Jesper Hansen
Encyclopedia
Jesper Hansen is a Danish
footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for F.C. Nordsjælland
in the Danish Superliga
. Hansen has amassed a total 18 youth caps for Denmark
under six different age groups, he is yet to earn a senior cap.
during his youth career, before moving onto Farum BK
in 2000.
in December 2004, the team he previously played for at youth level. Hansen would extend his stay at Ølstykke for an additional 6 months, where he was first choice goalkeeper for the team, whom were struggling to avoid regulation in the Danish 1st Division
. He would go on to make 37 league appearances during his year long stay at Ølstykke.
, playing for FCN's reserve side in the Denmark Series
.
August 2007, having yet to make his league debut, with 2 first team appearances in cup competitions, Hansen renewed his contract for another 4 years. Where he claimed he turned down first team opportunities from 1st Division clubs, to instead be patient and wait for his chance with FCN, whom he credited for his football education.
First choice goalkeeper and captain Kim Christensen was sold to IFK Göteborg
on March 13, 2008. Theis F. Rasmussen
was then brought in on a free, leaving speculation on who would be first choice to replace the departed Christensen. It was expected that Rasmussen was to be ahead of Hansen in selection, as was a common occurrence in the national youth team, though Jesper Hansen would go on to be first choice and Theis Rasmussen would fail to make a single league appearance during his two season stay with F.C. Nordsjælland.
gave Jesper Hansen his league debut, after almost 5 years as backup, he started the game in goal against F.C. Midtjylland
, which they would lose 1-0. His first clean sheet would come a week later in a 1-0 win over Brøndby
. Hansen would go on to concede 26 goals in his first 15 appearances in the last half of the 2007-08 season, since his debut, giving FCN one of the worst defense records in the league, the team would finish 9th in the league.
goalkeeper Nenad Novaković
on a free transfer, taking over as first choice, Hansen being demoted back to the bench for the rest of the season. The gamble paid off, as the club avoided relegation once again, finishing a slightly improved 8th in the league. At the start of the 2009-10
season, Hansen broke his thumb, ending any chance of him retaking the first choice position as goalkeeper for the duration of the injury. The situation resulted in the club bringing in Thomas Villadsen
as backup for Novaković, on a temporary deal.
Jesper Hansen would go on to make some instrumental performances for the rest of the season, including a strong performance against league champions F.C. Copenhagen
, keeping a clean sheet in a shock 2-0 win, as well as being credited for keeping the Farum
club alive in their 3-1 Danish cup
quarter final win against Silkeborg
. Hansen would go on to be part of the Danish cup winning squad, his first senior trophy, in a 2-0 win over F.C. Midtjylland in the final.
Hansen retained his position as first choice the following 2010-11
season, with head coach Morten Wieghorst often praising his performances in the media. Hansen as well as the team slowly improved throughout the season, gaining on their previous league finish with 6th and once again went to the finals of the Danish cup, lifting the trophy for a second consecutive time, in a 3-2 win over FCM. With Hansen's contract expiring at the end of the season, there was speculation whether or not he would remain at the club. Jesper Hansen had hinted at trying something new, but nothing materialized. He would eventually sign a new contract, keeping him at the club for another year, till summer 2012.
Starting the 2011-12
season for FCN in impressive form, with good performances against Sporting Lisbon and HB Køge
and helping the team peak to 2nd in the Danish Superliga
, Hansen is linked with a possible move abroad, with foreign clubs taking note of his recent form. Hansen's agent stating that he may leave the club on a transfer during the winter of 2011, or on a free when his contract expires in the summer of 2012. On 24 September 2011, in a match with AGF, Hansen was involved in a collision with striker
Søren Larsen
, which resulted in Hansen going off in the 44th minute and was rushed to hospital. He was diagnosed with a concussion and spent the next few days in hospital to be monitored. Hansen would return to action on 15 October, keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over AaB
.
for the Danish under-21s to book a place in the finals against Unión Española
. Which they would go on to win 1-0 with a goal from Morten Rasmussen. Hansen was selected for the Danish squad for UEFA U-21 Championship 2006 in Portugal
. He was 3rd choice behind Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard
and Theis F. Rasmussen.
