Martin Laursen facts for kids
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Martin Laursen | ||
| Date of birth | 26 July 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Fårvang, Denmark | ||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Horn/Fårvang | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–1998 | Silkeborg | 35 | (1) |
| 1998–2001 | Hellas Verona | 58 | (3) |
| 2001–2002 | Parma | 0 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | → Milan (loan) | 22 | (2) |
| 2002–2004 | Milan | 20 | (0) |
| 2004–2009 | Aston Villa | 84 | (8) |
| Total | 219 | (14) | |
| International career | |||
| 1996 | Denmark U-19 | 1 | (0) |
| 1997–1999 | Denmark U-21 | 14 | (0) |
| 2000–2008 | Denmark | 53 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2011–2012 | Søllerød-Vedbæk | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Martin Laursen is a Danish former professional footballer. He was born on July 26, 1977. Martin played as a centre-back, which is a defensive position in football. He is well-known for playing three seasons with the Italian club A.C. Milan. With Milan, he won the 2003 UEFA Champions League and the 2004 Serie A championship.
He also played for other Italian teams like Hellas Verona and Parma. Later, he became the team captain for the English club Aston Villa. Martin Laursen also played 53 games for the Denmark national team between 2000 and 2008. In 2008, he was named the Danish Football Player of the Year. He represented Denmark in major tournaments like the European Championship and the FIFA World Cup. After his playing career, he briefly managed the club Søllerød-Vedbæk.
Contents
Martin Laursen's Club Career
Early Football Days in Denmark
Martin Laursen started his football journey in Fårvang, near Silkeborg, Denmark. He began playing with a local amateur club called Horn/Fårvang. His professional career started with Silkeborg, a top-flight club in the Danish Superliga.
Playing for Silkeborg IF
Laursen made his first appearance for Silkeborg in October 1995. He helped his team finish second in the 1997–98 Superliga season. During that season, he played 22 games and scored one goal. Overall, he played 35 games and scored one goal for Silkeborg in the Superliga before moving to Italy in June 1998.
Moving to Italy: Verona
After three seasons with Silkeborg, Laursen moved to Italy in August 1998. He joined Hellas Verona, which was playing in the second-tier Serie B league at the time.
Challenges and Success at Verona
During his first season at Verona, Martin faced a knee injury that kept him from playing much. However, his team, Verona, earned promotion to the top-flight Serie A championship. In his second season, Laursen became a regular player in Verona's starting lineup. Fans at Verona called him "Lionheart Laursen" because of his bravery and excellent ability to head the ball.
In June 2000, Parma bought half of Laursen's player rights. He continued to play for Verona for another season. After the 2000–01 Serie A season, Laursen officially joined Parma. However, he was loaned out to another club very soon after joining Parma.
Time with A.C. Milan
In July 2001, Martin Laursen was loaned to A.C. Milan, a big club in Serie A. Milan needed more players for their team.
Making an Impact at Milan
Laursen started strongly at Milan, scoring two goals in his first four league games during the 2001–02 Serie A season. He played 22 league games in his first year with the club. Milan was impressed and decided to buy him permanently in the middle of that season.
In the summer of 2002, Milan bought another famous defender, Alessandro Nesta. This meant Laursen's playing time became less. Over the next two seasons, he played a total of 20 league games.
Winning Trophies with Milan
Even with less playing time, Laursen won several important trophies with Milan. In 2003, he won the Coppa Italia, the UEFA Champions League, and the European Super Cup. He also won the 2004 Serie A championship. Despite these wins, he did not play in the 2003 UEFA Champions League final. Because of strong players like Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta, Laursen found it hard to become a regular starter for Milan in the long term. When Milan bought Dutch defender Jaap Stam in May 2004, Laursen decided to leave the club.
Joining Aston Villa in England
On May 21, 2004, Martin Laursen moved to England to play for Aston Villa. Aston Villa is a club in the Premier League, England's top football league. He signed a four-year contract.
Challenges and Comeback at Aston Villa
Laursen's start at Aston Villa was difficult. He had some good games, but his old knee injury returned. This injury meant he played only one Premier League game for Aston Villa during the 2005–06 season. After another knee injury in the summer of 2006, many wondered if he would be able to play football again.
