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 Mølby in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jan Mølby[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1963-07-04)4 July 1963 (age 61)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Kolding, Denmark | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1981–1982 | Kolding | 40 | (0) |
| 1982–1984 | Ajax | 57 | (11) |
| 1984–1996 | Liverpool | 218 | (44) |
| 1995 | →Barnsley (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 1995 | →Norwich City (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 1996–1998 | Swansea City | 41 | (8) |
| Total | 364 | (63) | |
| International career | |||
| 1979 | Denmark U-17 | 6 | (2) |
| 1980–1981 | Denmark U-19 | 9 | (0) |
| 1981–1983 | Denmark U-21 | 7 | (0) |
| 1982–1990 | Denmark | 33 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1996–1997 | Swansea City | ||
| 1999–2002 | Kidderminster Harriers | ||
| 2002 | Hull City | ||
| 2003–2004 | Kidderminster Harriers | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jan Mølby (Danish pronunciation:[ˈmølpy]; born 4 July 1963) is a Danish former professionalfootballer and manager. As a player, he was amidfielder from 1982 to 1998. After starting his career withKolding, he moved on toAjax before spending twelve years playing in England withLiverpool. He wascapped 33 times byDenmark, scoring twice.
After leaving Liverpool he became player-manager ofSwansea City, where he spent two years, and then managedKidderminster Harriers, guiding them to promotion to theFootball League in 2000. He later had a brief spell as manager ofHull City and then a brief spell back in charge of Kidderminster Harriers.
Born inKolding,[1] Mølby started his senior playing career atKolding, the biggest football club of his hometown, where he became team captain at the age of 18, before joiningAjax on 1 July 1982, where he won the Dutch Championship and the Dutch Cup (the double) in the 1982–83 season.
Liverpool managerJoe Fagan invited Mølby to have a ten-day trial and finally signed him on 22 August 1984. He made his debut three days later on 26 August in the 3–3 league draw withNorwich City atCarrow Road. His first goal for Liverpool came on 1 December 1984 in the 3–1 league defeat toChelsea atStamford Bridge. He failed to shine for Liverpool in his first season as the team endured a comparatively poor season, failing to win a major trophy for the first time since 1975.
In 1985–86, new player-managerKenny Dalglish put faith in Mølby, installing him as a regular in the first team. On a number of occasions, Mølby began matches as a third central defender or deep-lying sweeper, before moving into midfield alongsideSteve McMahon, often with devastating effect, as the match wore on. He scored 21 goals in 1985–86 from midfield in what was undoubtedly his best season. The season culminated in a man of the match performance in the first-ever allMerseysideFA Cup final playing a part in all three Liverpool goals.
Having lost the league title to Liverpool a week earlier,derby rivalsEverton were looking for revenge and took a 1–0 lead into the half-time break, courtesy of aGary Lineker strike. After the break Liverpool, led by Mølby, began to make inroads into the Blues' defence. In the 57th minute he set up the equaliser forIan Rush and followed that up six minutes later by setting upCraig Johnston to take the lead. Mølby was also involved in the third goal, when Rush latched on to a chipped pass fromRonnie Whelan to put the final out of Everton's reach and complete the double.
Mølby also began to establish himself as a regular and successful penalty taker around this time, starting with two penalties converted at home toTottenham Hotspur in the league on 28 September 1985. Other fine performances included a brace in open play in a 3–0 home win overAston Villa in the league on 7 December, and two goals (one a penalty) as they eliminatedManchester United from theFootball League Cup in a 2–1 win atAnfield in late November.[2][3]
He remained a regular in the team in 1986–87, in which Liverpool finished second in the League. During theirLeague Cup run, which ended with a 2–1 defeat at Wembley againstArsenal, he scored a hat-trick of penalties in a fourth round replay at Anfield againstCoventry City. Mølby scored another penalty against Coventry in a league match at Anfield the following Saturday.
During pre-season training in the summer of 1987, Mølby suffered a foot injury, which turned out to be a crucial turning point in his career. He missed the first three months of the 1987–88 season, and with the arrival ofJohn Barnes to play on the left wing, Mølby's place in central midfield was taken byRonnie Whelan (who had hitherto played left midfield). Whelan's partnership with McMahon proved a great success and, although Whelan was himself injured later in the season, Mølby's return to fitness came too late to resume his place in midfield, which went toNigel Spackman for the rest of the season. He was never again an automatic choice in midfield under Dalglish as Whelan and McMahon became the first choice partnership.
