Nicklas Bendtner facts for kids
Bendtner with Rosenborg in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nicklas Bendtner | ||
| Date of birth | 16 January 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Copenhagen, Denmark | ||
| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1992–1998 | Tårnby Boldklub | ||
| 1998–2004 | Kjøbenhavns Boldklub | ||
| 2004–2005 | Arsenal | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2014 | Arsenal | 108 | (24) |
| 2006–2007 | → Birmingham City (loan) | 42 | (11) |
| 2011–2012 | → Sunderland (loan) | 28 | (8) |
| 2012–2013 | → Juventus (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2014–2016 | VfL Wolfsburg | 31 | (3) |
| 2016–2017 | Nottingham Forest | 15 | (2) |
| 2017–2019 | Rosenborg | 57 | (24) |
| 2019 | Copenhagen | 6 | (0) |
| Total | 296 | (72) | |
| International career | |||
| 2004 | Denmark U16 | 3 | (3) |
| 2004–2005 | Denmark U17 | 15 | (6) |
| 2006 | Denmark U19 | 2 | (1) |
| 2006 | Denmark U21 | 4 | (2) |
| 2006–2018 | Denmark | 81 | (30) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Nicklas Bendtner (born 16 January 1988) is a Danish former professional footballer. He played as a forward, usually as a centre-forward. He was known for being tall and strong, especially good at heading the ball.
Bendtner started playing football in youth teams like Tårnby Boldklub and Kjøbenhavns Boldklub. He then joined Arsenal in 2004. He signed his first professional contract with Arsenal in 2005. His first game for Arsenal was in October 2005.
In the 2006–07 season, Bendtner played on loan for Birmingham City. He played 48 games for them. After returning to Arsenal, he became a regular player. Later, he went on loan to Sunderland for the 2011–12 season. He also played on loan for Juventus in Italy during the 2012–13 season.
Arsenal released Bendtner in 2014. He then joined VfL Wolfsburg in Germany. He scored the winning goal for Wolfsburg in the 2015 DFL-Supercup. In 2016, he moved back to England to play for Nottingham Forest. In March 2017, he signed with Rosenborg in Norway.
Bendtner also played for Denmark's national teams at different age levels. He made his debut for the senior Danish national team when he was 18. He played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012 tournaments. He also helped Denmark qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
- Club Career Highlights
- International Career
- Playing Style
- Personal Life
- Career Statistics
- Football Achievements
- See also
Club Career Highlights
Starting in Youth Football
Nicklas Bendtner was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He started playing football at Tårnby Boldklub. In 1998, he joined Kjøbenhavns Boldklub (KB), which is connected to F.C. Copenhagen. He scored four goals in six games for Denmark's national youth teams. In August 2004, he moved to the English club Arsenal.
Time at Arsenal
Bendtner played well in Arsenal's reserve team. He made his first team debut for Arsenal on 25 October 2005. This was in a League Cup match against Sunderland. He came on as a substitute in that game.
Loan to Birmingham City
In August 2006, Bendtner was loaned to Birmingham City. This was to help him get more experience playing in first-team games. He played his first game for Birmingham on 5 August. He scored the winning goal in that match. His loan was extended until the end of the 2006–07 season. He scored eleven league goals and helped Birmingham get promoted to the Premier League.
Returning to Arsenal: 2007–08 Season
Bendtner signed a new five-year contract with Arsenal in May 2007. He returned to the club for the 2007–08 season. He scored his first goal at the Emirates Stadium in a friendly game. His first official goal for Arsenal was in a League Cup match on 25 September 2007. He also scored his first UEFA Champions League goal on 23 October.
On 22 December 2007, he scored his first Premier League goal. This was against Tottenham Hotspur. He scored the winning goal just seconds after coming on as a substitute. He was sent off in his first Premier League start a week later.
