Nicklas Bendtner
Encyclopedia
Nicklas Bendtner (born 16 January 1988 in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...

) is a Danish international
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...

 footballer who plays for Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

 on loan from Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

 as a striker. His preferred position is centre forward, but he has also played on the right side of attack for Arsenal.

Youth career

As a child Bendtner played football for Tårnby Boldklub before joining FC Copenhagen's feeder club Kjøbenhavns Boldklub
Kjøbenhavns Boldklub
Kjøbenhavns Boldklub or KB is a Danish sports club based in Copenhagen. The club was founded April 26, 1876 on the grassy fields in outer Copenhagen which later became Fælledparken. Football and cricket has been played in KB since 1879, making KB the oldest football club on Continental Europe and...

 (KB) in 1998. He scored four goals in six Danish national youth team matches, before joining English club Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

 in the summer of 2004.

Arsenal

Bendtner formed a prolific strike partnership in the Arsenal reserves, with teammate Arturo Lupoli
Arturo Lupoli
Arturo Lupoli is an Italian footballer who plays as a forward, currently for U.S. Grosseto. His former clubs include Parma, Arsenal and Derby County, where he spent the 2006–07 season on loan. He was renowned as having a rivalry with Italian International Giuseppe Rossi, as the media had billed...

. Bendtner's first team debut for Arsenal came on 25 October 2005, in a League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

 match against Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

 at the Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...

, as a substitute for Quincy Owusu-Abeyie
Quincy Owusu-Abeyie
Quincy James Owusu-Abeyie , often known simply by his first name, Quincy, is a Ghana international footballer who plays for Superleague Greece club Panathinaikos as a forward or winger....

 in the final minutes.

Loan to Birmingham City

Bendtner was loaned out to Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

 team Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

 in August 2006 to gain first team experience, with the loan initially lasting until January 2007. Bendtner made his debut for Birmingham, as a substitute for Stephen Clemence
Stephen Clemence
Stephen Neal Clemence is a retired English football midfielder who last played for Leicester City where he was team captain....

, in the game against Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....

 on 5 August 2006. He played the final half hour, scoring the winning goal. The loan at Birmingham was extended until the end of the 2006–07 season
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...

.

2007–08

Bendtner signed a new five-year contract with Arsenal in May 2007, and returned to the club for the 2007–08 Premier League season. After impressing at Birmingham, the teenage striker was presented with opportunities to seek first team football elsewhere, with reports that Lyon and AC Milan wanting the promising teenager, but he stayed on in order to earn his place in the starting eleven.

In his first match at the Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...

, a friendly against Paris Saint Germain in the inaugural pre-season Emirates Cup
Emirates Cup
The Emirates Cup is an annual two-day pre-season football tournament hosted by English Premier League club Arsenal and held at the Emirates Stadium, the club's home ground...

 tournament, Bendtner scored a goal, and assisted in another by Mathieu Flamini
Mathieu Flamini
Mathieu Flamini is a French professional footballer of Italian descent who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Milan..-Marseille:...

. His first competitive strike for the Gunners was the game winning goal in a 2–0 result versus Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

 on 25 September 2007 during a League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

 match. On 23 October, he scored his debut UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

 goal came in the 89th minute against SK Slavia Prague just over 20 minutes after coming on as a substitute, finishing off a back-heeled pass from Emmanuel Eboué
Emmanuel Eboué
Emmanuel Eboué is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Süper Lig club Galatasaray and Ivory Coast. His natural position is at right back, but he is also used in various other positions. Eboué also holds a Belgian passport.-Early career:...

 to complete the 7–0 thrashing.

His first Premier League start came at Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

 on 29 December 2007 but was eventually sent off for two bookable offences. After suspension, Bendtner scored his first FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

 goal against Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...

 on 6 January 2008 as Arsenal won 2–0.

Bendtner's first Premier League goal came on 22 December 2007 in a 2–1 Arsenal victory against Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

, at the Emirates Stadium. He headed the winning goal from a Cesc Fàbregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...

 corner just 1.8 seconds (official time) after coming on as a substitute for Emmanuel Eboué
Emmanuel Eboué
Emmanuel Eboué is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Süper Lig club Galatasaray and Ivory Coast. His natural position is at right back, but he is also used in various other positions. Eboué also holds a Belgian passport.-Early career:...

, breaking the previous record.

During the season, Wenger tried to partner Bendtner with Emmanuel Adebayor
Emmanuel Adebayor
Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is a Togolese footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur as a striker on loan from Manchester City. He plays in the same position for the Togo national team. Adebayor previously played for Metz, Monaco and Arsenal and was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008...

 whenever Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011...

 was rested. However, Bendtner and Adebayor did not get along well. It became apparent during the 2008 League Cup semi-final 2nd leg away at Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

 when the pair had a heated on-pitch altercation with the scoreline at 4–1 to Tottenham and referee Howard Webb
Howard Webb
Howard Melton Webb, MBE, is an English professional football referee who officiates primarily in the Premier League and has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2005....