In 1988–89, Mølby returned to regular first team football, playing in central defence in the absence of the injuredAlan Hansen, and scoring the winning goal against Manchester United at Anfield in the second league game of the season. However, in October 1988 he was sentenced to three months' imprisonment for reckless driving following an incident earlier in the year.[4] The club decided to stand by him, and he returned to the first team in January 1989 in Hansen's continued absence, but suffered another injury in March which kept him out for the rest of the season. In April 1989, Mølby, along with his teammates, rallied round thebereaved families of theHillsborough disaster attending a number of the funerals.
In the following season, 1989–90 (Liverpool's last title-winning season before winning again in the 2020 season[5]), Mølby was a frustrated figure, unable to command a first team place despite often impressing during his occasional appearances. He started only 12 of 38 league games, although he enjoyed a successful return to the team in the championship run-in, deputising for the injured Whelan.
The following season threatened more of the same for Mølby, as he was again a regular substitute. In September 1990, before an away league match against Everton, Radio 5 commentator Mike Ingham remarked that "Mølby's still only a substitute even though he'd probably walk into any other first division team".[citation needed] Later that season, after Liverpool had knockedBrighton out of the FA Cup, Brighton managerBarry Lloyd expressed bemusement in a BBC post-match interview that Mølby was not being selected regularly.[citation needed] Mølby was very close to signing forJohan Cruyff'sBarcelona in November 1990, after a fee had been agreed of £1.6 million and he had agreed a four-year contract. When he scored a penalty in a 4–0 home win overLuton Town, it was expected to be his farewell to the Liverpool fans. However, this was followed by a breakdown in negotiations and he remained atAnfield. It would be more than five years before he finally did leave the club.
Another injury to Whelan in a home league game againstEverton in February 1991 gave Mølby another chance to re-establish himself, and he enjoyed his longest run of matches for four years. He once again became the club's regular penalty taker that season, scoring from all eight of his spot-kicks. However, after injury to McMahon and the surprise resignation of Dalglish, Liverpool could only finish runners-up in the league, despite having won their first nine matches of the campaign.
After initially extolling Mølby's virtues, new managerGraeme Souness changed his mind early in the 1991–92 season, leaving Mølby out as Whelan and McMahon again started in midfield. However, after Whelan suffered another injury, he turned to Mølby, who went on to feature heavily in the Liverpool side that season, starring in theUEFA Cup and playing an important part in theirFA Cup winning season.
After suffering an injury in a 2–2Premier League draw againstManchester United atOld Trafford on 18 October 1992, Mølby's career began to decline. He had suffered from fluctuating weight for most of his career, routinely gaining weight when injured and unable to train. This led to longer recovery periods being required, so his injuries generally led to an absence of at least three months.[citation needed] Over the first three Premier League seasons (Mølby's last), he started just over 30 games in total and all his goals came from penalties, including one in Liverpool's first game of the 1994–95 season when Mølby opened the scoring with a penalty in a 6–1 away win against Crystal Palace atSelhurst Park.[6]
Early in the 1995–96 season, manager Roy Evans loaned him out to Barnsley and Norwich (where he scored once in the League Cup against Birmingham City),[7] and in February 1996, he finally called time on more than a decade at Liverpool to take over as player-manager ofSwansea City. Just before taking the job at theVetch Field,Ron Atkinson unsuccessfully tried to sign him forCoventry City.[8] At that stage, still only 32, he was the youngest manager of anyFootball League or Premier League club.
While at Liverpool, he scored a total of 62 goals, 42 of which were from penalties. During Mølby's time with Liverpool, he only failed to score three times from the penalty spot (penalties against Sheffield Wednesday and QPR in 1985–86 and Chelsea in 1989–90 were saved). His record as a penalty-taker in the top flight is thought to be second only toMatthew Le Tissier. He held the club record of most penalties scored by a Liverpool player until Steven Gerrard surpassed his record in August 2014.[9]
Mølby made his debut in the Danish international side at the age of 18, againstNorway on 15 June 1982. He won 33caps forDenmark from 1982 to 1990, scoring two goals. He was a squad player (appearing generally as a substitute) with theDanish international side which competed in the1984 European Championship and1986 World Cup. Competition for places in the Danish midfield often saw Mølby overlooked in favour ofFrank Arnesen andJens-Jørn Bertelsen.