Arsenal: 2008–09 Season
In the 2008–09 season, Bendtner scored four goals in a pre-season friendly game. He scored his first Premier League goal of the season against Bolton Wanderers. On 25 November, he scored a late winning goal in the Champions League. This helped Arsenal move to the next stage of the competition.
He scored two more winning goals as a substitute in January. On 24 February, he faced some criticism after missing chances in a Champions League game. However, he scored two goals the following week against West Bromwich Albion.
Arsenal: 2009–10 Season
Bendtner changed his Arsenal squad number to 52 for the 2009–10 season. He scored his first goal of the season in the Champions League. In September, he was in a car accident but recovered. He returned to play in October and scored his first league goal of the season.
On 9 March, Bendtner scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game). This was in a 5–0 win over Porto in the Champions League. He also scored late winning goals against Hull City and Wolverhampton Wanderers. He won the Arsenal Player of the Month award for March.
Arsenal: 2010–11 Season
Bendtner had a groin injury during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was out of action for almost four months. His first game of the season was in October. He scored his first goal of the season on 24 October against Manchester City.
In January 2011, he scored against Ipswich Town in the League Cup. On 2 March, Bendtner scored another hat-trick. This was in an FA Cup game against Leyton Orient. He wanted to leave Arsenal in August 2011 to play more first-team football.
Loan to Sunderland
On the last day of the August 2011 transfer window, Bendtner joined Sunderland on a one-year loan. He made an assist in his first game for Sunderland. His first goal came on 1 October against West Bromwich Albion. He scored his second goal in injury time against Bolton Wanderers.
In January 2012, Bendtner fractured his eye-socket. When he returned, he wore a protective facemask. He scored a penalty in the Tyne-Wear derby on 4 March. He finished the season as Sunderland's top scorer in the Premier League with eight goals.
Loan to Juventus
In August 2012, Bendtner joined Juventus in Italy on loan. He made his debut on 22 September 2012. He suffered a thigh injury in December that needed surgery. He returned to play in Juventus's last league game of the season. He played eleven games for Juventus but did not score any goals. Juventus did not make his loan move permanent.
Arsenal: 2013–14 Season
On 22 September 2013, Bendtner was a substitute for Arsenal. Three days later, he played his first Arsenal game in two years. He scored his first Arsenal goal since March 2011 on 4 December. This was against Hull City. On 1 January 2014, Bendtner scored his last goal for Arsenal against Cardiff City. He was released by Arsenal at the end of the season.
Playing for VfL Wolfsburg
On 15 August 2014, Bendtner signed a three-year deal with VfL Wolfsburg in Germany. He made his debut on 30 August. On 6 November, he scored his first two goals for Wolfsburg in a Europa League game. He scored his first Bundesliga goal on 22 November. On 19 March 2015, he scored a late winning goal against Inter Milan in the Europa League.
Bendtner started his second season at Wolfsburg by scoring the winning goal in a penalty shootout. This helped Wolfsburg win the 2015 DFL-Supercup against Bayern Munich. On 25 April 2016, Wolfsburg ended Bendtner's contract early.
Time at Nottingham Forest
On 7 September 2016, Bendtner signed a two-year deal with Nottingham Forest. He made his debut on 20 September against his old club, Arsenal. He scored two goals in seventeen games for Forest.
Playing for Rosenborg BK
On 6 March 2017, Bendtner signed with the Norwegian club Rosenborg. He made his debut and helped his team win 2–0. He also scored his first league goal in his first game in the Eliteserien league. On 12 August, Bendtner scored a great goal from outside the penalty box.
He won his second Mesterfinalen (a Norwegian super cup) in 2018. He scored the only goal in that game.
Playing for Copenhagen
On 2 September 2019, F.C. Copenhagen signed Bendtner. He scored his only goal for the club in a cup game on 31 October 2019. His contract with Copenhagen ended in December 2019.
Retirement from Professional Football
On 25 August 2020, Bendtner joined the "M+32 Old Boys" team at Tårnby FF. He played his first game for them on 9 September. In June 2021, Bendtner announced that he was retiring from professional football. He said it was hard to stop playing after doing it his whole life.