3 November 2011, Jesper Hansen received his first call up to the senior national team
to face Sweden
in a friendly.
since Zinedine Zidane
moved to the Turin
based club, and that his idol is Gianluigi Buffon
. His dream move would be to go to Juventus as Buffon's successor.
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...
footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for F.C. Nordsjælland
FC Nordsjælland
Football Club Nordsjælland is a professional Danish football team from the North Zealand town of Farum, Denmark. Founded as Farum Boldklub from the merger of the town's two football clubs Farum IK and Stavnsholt BK in 1991, the club changed its name to F.C...
in the Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The 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...
. Hansen has amassed a total 18 youth caps for Denmark
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...
under six different age groups, he is yet to earn a senior cap.
Early life
Jesper Hansen played for Ølstykke FCØlstykke FC
Ølstykke FC is a Danish football club, from the small town of Ølstykke on Sjælland.The Club was founded on 18 May 1918 as Ølstykke Idrætsforening, the club was also playing Basketball....
during his youth career, before moving onto Farum BK
FC Nordsjælland
Football Club Nordsjælland is a professional Danish football team from the North Zealand town of Farum, Denmark. Founded as Farum Boldklub from the merger of the town's two football clubs Farum IK and Stavnsholt BK in 1991, the club changed its name to F.C...
in 2000.
F.C. Nordsjælland
Promoted to then, Farum BK first team in January 2003, Hansen signed his first contract extension in May 2003 after showing potential to be a promising goalkeeper.Loan
Having yet to make his debut for the first team, Jesper Hansen went on loan to Ølstykke FCØlstykke FC
Ølstykke FC is a Danish football club, from the small town of Ølstykke on Sjælland.The Club was founded on 18 May 1918 as Ølstykke Idrætsforening, the club was also playing Basketball....
in December 2004, the team he previously played for at youth level. Hansen would extend his stay at Ølstykke for an additional 6 months, where he was first choice goalkeeper for the team, whom were struggling to avoid regulation 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...
. He would go on to make 37 league appearances during his year long stay at Ølstykke.
Return
He returned to F.C. Nordsjælland in November 2005 as backup for first team choice Kim ChristensenKim Christensen (goalkeeper)
Kim Christensen is a Danish professional footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for F.C. Copenhagen. He got his breakthrough with Danish club FC Nordsjælland in 2004, before moving to Swedish club IFK Göteborg, with whom he won the 2008 Swedish Cup. He joined F.C. Copenhagen in June 2010...
, playing for FCN's reserve side in the Denmark Series
Denmark Series
The Denmark Series is the 4th tier of football in Denmark. Teams are divided into three pools of fourteen teams each. The top two teams in each pool are promoted to the Danish 2nd Division West or Danish 2nd Division East, as is appropriate for each club geographically...
.
August 2007, having yet to make his league debut, with 2 first team appearances in cup competitions, Hansen renewed his contract for another 4 years. Where he claimed he turned down first team opportunities from 1st Division clubs, to instead be patient and wait for his chance with FCN, whom he credited for his football education.
First choice goalkeeper and captain Kim Christensen was sold to IFK Göteborg
IFK Göteborg
IFK Göteborg is a Swedish professional football club based in Gothenburg. Founded in 1904, the club has won 18 national championship titles, five national cup titles, and two UEFA Cups....
on March 13, 2008. Theis F. Rasmussen
Theis F. Rasmussen
Theis Frydenlund Rasmussen , known as Theis F. Rasmussen, is a Danish football goalkeeper currently unattached. He has played six games for the Danish U-21 national team, and helped the team qualify for the UEFA U-21 Championship 2006....
was then brought in on a free, leaving speculation on who would be first choice to replace the departed Christensen. It was expected that Rasmussen was to be ahead of Hansen in selection, as was a common occurrence in the national youth team, though Jesper Hansen would go on to be first choice and Theis Rasmussen would fail to make a single league appearance during his two season stay with F.C. Nordsjælland.
