Martin Laursen facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Martin Laursen | ||
| Date of birth | 26 July 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Fårvang, Denmark | ||
| Height | 1.90m | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| 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) | |
| National team | |||
| 1996 | Denmark U-19 | 1 | (0) |
| 1997–1999 | Denmark U-21 | 14 | (0) |
| 2000–2008 | Denmark | 53 | (2) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2011–2012 | Søllerød-Vedbæk | ||
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Martin Laursen was born on July 26, 1977, in Denmark. He is a former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is well-known for his time with Italian club A.C. Milan, where he helped them win 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.
Laursen also played for the Denmark national team 53 times between 2000 and 2008, scoring two goals. In 2008, he was named the Danish Football Player of the Year. He represented Denmark in major tournaments, including the 2000 European Championship, the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and the 2004 European Championship.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting in Denmark
Martin Laursen began his football journey in Fårvang, near Silkeborg, playing for a local amateur club called Horn/Fårvang. He then joined Silkeborg, a top-tier club in the Danish Superliga. He made his first team debut in October 1995.
Laursen helped Silkeborg finish second in the 1997–98 Superliga season. He played 22 games and scored one goal that season. Overall, he played 35 games and scored one goal for Silkeborg before moving to Italy in June 1998.
Moving to Italy: Verona and Milan
In August 1998, Laursen moved to Italy to play for Hellas Verona, which was in the second-tier league, Serie B. During his first season, he faced a knee injury, but his team still managed to get promoted to the top league, Serie A.
In his second season, Laursen became a key player for Verona. Fans even called him "Lionheart Laursen" because of his bravery and excellent ability to head the ball. After playing for Verona, he moved to Parma in 2001, but he was soon loaned out.
In July 2001, Laursen joined A.C. Milan, another big club in Serie A. He started strongly, scoring two goals in his first four games. Milan decided to buy him permanently. However, with top defenders like Alessandro Nesta and Paolo Maldini at Milan, Laursen's playing time became less.
Despite less playing time, Laursen won many important trophies with Milan. In 2003, he won the Coppa Italia, the prestigious UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA Super Cup. In 2004, he also won the Serie A championship. When Milan signed another famous defender, Jaap Stam, in May 2004, Laursen decided to leave the club.
Becoming a Star at Aston Villa
On May 21, 2004, Laursen joined FA Premier League team Aston Villa in England. His first game for Villa was on August 14, where they won 2–0 against Southampton.
His time at Villa started with challenges, as his old knee injury returned. He played only one Premier League game in the 2005–06 season. After more treatment, he returned to the team in August 2006. The new manager, Martin O'Neill, allowed Laursen to train in a way that helped prevent further injuries.
Laursen became a very important player for Aston Villa. His strong, physical style of play was perfect for the English league. In the 2007–08 season, he even became a great goalscorer from his centre-back position, scoring six goals. 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 every game 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 Villa. He continued his goal-scoring, finding the net in the UEFA Intertoto Cup and UEFA Cup matches, and also in the Premiership against Stoke City. In November 2008, he was named the Danish Football Player of the Year.
Sadly, in December 2008, Laursen got injured again. After trying to return in January 2009, he had another injury setback. In April 2009, it became clear that his career might be over due to these ongoing injuries. In May 2009, Laursen announced he would retire from football instead of having another major surgery. Before Aston Villa's last game of the season, he thanked the fans at Villa Park.
Playing for Denmark
Martin Laursen played for Denmark's youth teams, including one game for the under-19 team in 1996 and 14 games for the under-21 team from 1997 to 1999.
He 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 UEFA Euro 2000, but he couldn't play due to an injury.
Laursen became a key player for the national team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He played every minute of Denmark's four games in the tournament. He scored his first goal for Denmark in September 2003 during the UEFA Euro 2004 qualification. This important goal in injury time against Romania helped Denmark draw 2–2 and stay in the race for the tournament. Denmark later qualified by winning their group. Laursen played all four of Denmark's games at the 2004 European Championship, playing very well.
After March 2005, Laursen's national team career was put on hold because of his knee injury. He returned to the team in June 2007 for a 2–0 win against Latvia. His last international game was on October 11, 2008, against Malta. In January 2009, Laursen announced his retirement from international football, as playing for both his club and country was too physically demanding.
Life After Football
After retiring from football, Martin Laursen moved back to Denmark. He worked briefly as a football expert for Sky Sports and as a co-commentator for the Danish TV channel TV2. He said his main goal was to spend time with his family. Working in football media allowed him to stay involved in the sport without taking up too much time. He also mentioned that he might consider coaching or managing in the future.
Coaching Career
In September 2011, Martin Laursen took on the role of head coach for Søllerød-Vedbæk in the Danish 2nd Divisions. He wanted to start a career in management. He resigned on June 14, 2012, after successfully helping the club avoid being relegated to a lower league.
Achievements and Awards
With Milan
- Serie A: 2003–04 (Italian League Champions)
- Coppa Italia: 2002–03 (Italian Cup Winners)
- UEFA Champions League: 2002–03 (European Champions)
- UEFA Super Cup: 2003 (European Super Cup Winners)
Individual Awards
- Danish Football Player of the Year: 2008
- Aston Villa Supporters' Player of the Year: 2008
Images for kids
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Laursen playing for Denmark against Portugal in 2008.
See also
In Spanish: Martin Laursen para niños