International Career
Youth National Teams
Bendtner started playing for Denmark's national youth teams in February 2004. He scored a hat-trick in his third game for the Under-16 team. He scored six goals in 15 games for the Under-17 team. He was named Danish Under-17 Player of the Year in 2004.
He made his debut for the Under-21 team on 17 May 2006. He scored both goals in a 2–0 win against Spain. He was the youngest player chosen for Denmark's squad for the 2006 European Under-21 Championships.
Senior National Team Debut
On 16 August 2006, Bendtner played his first game for the senior Denmark team. He was 18 years old. He started the game against Poland and scored after 32 minutes. Denmark won 2–0. He scored again in his second game for Denmark against Portugal. He quickly became a regular player for the senior team.
World Cup and Euro Qualifiers
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In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Bendtner scored a late goal against Portugal. Denmark won that game 3–2. He scored again against Portugal and also against Albania. He helped Denmark qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was voted Danish Player of the Year for his efforts. He played in all three of Denmark's group matches at the World Cup. He scored Denmark's first goal in their 2–1 win against Cameroon.
Bendtner did not play in the 2011 European Under-21 Championships. He wanted to spend time with his young son. In qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, he scored two goals against Norway. He also scored against Portugal to help Denmark qualify for Euro 2012.
UEFA Euro 2012 Performance
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Bendtner was part of the Denmark squad for Euro 2012. He was described as a tall and powerful player who could play in different attacking roles. On 13 June, he scored two goals in Denmark's 3–2 loss to Portugal.
2018 FIFA World Cup
Bendtner was included in Denmark's early squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. However, a groin injury meant he could not be part of the final team.
Playing Style
Bendtner was a flexible forward who could play in different attacking positions. He usually played as a centre-forward. He was known for being tall and strong, and very good at heading the ball.
When he was younger, he was seen as a talented but sometimes wild player. He was known for having good technique, strength, and speed. He was also good at holding the ball and creating chances for his teammates.
His former Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, once said Bendtner could be an "unstoppable striker." Wenger praised his ability in the air, good technique, and link-up play. However, Bendtner often had injuries. He was also sometimes criticized for his confidence and not always playing consistently.
Personal Life
In November 2009, Bendtner was seen with Caroline Iuel-Brockdorff. She is a socialite and friend of the Danish royal family. In December 2010, she gave birth to Bendtner's son. The couple separated soon after.
Bendtner has a group of fans who call him "Lord Bendtner." In March 2015, a Danish magazine bought him a small piece of land in Scotland. This was a joke to give him the title of "Lord." Bendtner has also joined in the fun, posting jokes about it online.
In November 2018, Bendtner was sentenced to 50 days in prison in Denmark. This was for an incident with a taxi driver. He accepted the sentence.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bendtner started playing the video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. He even became the owner of a small team called Prosapia Esport.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Arsenal | 2005–06 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 27 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | — | 40 | 9 | ||
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 31 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 2 | — | 50 | 14 | ||
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 23 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | — | 31 | 12 | ||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 17 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | 32 | 8 | ||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 14 | 2 | ||
| Total | 108 | 24 | 13 | 5 | 18 | 7 | 32 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 171 | 45 | ||
| Birmingham City (loan) | 2006–07 | Championship | 42 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 48 | 13 | ||
| Sunderland (loan) | 2011–12 | Premier League | 28 | 8 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 30 | 8 | |||
| Juventus (loan) | 2012–13 | Serie A | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2014–15 | Bundesliga | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 4 | — | 28 | 5 | ||
| 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 4 | ||
| Total | 31 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 47 | 9 | |||
| Nottingham Forest | 2016–17 | Championship | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 2 | ||
| Rosenborg | 2017 | Eliteserien | 29 | 19 | 2 | 0 | — | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 23 | |
| 2018 | Eliteserien | 23 | 5 | 2 | 3 | — | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 12 | ||
| 2019 | Eliteserien | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| Total | 57 | 24 | 4 | 3 | — | 23 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 86 | 35 | |||
| Copenhagen | 2019–20 | Danish Superliga | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 296 | 72 | 28 | 10 | 23 | 9 | 69 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 419 | 113 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 2006 | 4 | 2 |
| 2007 | 10 | 3 | |
| 2008 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2009 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2010 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 10 | 5 | |
| 2012 | 10 | 5 | |
| 2013 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2014 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 10 | 3 | |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 81 | 30 | |
- Scores and results list Denmark's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bendtner goal.