First choice
17 March 2008, head coach Morten WieghorstMorten Wieghorst
Morten Wieghorst is a Danish association football manager and former player. He is the manager of the Denmark national under-21 football team and the former manager of FC Nordsjælland in the Danish Superliga whom he guided to the 2010 and 2011 Danish Cup trophy.During his active career, Wieghorst...
gave Jesper Hansen his league debut, after almost 5 years as backup, he started the game in goal against F.C. 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...
, which they would lose 1-0. His first clean sheet would come a week later in a 1-0 win over Brøndby
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...
. Hansen would go on to concede 26 goals in his first 15 appearances in the last half of the 2007-08 season, since his debut, giving FCN one of the worst defense records in the league, the team would finish 9th in the league.
Benched
With F.C. Nordsjælland ending the first half of the 2008-09 season close to relegation, the club opted to bring in experienced SerbianSerbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
goalkeeper Nenad Novaković
Nenad Novakovic
Nenad Novaković is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He currently plays for Debreceni VSC.- Career :...
on a free transfer, taking over as first choice, Hansen being demoted back to the bench for the rest of the season. The gamble paid off, as the club avoided relegation once again, finishing a slightly improved 8th in the league. At the start of the 2009-10
2009–10 Danish Superliga
The 2009–10 Danish Superliga season was the 20th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, which determinates the winners of the Danish football championship. It is governed by the Danish Football Association. The tournament started on 18 July 2009 and concluded on 16 May 2010.The Danish...
season, Hansen broke his thumb, ending any chance of him retaking the first choice position as goalkeeper for the duration of the injury. The situation resulted in the club bringing in Thomas Villadsen
Thomas Villadsen
Thomas Villadsen is a Danish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the Romanian club Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ.-Biography:...
as backup for Novaković, on a temporary deal.
Regain position
Mid season, after some poor performances from Novaković, Jesper Hansen was given a chance to retake the goalkeeping position, with a start against AGF, he managed to keep a clean sheet in a 2-0 win and consequently returned as first choice for FCN. He claimed after the match that being benched was a learning experience.Jesper Hansen would go on to make some instrumental performances for the rest of the season, including a strong performance against league champions F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....
, keeping a clean sheet in a shock 2-0 win, as well as being credited for keeping the Farum
Farum
Farum is a town in the northeast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, 20 km northwest of Copenhagen. The town has a population of 18,521 .The town is part of Furesø municipality. Until 2006, it constituted Farum municipality....
club alive in their 3-1 Danish cup
Danish Cup
The Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...
quarter final win against Silkeborg
Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF is a Danish professional football club based in the city of Silkeborg, in the middle of Jutland. Silkeborg IF plays in the Danish Superliga. The club was founded in 1917 and they first reach the highest level of football in Denmark in 1987, at that time called 1st division today known...
. Hansen would go on to be part of the Danish cup winning squad, his first senior trophy, in a 2-0 win over F.C. Midtjylland in the final.
Hansen retained his position as first choice the following 2010-11
2010–11 Danish Superliga
The 2010–11 Danish Superliga season was the 21st season of the Danish Superliga championship, which decides the Danish football championship. It began on 17 July 2010 with the previous season's silver medalists from Odense facing Esbjerg and ended on 29 May 2011 with six simultaneous matches. F.C...
season, with head coach Morten Wieghorst often praising his performances in the media. Hansen as well as the team slowly improved throughout the season, gaining on their previous league finish with 6th and once again went to the finals of the Danish cup, lifting the trophy for a second consecutive time, in a 3-2 win over FCM. With Hansen's contract expiring at the end of the season, there was speculation whether or not he would remain at the club. Jesper Hansen had hinted at trying something new, but nothing materialized. He would eventually sign a new contract, keeping him at the club for another year, till summer 2012.