, captain William Gallas
William Gallas
William Eric Gallas is a French footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur.Gallas began his career in France, before being signed by English club Chelsea in 2001. He transferred to rivals Arsenal as part of an exchange deal in 2006...

 and other teammates had to intervene and separate the two. Adebayor later apologized on Arsenal's website and The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...

 declined to take any formal action against the duo.

Bendtner also scored a last minute equaliser against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

 to keep Arsenal top of the table.

2008–09

The main highlight of Bendtner's pre-season was scoring four goals in the first-half of Arsenal's 10–2 victory against Burgenland XI on Tuesday 29 July 2008. He scored his first Premier League goal of the 2008–09 season against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

 and got an assist for Emmanuel Eboue
Emmanuel Eboué
Emmanuel Eboué is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Süper Lig club Galatasaray and Ivory Coast. His natural position is at right back, but he is also used in various other positions. Eboué also holds a Belgian passport.-Early career:...

 to score all in the space of one minute.

He had a hard time in October and November, but on 25 November, he scored a dramatic and controversial 87th minute winner against Dynamo Kyiv, in the Champions League to ensure Arsenal progressed to the knockout stages, after running onto a long ball from a Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...

 quick free-kick, and in the confusion rifled the ball into the net left-footed with his infamous pink Nike Mercurial Vapours boots (He also claimed in the Arsenal magazine, in which he was writing a diary for this particular season, he always wanted to wear these boots). He was even booked for his emotional goal celebration. In January, he scored two more goals as a substitute, late winners at home to Bolton and Hull City, both from Robin Van Persie crosses.

On 24 February, he was goaded after missing a number of chances in the 1-0 win over Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...

, in the knockout stages. He shrugged this off in the magazine, however, claiming that "as a striker, you miss chances". The following week, Bendtner scored two goals at West Brom
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

, as Arsenal won 3-1 away from home. The fans were much more supportive towards him when he missed a string of chances against Blackburn. Arsenal still won 4-0, thanks to Andrei Arshavin's stunner, and a brace from Eboue. Bendtner got a goal in a 3-1 win at Newcastle
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

, a header from a long free-kick.
On 5 May 2009 the 21-year-old was controversially seen leaving a night club hours after Arsenal's 3–1 home defeat by Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

 in the Champions League semi-final. Bendtner was pictured with his belt undone and jeans pulled down. He later said that "I may be young, but my actions were a poor error of judgment and something I deeply regret." Bendtner was a second-half substitute for Arsenal, who lost 4–1 on aggregate to defending champions United.
Bendtner never actually mentioned this incident in the Arsenal magazine, and made amends with a goal, albeit a consolation, in a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea.

2009–10

Bendtner started the new season by announcing a change in his Arsenal squad number for the 2009/10 season. "Before the season starts I wanted to change my squad number from 26 which I've obviously had for a number of seasons. I chose to move to 52 because it's a special number to me personally, and I hope that it brings me good luck for the new season. I appreciate that a good number of fans have bought their kits for 2009/10 already with names and numbers printed up so I'd like to personally cover the cost of replacing anyone's shirt that has my previous number. It means a lot to see supporters wearing your name and number, and I want to ensure people aren't inconvenienced by the change."

On 16 September, Bendtner scored his first goal of the season in the Champions League group stage in a 3–2 away win against Standard Liège
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....

. On the morning of 27 September he was involved in a car accident while driving along the A1. He suffered cuts to his knees and shoulder pain as well as totaling his Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...

. He then missed Arsenal's Champions League tie with , which Arsenal won 2–0. He returned on 4 October 2009 and scored his first league goal of the season in Arsenal's 6–2 win over Blackburn Rovers. On 28 October, he scored the winning goal in the League Cup in a 2–1 win against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

.

On 10 November, Bendtner underwent groin surgery in Germany after aggravating a groin injury in the 3-0 win on 31 October playing against Tottenham Hotspur. He was expected to be out for up to four weeks, but returned on 27 January in a 0–0 draw at Villa Park. He started his first match after recovering from his injury and played 82 minutes in Arsenal's victory over Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

 on 10 February to complete his return to full fitness.

