on 5 August 2012, and aDutch Cup match againstONS Sneek on 31 October 2012, Fischer played in the starting lineup of Ajax in anEredivisie match for the first time on 11 November 2012, againstPEC Zwolle, scoring twice and helping his side to a 4–2 away win.[15]
On 20 January 2013, Fischer played in his firstKlassieker match against arch-rivalsFeyenoord fromRotterdam, starting on the left wing, he earned himself theman of the match award after scoring the first two goals in the first half of the match. His first goal in the 7th minute saw Fischer attacking from the left, and dribbling past the last defender and the keeper to score on the empty goal, while his second goal in the 40th minute came from the right side of the box, after he stripped the ball from Feyenoord defenderJoris Mathijsen and volleyed it into the back of the net, Ajax went into halftime up by two goals. He was substituted in the 61st minute forRyan Babel, with the match ending 3–0 for theAmsterdam side, in what would be the club's 50th all time victory over Feyenoord at home inEredivisie history.[16][17][18]
On 18 February 2013, it was announced byFrank de Boer inDe Telegraaf, that Viktor Fischer had extended his contract with Ajax until 2017.[19]
On 5 May 2013, Fischer contributed a goal in the 68th minute to a 5–0 victory at home againstWillem II, which secured the top position in theEredivisie table, and thus the club's third consecutive national title and 32nd overall. Later that same day, Fischer was announced asAFC Ajax Talent of the Year for his outstanding debut season, during which he emerged asFrank de Boer's first choice on theleft wing and which saw him find the back of the net ten times, scoring twelve goals in all competitions all together.[20]
The 2013–14 season began with Fischer scoring his first goal in a pre-season friendly match againstDe Graafschap on 13 July 2013 with the match ending a 3–0 win for Ajax inDoetinchem.[21] The season officially kicked off on 27 July 2013 with the Dutch Super Cup (Johan Cruyff Shield) which would seeDutch Cup winnersAZ face-off against league champions Ajax at theAmsterdam Arena.[22] Fischer played the full match on the left wing, as Ajax defeated AZ 3–2 after extra time, earning the 8th overall Dutch Super Cup trophy for the club.[23] He scored his firstEredivisie goal for Ajax in the season opener againstRoda JC Kerkrade scoring the final goal in the 83' minute, in the 3–0 win in Amsterdam.[24]
On 22 January 2014, Ajax played archrivals Feyenoord in the Quarter-finals of theKNVB Cup. After having conceded the first goal in the 7th minute of the match, Fischer stripped the ball from Feyenoord defender Joris Mathijsen once more and volleyed it into the net much like he did a season prior, tying the match and helping his side to a 3–1 victory and placement in the Semi-finals of the Dutch Cup.[25] Fischer suffered an injury to his hamstring on 24 February 2014 in a 4–0 win against AZ.[26] On 22 April 2014, it was announced that Fischer would undergo surgery in Gothenburg, Sweden, and would not return to the pitch until 2015.[27] Ajax finished the season winning their fourth consecutive Eredivisie title, and as Dutch Super Cup winners, with Fischer having made 35 appearances in all competitions, while scoring 7 goals in total (4 goals in theKNVB Cup).
Fischer was sidelined for the majority of the 2014–15 season, recovering from a hamstring injury he had obtained during the previous season.[27] He made his return playing in theEerste Divisie for the reserves teamJong Ajax, debuting on 21 March 2015 in a 3–0 away loss to De Graafschap. Two days later he scored his first goal, while playing for the reserves team in a friendly match againstBorussia Dortmund U-23. He scored the opening goal in the 12th minute of the 4–3 loss in Dortmund.[28] On 3 April 2015, he scored his first Eerste Divisie goal in the 52nd minute of a 2–1 away loss toFC Eindhoven. After four appearances in the Dutch second division, Fischer returned to the first team on 19 April 2015, coming on in the second half forKolbeinn Sigþórsson in a 0–0 draw withNAC Breda at home.[29]
Fischer began the season asFrank de Boer's first choice on the right wing, where he eventually lost his starting position toAmin Younes. On 26 January 2016, Fischer made his 100th appearance for Ajax, becoming the 159th Ajax player to join theClub van 100. Throughout the season, Fischer saw less playing time for the first team, which resulted in him playing several matches for the reserves team in the Eerste Divisie. The season took a dramatic turn on the final match day when Ajax drew againstDe Graafschap, and were surpassed by rivalsPSV by points, thus losing the title to their rivals. A few weeks later Fischer expressed his desire to find another club.[30]
On 26 May 2016, Fischer signed a four-year deal with newly promotedPremier League teamMiddlesbrough, after a €5 million transfer fee was agreed between the Teesside-based side and Fischer's previous clubAjax.[31] He thus became managerAitor Karanka's first ever Premier League signing, and the club's first top tier signing sinceMarlon King joined the club on loan fromWigan Athletic in January 2009.[32] Fischer made his unofficial debut for the club in a 2–0 away victory overDoncaster Rovers on 16 July 2016, as part of the side's pre-season friendly matches.[33] The player scored his first and only goal for the boro in a 3–1 pre-season friendly win overAston Villa atVilla Park, which took place on 30 July 2016.[34]
Fischer made his firstPremier League appearance with the club, coming on as a substitute, in a goalless draw againstWest Bromwich Albion on 28 August 2016.[35] After a poor run of results, the club dropped into relegation zone on 4 March 2017, following a 2–0 away defeat toStoke City,[36] which subsequently lead to Karanka being dismissed later that month.[37][38] After a 3–0 away defeat to divisional championsChelsea, the club's immediate relegation to theEFL Championship was confirmed, after just one season back in the Premier League.[39] Fischer's first and only season with Middlesbrough was a bitter one, he failed to score a Premier League goal in the brief 13 appearances he made; it was clear that he was not a favourite with Middlesbrough, especially when it came to the team selections.[40]