| No. | Cap | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 16 August 2006 | Odense Stadium, Odense, Denmark |  Poland |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 2 | 1 September 2006 | Brøndby Stadion, Brøndbyvester, Denmark |  Portugal |
4–2 | 4–2 | Friendly |
| 3 | 6 | 28 March 2007 | MSV-Arena, Duisburg, Germany |  Germany |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 13 | 17 November 2007 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland |  Northern Ireland |
1–0 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualification |
| 5 | 14 | 21 November 2007 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Iceland |
1–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualification |
| 6 | 15 | 26 February 2008 | Športni Park, Nova Gorica, Slovenia |  Slovenia |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 7 | 16 | 26 March 2008 | MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark |  Czech Republic |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 8 | 21 | 10 September 2008 | Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal | Portugal |
1–1 | 3–2 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 28 | 5 September 2009 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | Portugal |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 29 | 9 September 2009 | Qemal Stafa Stadium, Tirana, Albania |  Albania |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 32 | 3 March 2010 | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria |  Austria |
1–1 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 12 | 34 | 19 June 2010 | Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa |  Cameroon |
1–1 | 2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup |
| 13 | 41 | 6 September 2011 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Norway |
1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
| 14 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 15 | 43 | 11 October 2011 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | Portugal |
2–0 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
| 16 | 44 | 11 November 2011 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Sweden |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 17 | 45 | 15 November 2011 | Blue Water Arena, Esbjerg, Denmark |  Finland |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 18 | 47 | 26 May 2012 | Imtech Arena, Hamburg, Germany |  Brazil |
1–3 | 1–3 | Friendly |
| 19 | 50 | 13 June 2012 | Arena Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine | Portugal |
1–2 | 2–3 | UEFA Euro 2012 |
| 20 | 2–2 | ||||||
| 21 | 53 | 12 October 2012 | Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria |  Bulgaria |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 22 | 55 | 14 November 2012 | Türk Telekom Arena, Istanbul, Turkey |  Turkey |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 23 | 56 | 11 October 2013 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Italy |
1–1 | 2–2 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 24 | 2–1 | ||||||
| 25 | 63 | 14 November 2014 | Partizan Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia |  Serbia |
1–1 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualification |
| 26 | 3–1 | ||||||
| 27 | 65 | 25 March 2015 | NRGi Park, Aarhus, Denmark |  United States |
1–1 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 28 | 2–2 | ||||||
| 29 | 3–2 | ||||||
| 30 | 79 | 14 November 2017 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland |  Republic of Ireland |
5–1 | 5–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Football Achievements
Birmingham City
- Football League Championship runner-up: 2006–07
Arsenal
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2010–11
Juventus
- Serie A: 2012–13
VfL Wolfsburg
- DFB-Pokal: 2014–15
- DFL-Supercup: 2015
Rosenborg
- Eliteserien: 2017, 2018
- Norwegian Football Cup: 2018
- Mesterfinalen: 2017, 2018
Individual Awards
- Danish Under-17 Player of the Year: 2004
- Danish Talent of the Year: 2007
- Danish Football Player of the Year: 2009
- Danish Goal of the Year: 2009
- Eliteserien top scorer: 2017
See also
In Spanish: Nicklas Bendtner para niños
