Bjørn Kristensen

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Bjørn Kristensen
Personal information
Full name Bjørn Kristensen
Date of birth October 10, 1963 (1963-10-10) (age 44)
Place of birth    Malling, Denmark
Playing position Defender, midfielder
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1982-1989
1989-1993
1992
1993-1995
1995-1997
1997
Aarhus GF
Newcastle United
Bristol City
Portsmouth FC
Aalborg BK
Aarhus Fremad
165 (19)
80 (4)
4 (0)
71 (1)

   
National team
1983-1986
1987-1993
Denmark U-21
Denmark
12 (0)
20 (2)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)

Bjørn Kristensen (born October 10, 1963) is a Danish former professional football player who most notably played for English club Newcastle United, where he was nicknamed "Benny". He played 20 matches and scored two goals for the Danish national team, and represented his country at the 1988 European Championship.

[edit] Biography

Born in Malling, Kristensen started his career with local top-flight team Aarhus GF (AGF) in 1982. His talent was soon discovered, as he played 12 games for the Danish under-21 national team from 1983 to 1986. While at AGF, Kristensen won the 1986 Danish championship as well as two Danish Cup trophies. He made his national team debut in May 1987, and took part in a single match at the 1988 European Championship.

He joined Newcastle United in March 1989, as a 25-year-old, and became a popular figure amongst the fans for his versatility; he could play as a defender or midfielder. He is also remembered by "Toon" fans for having a strong long-range shot. He was the first Newcastle player to gain caps for the Danish national team, playing two national team matches in 1991. He was loaned out to Bristol City in November 1992, before he permanently left Newcastle in February 1993. He moved to Portsmouth FC, before ending his career in Denmark.

He joined defending Danish champions Aalborg BK (AaB) in the summer 1995. He made fine displays in the central defense of AaB, and took part in AaB's campaign in the international 1996 UEFA Champions League tournament. Despite being an experienced player in a young squad, Kristensen suffered a number of injuries and only played a total of 22 games for AaB. He moved to Aarhus Fremad in January 1997, and helped the club win promotion for the top-flight Danish Superliga championship.

[edit] Honours

[edit] External links