On 20 February, Bendtner scored his first goal since October 2009 against Sunderland. He then followed it up with a goal against Stoke City in a 3–1 away win. In March, he scored his first hat-trick of his professional career in a 5–0 victory over Porto in the second leg of the Champions League first knockout round to overturn their 2–1 loss in the first leg. In his next game, a league meeting with Hull, Bendtner scored Arsenal's second goal in a 2–1 win, which came after Hull goalkeeper Myhill could only parry an injury time Denilson shot. On 3 April, he scored the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Wolves at home in the Premier League, heading in a cross in the 94th minute. He also scored the only goal for Arsenal in a 4–1 defeat to FC Barcelona as they were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-final. At the start of April, it was announced that Bendtner had won the Arsenal Player of the Month award for his performances in March, making it the first time he had ever won the award. Bendtner also scored Arsenal's goal in a match against Tottenham Hotspur on 14 April 2010 in a 2-1 defeat at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....

.

2010–11

After getting injured during the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...

 and spending almost four months out of action, Bendtner finally returned to action in a substitute appearance against Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

 on 16 October. On 24 October, he scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 away win against Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

. Three days later, he scored again with a powerful strike against Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

 in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

 at St. James' Park as Arsenal won 4-0.
On 29 December, he dedicated a goal celebration, against Wigan Athletic, to his newborn baby. He went on to score his first goal of 2011 on 25 January against Ipswich Town in the League Cup to level the aggregate score at 1-1. Arsenal later went on to win the game 3-1 on aggregate. The Ipswich goal also won him the Arsenal "Goal of the month" award for January On 2 March 2011 Bendtner got a hat-trick in the FA cup fifth round replay against League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

 side Leyton Orient, his first for nearly a year, and the first by an Arsenal player in an FA Cup game since Ian Wright
Ian Wright
Ian Edward Wright, MBE is a retired English footballer turned television and radio personality.Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal, spending six years with the former and seven years with the latter. With Arsenal he has lifted the Premier League title and both major...

's against Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town may refer to:* Yeovil Town F.C., an English football team based in Yeovil, Somerset.* Yeovil Town L.F.C., an English women's football team affiliated with Yeovil Town F.C.....

 in 1993. On 8 March 2011, after coming on as a late substitute, he failed to finish a chance against Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

 in the closing stages which meant Arsenal were eliminated from the Champions League.

Loan to Sunderland

On the last day of the August 2011 transfer window, Premier League club Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

 completed a one-year loan deal for Bendtner. Bendtner has said that he will never play for Arsenal again due to a lack of chances in the first team since his car accident. On his debut he made an assist against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

 on 10 September 2011, with his first goal coming on 1 October 2011 against West Brom
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

 in the 24th minute. He also made an assist in the same game for Elmohamady's equaliser. The match ended 2–2. A goal scored by Bendtner was considered by the Premier League's Dubious Goals Committee
Dubious Goals Committee
The Dubious Goals Committee is a committee within the Premier League, the top level of association football in England, which adjudicates in any instance where the identity of the scorer of a goal is disputed....

. Bendtner saw a shot deflected in via a touch from Gareth McAuley
Gareth McAuley
Gareth Gerald McAuley is a Northern Ireland footballer who plays for West Bromwich Albion as a defender.-Early career:...

 in the 2–2 draw with West Bromwich Albion on 1 October. Bendnter's second goal for Sunderland came in injury time against Bolton Wanderers, the match ended 2–0 and was Sunderland's second win of the season.

International career

Bendtner started his national team career by scoring three goals in three starts for the Denmark under-16 national team in February 2004. He then scored six goals in 15 games for the Denmark under-17 national team, and was named 2004 Danish Under-17 Player of the Year.

Bendtner was the youngest player selected for the Danish under-21 national squad for the 2006 European Under-21 Championship
2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Final:-Goalscorers:4 goals Klaas Jan Huntelaar3 goals Thomas Kahlenberg Nicky Hofs2 goals Bryan Bergougnoux Ruslan Fomin Artem Milevskiy...

 tournament. He replaced Morten Rasmussen in the Danish starting line-up. He got his under-21 debut on 17 May 2006, at the age of 18, scoring both goals in a Danish 2–0 victory over Spain under-21s
Spain national under-21 football team
The Spain national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of Spain and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The team, nicknamed La Rojita , competes in the biannual European Under-21 Football Championship.Following the realignment of UEFA's youth...

 in a friendly match. When Bendtner was substituted with Rasmussen during the game against the Netherlands under-21 team
Netherlands national under-21 football team
The Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years....

, Bendtner told the press he found Rasmussen a lesser player. Bendtner was reprimanded, but played the rest of the tournament before Denmark were eliminated.

On 16 August 2006 Bendtner earned his first senior cap 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...

, still only 18 years old, making him the seventh youngest player on the Danish senior national team ever. He was in the starting lineup for his debut game, a friendly match against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...