After the relegation ofMiddlesbrough from thePremier League, it was clear that Fischer's future at the newly relegated second-tier club was in significant doubt, and on 28 June 2017, the Danish international signed a four-year contract withBundesliga teamMainz 05, joining the German club for an undisclosed transfer fee, reported to be in the region of €3 million.[40][41] Fischer made his Bundesliga debut on 19 August 2017, in their narrow 1–0 defeat toHannover 96.[42]
For the second time in his career, Fischer's early days for his new club was a sour note, he failed to score in 10 league appearances, though did manage to bag in two goals in two appearances inDFB-Pokal, before leaving the club after just six months in Germany.[43]
On 31 January 2018, Fischer returned to his home nation, after leavingAjax eighteen months earlier, signing for defending championsCopenhagen. He signed a four-and-a-half-year contract, after an undisclosed transfer fee, reported to be in the region of €2.7 million, was agreed between Copenhagen and Fischer's previous sideMainz 05.[43] The Danish winger soon returned to the form he held with Ajax before his departure forEngland in 2016, scoring 6 goals in 12 league appearances; his performances lead to him being included in the 35-man squad forDenmark in the2018 FIFA World Cup,[44] and subsequently winning theDanish Superliga player of the month award for July 2018.[45]
As the2018–19 season began, Fischer continued to excel for Copenhagen, scoring several goals in his first 13 league appearances, which contributed to take his side to the top of the Danish Superliga table,[46] and took him to the joint-fourth top goal scorer in the division, sharing alongsidePaul Onuachu andAndreas Skov Olsen, by 29 October 2018.[47]
On 30 July 2021, it was announced that Fischer was transferred toAntwerp, competing in theBelgian First Division A.[48]
On 3 February 2023, Fischer joinedAIK on loan until the end of 2023.[49] On 29 June 2023, AIK announced the loan was terminated, and Antwerp announced he was ending his career due to injuries.[50][51]
Fischer represented Denmark at U16, U17, U19 and U21 level.[52] While playing for the U17 squad, he was able to score 20 goals in 30 matches. He was also a part of the Danish U17 squad that made it to the semi-final of the U17 European championship 2011, before bowing out to Germany in a 0–2 loss.
On 14 November 2012, Fischer made his senior debut, when he came on as a substitute forMichael Krohn-Dehli in a 1–1 draw in a friendly againstTurkey.[53] On 8 June 2015, he again came on as a sub for Krohn-Dehli, and scored the winning penalty goal in the 85th minute, of a 2–1 friendly victory overMontenegro.[54]
In June 2018 he was named in Denmark'ssquad for the2018 FIFA World Cup inRussia.[44]
Fischer is the grandson of Danish former footballerPoul Pedersen. Like his grandfather, Fischer plays on the wing. While his grandfather played on the right wing, he prefers to play on the left.[55]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ajax | 2012–13 | Eredivisie | 23 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 5[b] | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 33 | 12 |
| 2013–14 | Eredivisie | 24 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6[d] | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 35 | 7 | |
| 2014–15 | Eredivisie | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | |
| 2015–16 | Eredivisie | 28 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 9[e] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 11 | |
| Total | 79 | 24 | 10 | 7 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 111 | 33 | ||
| Jong Ajax | 2014–15 | Eerste Divisie | 4 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 | 1 | |||
| 2015–16 | Eerste Divisie | 6 | 1 | – | – | – | 6 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 10 | 2 | – | – | – | 10 | 2 | |||||
| Middlesbrough | 2016–17 | Premier League | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 1[f] | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| Mainz 05 | 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 12 | 2 | ||
| Copenhagen | 2017–18 | Danish Superliga | 17 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2[g] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 8 |
| 2018–19 | Danish Superliga | 25 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9[g] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 11 | |
| 2019–20 | Danish Superliga | 20 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11[h] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 4 | |
| 2020–21 | Danish Superliga | 27 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3[g] | 0 | – | 31 | 6 | ||
| 2021–22 | Danish Superliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[i] | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 89 | 21 | 4 | 3 | 26 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 120 | 29 | ||
| Antwerp | 2021–22 | Belgian Pro League | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6[g] | 0 | — | 24 | 3 | |
| 2022–23 | Belgian Pro League | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[i] | 0 | – | 12 | 0 | ||
| Total | 25 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | – | 36 | 3 | |||
| AIK Fotboll (loan) | 2023 | Allsvenskan | 8 | 0 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 12 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 234 | 50 | 24 | 14 | 55 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 317 | 71 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 2012 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 21 | 3 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 June 2015 | Viborg Stadion, Denmark |  Montenegro | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 3 June 2016 | Toyota Stadium, Japan |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2–0 | 2–2 (3–4 p) | 2016 Kirin Cup |
| 3 | 31 August 2016 | CASA Arena Horsens, Denmark |  Liechtenstein | 4–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
Ajax[46]
Copenhagen[46]
Individual
|  | |