Jan Mølby's international career came to an end whenRichard Møller Nielsen took over as Denmark manager in 1990. The new national manager only used Mølby in two games – both in 1990. Once as a substitute in a friendly against Wales and later in the starting line-up in the 2–0 home defeat against Yugoslavia in the qualification for theEuro 1992.
Mølby became manager ofSwansea City in February 1996 but was sacked in October 1997 along with his assistant,Billy Ayre. He had taken Swansea to theDivision Three playoff final five months earlier, but they lost to a last-minute goal byNorthampton Town'sJohn Frain. A dismal start to the1997–98 season had seen Swansea struggling near the foot of theFootball League, and the board decided that it was time for a new manager to be appointed, asserting that the team's good performances the previous season were more down to Mølby's qualities as a top class player, rather than as a manager.[10]
No offers of managerial jobs were forthcoming for some time. Pursuing a career as a TV pundit, Mølby was finally offered the manager's job atKidderminster Harriers, then in theFootball Conference. He took over in April 1999. Utilising the existing squad of players, but adding his own in a few key positions (ex-Liverpool teammateMike Marsh was drafted in to great success) Harriers won the Conference title (and promotion to the Football League) in Mølby's first season in charge.
Two seasons of decent Division Three form followed, before overtures fromHull City prompted Mølby's departure forEast Yorkshire. His tenure was brief however, as internal strife cast a shadow over his brief term in charge. A return to Kidderminster in October 2003 was unsuccessful, ending with his resignation a year later. Kidderminister were relegated back to the Conferencethat season and have yet to reclaim their Football League place.
FollowingKenny Jackett's resignation as Swansea manager in early 2007, Mølby was linked with a return to the club. However, Mølby has responded by saying that he is unlikely to ever return to football management.[11]
In April 2009, Mølby was made an 'HonoraryScouser' by theLord Mayor of Liverpool.[12]
Mølby appears on a podcast called "Mølby on the Spot" presented by Trevor Downey from a field in rural Ireland.[13]
Arunning gag of comedianTroy Hawke (Milo McCabe) as he performs as a streetgreeter is that he was sent by Mølby, the “non-consensual CEO of the Greeter’s Guild." The two men met at the public unveiling of a Mølby mural in Liverpool in March 2023.[14]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Kolding | 1981 | 27 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |||||||
| 1982 | 1st Division | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |||||||
| Total | 40 | 0 | 40 | 0 | ||||||||
| Ajax | 1982–83 | Eredivisie | 29 | 6 | 29 | 6 | ||||||
| 1983–84 | 28 | 5 | 28 | 5 | ||||||||
| Total | 57 | 11 | 57 | 11 | ||||||||
| Liverpool | 1984–85 | First Division | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
| 1985–86 | 39 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 2 | – | 52 | 19 | |||
| 1986–87 | 34 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 5 | – | 44 | 12 | |||
| 1987–88 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | |||
| 1988–89 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | 18 | 3 | |||
| 1989–90 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 20 | 1 | |||
| 1990–91 | 25 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 34 | 9 | |||
| 1991–92 | 26 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 40 | 5 | ||
| 1992–93 | Premier League | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 3 | |
| 1993–94 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3 | ||
| 1994–95 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | ||
| Total | 218 | 44 | 28 | 4 | 28 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 281 | 58 | ||
| Barnsley | 1995–96 | First Division | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 | 0 | |
| Norwich City | 1995–96 | First Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | 5 | 1 | |
| Swansea City | 1995–96 | Second Division | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 | 2 | |
| 1996–97 | Third Division | 28 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 29 | 6 | ||
| 1997–98 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 41 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 8 | ||
| Career total | 364 | 63 | 28 | 4 | 31 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 430 | 78 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 1982 | 3 | 0 |
| 1983 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1984 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1985 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1986 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1987 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1988 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1989 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1990 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 33 | 2 | |
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[16]Ajax
Liverpool
Swansea City
Individual
Kidderminster Harriers
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Denmark squads | |||||||
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