He went through a special recovery program in Bologna, Italy. He returned to play for Villa in August 2006. When Martin O'Neill became the new manager, he and Laursen worked together. Laursen was given freedom to train in a way that helped prevent more injuries. He became a very important player for O'Neill's team. The physical style of English football suited Laursen well.
Becoming a Key Player and Captain
During the 2007–08 season, Laursen became a strong goalscorer for Villa, scoring six goals from his defensive position. He scored three goals against Tottenham Hotspur, including two in an exciting 4–4 draw. In January 2008, he signed a new contract with Aston Villa. He played almost all of Villa's matches that season and was voted the Supporters' Player of the Year in 2008.
For the 2008–09 season, Laursen became the permanent club captain for Aston Villa. He continued to score goals from set pieces (like corners and free kicks). He scored in a UEFA Intertoto Cup game against Danish team Odense and in a UEFA Cup match. He also scored against Stoke City in the Premier League. In October 2008, he scored a header against Ajax in the UEFA Cup, helping Villa win 2–1. In November 2008, he was named the 2008 Danish Football Player of the Year.
Retirement from Football
In December 2008, Laursen got injured again. He tried to return in January 2009 but had another injury setback. In April 2009, his manager, Martin O'Neill, worried that Laursen's career might be over due to his injuries. In May 2009, Martin Laursen announced that he would retire from football instead of having another major surgery.
On May 24, 2009, Aston Villa played their final game of the season. Before the match, Laursen spoke to the fans at Villa Park, thanking them for their support. He was then added to the "Villa Legends" section of Aston Villa's official website.
International Career for Denmark
While playing for Silkeborg, Martin Laursen played one game for the Denmark under-19 national team in December 1996. He then played 14 games for the Denmark under-21 national team between February 1997 and June 1999.
Playing for the Senior National Team
Laursen made his debut for the senior Denmark national team in a friendly match against Portugal in March 2000. He was part of the Denmark squad for the UEFA Euro 2000 tournament, but he could not play due to an injury.
His big moment with the national team came at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He played every minute of all four Denmark games before the team was eliminated. Laursen scored his first goal for Denmark in September 2003 during the UEFA Euro 2004 qualification. It was a very important goal in injury time against Romania, making the score 2–2. This goal helped Denmark stay in the race to qualify for the tournament. Denmark secured their spot by drawing their last game and winning their qualification group. Laursen played all four of Denmark's games at the tournament, performing very well.
After a game against Kazakhstan in March 2005, Laursen's national team career paused because of a knee injury. He was called up again in November 2006 but had to withdraw due to another knee injury. In June 2007, Laursen returned to Denmark's starting team in a 2–0 win against Latvia. He played his last international game on October 11, 2008, against Malta. In January 2009, Laursen announced he was retiring from international football. He found it too physically demanding to play for both his club and his country.
Life After Football
After retiring from playing football, Martin Laursen moved back to Denmark and settled in Vedbæk. He worked briefly as a football pundit (an expert who gives opinions) for Sky Sports. He also worked as a co-commentator for the Danish TV channel TV2.
Laursen shared that his main goal was to spend time with his family. Working in football media allowed him to stay involved in the game without taking up too much time. He also mentioned that he might consider a career in coaching or management in the future.
Managerial Career
In September 2011, Martin Laursen took on the role of head coach for Søllerød-Vedbæk. This club played in the Danish 2nd Divisions. He took this job to start his career in football management. He resigned on June 14, 2012, after successfully helping the club avoid being moved down to a lower league.
Career Achievements
International Goals
Here are the goals Martin Laursen scored for the Denmark national team:
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 September 2003 | Copenhagen, Denmark |  Romania |
2–2 | 2–2 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualification |
| 2 | 12 September 2007 | Aarhus, Denmark |  Liechtenstein |
2–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualification |
Honours and Awards
Milan
- Serie A: 2003–04
- Coppa Italia: 2002–03
- UEFA Champions League: 2002–03
- UEFA Super Cup: 2003
Individual
- Danish Football Player of the Year: 2008
- Aston Villa Supporters' Player of the Year: 2008
See also
In Spanish: Martin Laursen para niños
