Simon Poulsen facts for kids
Poulsen in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 7 October 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Sønderborg, Denmark | ||
| Height | 1.84 m | ||
| Playing position | Left-back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | SønderjyskE (assistant) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Ulkebøl | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2005 | SønderjyskE | 71 | (23) |
| 2005–2007 | Midtjylland | 63 | (5) |
| 2008–2012 | AZ | 93 | (6) |
| 2012–2014 | Sampdoria | 7 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | AZ | 42 | (3) |
| 2015–2017 | PSV | 2 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | SønderjyskE | 45 | (1) |
| Total | 323 | (40) | |
| National team | |||
| 2002–2003 | Denmark U19 | 7 | (0) |
| 2003–2004 | Denmark U20 | 7 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | Denmark U21 | 11 | (1) |
| 2007–2015 | Denmark | 31 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2019– | SønderjyskE (assistant) | ||
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Simon Busk Poulsen (born 7 October 1984) is a Danish former professional footballer. He played as a left-back, a defensive position on the field.
Poulsen played 31 games for the Denmark national team. After he stopped playing professionally, he became a coach. He is currently an assistant coach for SønderjyskE.
Contents
Simon Poulsen's Football Journey
Starting at SønderjyskE
Simon Poulsen was born and grew up in Sønderborg, Denmark. He started playing football at a young age. He played for local clubs like Ulkebøl and SUB Sønderborg. Later, he joined Haderslev Fodboldklub, which changed its name to SønderjyskE.
In 2001, Simon was quickly moved up to the club's main team. He scored a goal in his very first game! This was in a Danish Cup match, which his team won 4–2. He later said it was "one of the best days of my life." He became the youngest goal scorer in the Danish Cup at that time.
Simon continued to play well. In the 2002–03 season, he scored his first goal for HFK Sønderjylland. He scored four goals in total that season. Because of his good performance, he signed a new contract with the club.
Over the next two seasons, Simon kept his spot on the team. He scored his first goal of the 2003–04 season in a 2–1 win. His skills even caught the eye of a German club, Werder Bremen, but he decided to stay. He scored 18 goals in these two seasons. His goals helped SønderjyskE get promoted to the top Danish league, the Danish Superliga.
Simon played five more games for SønderjyskE at the start of the 2005–06 season. He scored his first Danish Superliga goal during this time. After he left the club, he was honored with a spot on their Wall of Fame.
Moving to FC Midtjylland
In June 2005, Simon joined Midtjylland, another team in the Danish Superliga. He signed a three-year contract.
He played his first game for Midtjylland on 21 August 2005. He scored a goal in that game, which ended in a 3–3 draw. Simon quickly became an important player for the team. He also played in the UEFA Cup, a European competition.
During the 2006–07 season, Simon continued to play a key role, often in midfield. He scored his first goal of the season in August 2006. He helped his team finish second in the league that year.
In the 2007–08 season, Simon kept playing well. He scored several goals, including one in a UEFA Cup match that helped his team move to the next round. His great performances led to him being named to the 2007 Danish Team of the Year. He also signed a new contract with the club, keeping him until 2011.
Playing in the Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar
On 23 December 2007, Simon moved to the Dutch team AZ Alkmaar. This was a big move for him.
He made his debut for AZ on 13 January 2008. He came on as a substitute in a game against Ajax. He then made his first start a few days later. Unfortunately, he had some injuries that kept him from playing much during his first season.
At the start of the 2008–09 season, Simon found it hard to get into the main team. He sometimes played for the reserve team. However, he started playing as a left-back in February 2009. He did very well in this new position. He helped AZ win the 2008–09 Eredivisie championship, which was their first league title since 1981!
For the 2009–10 season, Simon stayed with AZ. He started playing more regularly as a left-back. He made his UEFA Champions League debut in September 2009. He scored his first goal for AZ in February 2010. He helped the team keep many "clean sheets" (games where the other team doesn't score).
In the 2010–11 season, Simon started strong but faced more injuries. He returned to play in the UEFA Europa League. He scored another goal for AZ and helped them finish fourth in the league, qualifying for the Europa League again.
The 2011–12 season was a busy one for Simon. He played a lot of games and helped AZ qualify for the Europa League group stage. He scored four goals that season. His contract was ending, and he was linked with big clubs like Aston Villa and Juventus. It was announced that he would leave AZ at the end of the season.
Time in Italy with Sampdoria
On 25 August 2012, Simon joined the Italian team Sampdoria. He signed a three-year contract.