. He scored a goal after 30 minutes, helping Denmark to a 2–0 win. On 1 September 2006, he played his second national team game, and came on as a substitute in a friendly match against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...

. He scored the final goal in a 4–2 win for Denmark. Although he still qualified to play for the U21s, Bendtner soon earned a spot in the starting line on the Danish national team scoring, two goals in UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying.

In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...

, Bendtner scored an 84th minute 1–1 equaliser against Portugal – a match Denmark went on to win 3–2. He scored again against Portugal in the reverse fixture which ended 1–1. He then scored a header four days later against Albania. Nicklas assisted Jakob Poulsen's goal in Denmark's 1–0 win over Sweden which meant they qualified for the 2010 World Cup. He ended the campaign with 3 goals. For his contribution, he was voted Danish Player of the Year
Danish Player of the Year
The Danish Player of the Year award is an annual prize, which has been given to the best Danish football player by the Danish Football Player Association since 1963. The winner is decided in a vote amongst the professional Danish footballers....

 and his goal against Portugal won the Goal of the Year award. Denmark coach Morten Olsen
Morten Olsen
Morten Per Olsen is a Danish football manager and former football player. He has been the head coach of the Danish national team since 2000, guiding Denmark to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 European Championship and 2010 FIFA World Cup...

 selected Bendtner for the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...

 in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. Bendtner scored the equaliser in Denmark's World Cup group stage 2-1 win against Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...

.

On 12 May 2011, Bendtner turned down the opportunity of representing his national team at Under-21 level at the European Championship, citing family reasons.

On 6 September 2011, Bendtner scored two goals in a 2-0 win against Norway.

On 7 October 2011, Bendtner failed to score in a 4-1 win against Cyprus after several good chances. But 4 days later, on 11 October 2011, he scored in the 63rd minute against Portugal to ensure Denmark qualified for Euro 2012. On 11 November 2011, he scored against rivals Sweden in an international friendly. 4 days later, on the 15th November, Nicklas Bendtner scored in the second half against Finland, racing away from the defence before finishing hard and low to put Denmark 2-1 up.

Career statistics

Statistics accurate as of match played 26 September 2011
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists
Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

2005–06 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0
Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

 (loan)
2006–07 42 11 7 2 0 0 4 2 2 0 0 0 48 13 9
Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

2007–08 27 5 3 2 1 0 5 1 0 6 2 1 40 9 4
2008–09 31 9 2 5 2 1 2 2 1 12 2 0 50 15 4
2009–10 23 6 6 0 0 0 1 1 0 7 5 1 31 12 7
2010–11 17 2 2 5 4 2 5 3 0 5 0 0 32 9 4
2011–12 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Sunderland (loan) 2011–12 7 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 2 3
Career total 146 34 22 14 7 3 20 9 3 30 9 2 208 59 31

International goals

Scores and results list Denmark's goal tally first.


Individual

  • Danish Under-17 Player of the Year: 2004
  • Danish Talent of the Year: 2007
  • Danish Football Player of the Year: 2009

Personal life

In November 2009, it was reported that Bendtner was seen in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...

 with Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...

ess Caroline Iuel-Brockdorff, a socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....

 and close friend of the Danish Royal Family
Danish Royal Family
The Danish Royal Family includes the Queen of Denmark and her family. All members except the Queen hold the title of Prince/Princess of Denmark with the style of His/Her Royal Highness or His/Her Highness. The Queen is styled Her Majesty. The Queen and her siblings belong to the House of...

. 13 years his senior, in 2008 she divorced banker Rory Fleming
Rory Fleming
Rory David Fleming , is the son of Robert Fleming and his wife, Victoria Margaret Aykroyd. He is distantly related to the Queen of the United Kingdom, being the great X4 grandson of William IV...

, nephew of James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...

writer Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...

, with whom she has two children.

The couple met when Iuel-Brockdorff was filmed renovating her family home Valdemars Castle
Valdemars Castle
Valdemars Castle is a small palace situated on the island of Tåsinge near Svendborg in southern Denmark.- History :...

 on a reality show. Bendtner was a guest and they did a photoshoot together to promote his appearance. In July 2010, Bendtner revealed through his official website that he was going to become a father. On December 16, 2010, Iuel-Brockdorff gave birth by caesarean section
Caesarean section
A Caesarean section, is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies, or, rarely, to remove a dead fetus...

 at London's Portland Hospital
Portland Hospital
The Portland Hospital for Women and Children, usually referred to simply as the Portland Hospital, is a hospital in Great Portland Street, London...

 to a son.

Known for his extreme self-confidence, Bendtner once received a confidence rating that exceeded the scale in a test carried by an Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

 psychologist.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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