Thomas Rytter

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Personal information
Thomas Rytter
Full name	Thomas Rytter Jakobsen
Date of birth	January 6, 1974
Place of birth	Copenhagen, Denmark
Playing position	Right defender
Club information
Current club	Brøndby IF
Senior clubs¹
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1992-1996 1996-1998 1998-2001 2001-2005 2005-	Lyngby FC Sevilla FC F.C. Copenhagen VfL Wolfsburg Brøndby IF	129 (1) 34 (1) 95 (3) 87 (1) 25 (0)
National team
1992-1993 1993-1996 1996-	Denmark u-19 Denmark u-21 Denmark	5 (0) 22 (0) 4 (0)
¹ Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals)

Thomas Rytter Jakobsen (born January 6, 1974) is a Danish professional football (soccer) player, who plays as a defender for Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga. At the international level, he has played four matches at the right back position for the Danish national team.

[edit] Biography

Born in Copenhagen, he started his career at Lyngby Boldklub. He made his senior debut for the club in 1992, 18 years old, and immediately secured himself a place in the Lyngby first team squad. Rytter was one of several promising young Lyngby players, including later Danish internationals Dennis Rommedahl and Niclas Jensen, and he was called up for the Danish under-19 national team in October 1992. He went on to play 22 matches for the Danish under-21 national team from 1993 to 1996, and won the 1994 Danish under-21 Talent of the Year award.

He was called up for Danish national team coach Bo Johansson's debut game, and made Rytter got his international debut in the 1-0 win against Sweden on 14 August 1996. After five seasons at Lyngby, Rytter left the club in the winter 1996. He was sold by Lyngby CEO Flemming Østergaard to Spanish club Sevilla FC in the La Liga championship. Rytter debuted for Sevilla in December 1996. In his first year at the club, they were relegated to the Segunda División. He started the next season for Sevilla, before moving back to Denmark in January 1998.

He was bought by F.C. Copenhagen (FCK) CEO Flemming Østergaard, and Rytter made his FCK debut in March 1998. At FCK, he was reunited with former Lyngby teammate Niclas Jensen, and the two formed a wingback duo that was known as the best in the Superliga. Rytter was a part of the FCK team which won the 2001 Superliga trophy, and was once again called up for the Danish national team, by new national coach Morten Olsen. He played his second second national team game in November 2001. His contract with FCK was set to run out in the summer 2002, and in the winter 2001, Rytter and FCK failed to agree on a contract extension. He was initially benched, but was eventually sold to German Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg in December 2001.

He played 3½ seasons at Wolfsburg, and was twice called up for the Danish national team, by Morten Olsen. In July 2005, he moved back to Denmark to Brøndby IF, the main rivals of his former club FCK. This caused controversy in FCK, where CEO Flemming Østergaard concluded that all footballers are egoists and Thomas was like a son to him. Thomas Rytter replied "I already have a father, and his name is Frank". In his first season at Brøndby, injuries reduced his playing time.