He made his debut for Sampdoria in September 2012. However, he found it difficult to get a regular spot on the team. He also had some injuries. In his first season, he played only eight games.
In the 2013–14 season, Simon played only one game for Sampdoria, which was in the Italian Cup. In January 2014, he left the club by agreement.
Back to AZ Alkmaar
On the same day he left Sampdoria, Simon rejoined his old team, AZ Alkmaar. He signed a contract until 2015.
He played his first game back with AZ on 8 February 2014. He quickly got back into the main team. He helped AZ keep several clean sheets. He also played his 100th league game for the club.
In the 2014–15 season, Simon continued to be an important left-back for AZ. He scored his first goal of the season in September 2014. He scored two more goals that season and was even named Man of the Match after one game. He played 35 games and scored three goals in total that season.
Joining PSV Eindhoven
On 15 May 2015, Simon moved to PSV, another big Dutch club. He signed a two-year contract.
He made his debut for PSV in a match where they won the Johan Cruijff Schaal (a Dutch super cup). He also played in the UEFA Champions League. However, he often found himself on the substitute bench, as he was a backup for another player. He also had some injuries. In his first season, he played only five games for the main team. He also played nine games for PSV's second team.
In the 2016–17 season, Simon didn't play any games for PSV's main team. He wanted to leave to get more playing time.
Returning Home to SønderjyskE
On 31 January 2017, Simon returned to his first professional club, SønderjyskE. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract. He said he wanted to finish his career there.
He played his first game back for SønderjyskE on 17 February 2017. He quickly became a regular starter again. He helped his team qualify for the league's Championship Round.
For the 2017–18 season, Simon was named SønderjyskE's vice-captain. He scored his first goal since returning to the club in September 2017. He also captained the team a few times. He played 19 games and scored one goal that season.
In the 2018–19 season, Simon continued to play for SønderjyskE. He helped set up several goals for his team. He also captained the team again. He played 16 games before announcing his retirement.
Life After Playing Football
On 4 January 2019, Simon Poulsen announced that he was retiring from playing professional football. However, he decided to stay with SønderjyskE. He became the new assistant coach for the first team and also a youth coach. He signed a contract to stay with the club until 2023.
Playing for Denmark
Simon Poulsen could have played for Denmark, Nigeria (through his mother), or the United States (through his father). He chose to play for Denmark.
Youth Teams
Simon played for Denmark's under-19 and under-20 teams. He then joined the Denmark under-21 national team in 2004. He made his U21 debut in August 2005. In May 2006, he played in the 2006 European Under-21 Championship. He scored his first U21 goal in August 2006. In total, he played 11 games and scored one goal for the Danish under-21 team.
Senior National Team
Simon was first called up to the Denmark national team in March 2007. He made his debut in a friendly match against Germany on 28 March 2007. Denmark won that game 1–0. He also played in two qualification matches for the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament.
After a break, Simon was called back to the national team in May 2010, just before the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He played in a friendly match against Senegal. He was then included in Denmark's World Cup squad. In the World Cup, he played in matches against the Netherlands, Cameroon, and Japan. Denmark was eliminated in the group stage.
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After the World Cup, Simon continued to play for Denmark. He helped Denmark qualify for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament. In May 2012, he was chosen for the Euro 2012 squad. He played a great game against the Netherlands, helping Denmark win 1–0. He played in two more matches in the tournament against Portugal and Germany. Denmark was eliminated in the group stage.
Simon continued to play for Denmark in 2013 and 2014, including some qualifying matches for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Denmark did not qualify for that World Cup.
His last appearances for Denmark were in 2014 and 2015. He played in some matches for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying play-offs against Sweden, but Denmark did not qualify for Euro 2016. In total, Simon played 31 games for the Danish national team.
Personal Life
When Simon joined Haderslev Fodboldklub, his family moved to Haderslev. His mother, Bibbi Poulsen, was very supportive of his football career.
Simon is married to his wife, Mette. They have a daughter together. He once said that the week his daughter was born and he scored a goal was "fantastic."
Achievements and Awards
SønderjyskE
- Danish 1st Division: 2004–05 (This means his team won the second-highest league in Denmark)
AZ
- Eredivisie: 2008–09 (This means his team won the top league in the Netherlands)
PSV
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2015 (This is a super cup match in the Netherlands)
- Eredivisie: 2015–16 (His team won the top league in the Netherlands again)
See also
In Spanish: Simon Poulsen para niños