Starting the 2011-12
2011–12 Danish Superliga
The 2011–12 Danish Superliga season is the 22nd season of the Danish Superliga, which decides the Danish football championship. The season began on with OB, the previous season's silver medallists playing the cup winners of FC Nordsjælland. It will conclude on with six simultaneous matches...
season for FCN in impressive form, with good performances against Sporting Lisbon and HB Køge
HB Køge
HB Køge is a professional Danish football club based primal in the town of Herfølge, and secondly in the town of Køge, both in the Køge Municipality, part of 'Region of Zealand', in the eastern part of Zealand, south of Copenhagen...
and helping the team peak to 2nd in the Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The 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...
, Hansen is linked with a possible move abroad, with foreign clubs taking note of his recent form. Hansen's agent stating that he may leave the club on a transfer during the winter of 2011, or on a free when his contract expires in the summer of 2012. On 24 September 2011, in a match with AGF, Hansen was involved in a collision with 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...
Søren Larsen
Søren Larsen
Søren Larsen is a Danish professional football striker who is currently playing for Danish Superliga side AGF Aarhus.-Biography:Larsen started his professional career at Danish club Køge Boldklub in Køge, Denmark. In 2001, he was sold to multiple Danish championship winners Brøndby IF in the...
, which resulted in Hansen going off in the 44th minute and was rushed to hospital. He was diagnosed with a concussion and spent the next few days in hospital to be monitored. Hansen would return to action on 15 October, keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over AaB
Aalborg Boldspilklub
Aalborg Boldspilklub is a Danish professional sports club based in the city of Aalborg. The club is also known as Aalborg BK or AaB for short. Through time the club has had branches in cricket, tennis and basketball, but currently controls teams in football, American football, ice hockey,...
.
International career
January 2006, during a mini-tournament in Chile, Jesper Hansen saved a penalty in a penalty shootoutPenalty shootout
The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...
for the Danish under-21s to book a place in the finals against Unión Española
Unión Española
Club Unión Española S.A.D.P is a professional Chilean football based in Independencia, Santiago de Chile. Founded by a Spanish immigrants on 18 May 1897, Unión Española have participated in the top-tier of Chilean football for all of their existence but two seasons in the late '90s .Unión Española...
. Which they would go on to win 1-0 with a goal from Morten Rasmussen. Hansen was selected for the Danish squad for UEFA U-21 Championship 2006 in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. He was 3rd choice behind Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard
Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard
Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard is a Danish professional football goalkeeper who is currently a Free Agent. He has played for Manchester City and Blackpool in England, as well as German club Hertha BSC...
and Theis F. Rasmussen.
3 November 2011, Jesper Hansen received his first call up to the senior 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...
to face 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...
in a friendly.
Club
- Danish CupDanish CupThe Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...
:- Winners (2): 2009–102009–10 Danish Cup-Second round:The clubs who placed 5–10 in the 2008–09 Superliga – Randers, AGF, AaB, Nordsjælland, Esbjerg, SønderjyskE – as well as the top two clubs from the 2008–09 First Division – Herfølge, who was merged with another club to form Køge for the 2009–10 season, and Silkeborg – received a bye into...
, 2010–112010–11 Danish CupThe 2010–11 Danish Cup is the 55th season of the Danish football cup competition. For the third year, the sponsor of the competition was Ekstra Bladet, a daily newspaper, who signed a 3-year contract with the Danish Football Association in 2008, making the official name Ekstra Bladet Cup...
- Winners (2): 2009–10
Personal life
Jesper Hansen has stated that he has been a fan of JuventusJuventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
since Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
moved to the Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
based club, and that his idol is Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. He has won the FIFA World Cup and is widely considered by fans and experts to be one of most dominant and successful goalkeepers in history...
. His dream move would be to go to Juventus as Buffon's successor.