Brian Jensen (footballer born 1975)

Brian Jensen
Personal information
Full name Brian Paldan Jensen
Date of birth 8 June 1975 (1975-06-08) (age 36)
Place of birth Copenhagen, Denmark
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1]
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club Burnley
Number 12
Youth career
1990–1993 B.93
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1993–1997 B.93 2 (0)
1997–2000 AZ 1 (0)
1997–1998 → Hvidovre (loan) 1 (0)
2000–2003 West Bromwich Albion 46 (0)
2003– Burnley 269 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:34, 17 September 2011 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).

Brian Paldan "The Beast" Jensen (born 8 June 1975 on Nørrebro, Copenhagen) is a Danish professional footballer who plays for Burnley as a goalkeeper. He has played more than 300 English league games since 2000 for Burnley and West Bromwich Albion.

Jensen started his career with Danish lower-league club B.93, before joining Dutch Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar in 1997. He made his senior breakthrough with West Bromwich Albion, playing a total 50 games for the club. He joined Burnley in 2003, and has since played more than 300 games in all competitions, helping the club win promotion for the top-flight Premier League in 2009.

Contents

Career

Early career

Born and raised in the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen, Jensen began playing football as a defender in the youth team of B 93.[2] As the youth team goalkeeper lacked height, the keeper job was given to the "biggest and dumbest" player of the team, according to Jensen himself.[2] He was a substitute to goalkeeper Jan Hoffmann at the B 93 senior team.[3]

His goalkeeping talent caught the attention of Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar when he was named best goalkeeper at a youth tournament in the Netherlands.[3] He was loaned out from Alkmaar to Danish club Hvidovre IF for eight months, while finishing his electrician education, before going to play as a full-time professional for Alkmaar in February 1998.[2] Jensen managed one appearance in the Eredivisie championship in his time at Alkmaar,[4] serving exclusively as a substitute for Dutch international keeper Oscar Moens.[3]

West Bromwich Albion

While waiting for his Alkmaar contract to run out, Jensen trained with Division One side West Bromwich Albion, where his imposing stature earned him the nickname "The Beast".[3] When West Brom first choice keeper Chris Adamson was asked to comment on Jensen, he told reporters he was "nothing but a beast".[5] Jensen moved to West Brom for a fee of £80,000 in March 2000.[2] He made his Albion debut on 7 March 2000 and kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 victory over Tranmere Rovers. He stayed at West Brom for three years, playing a total of 50 games. He helped the club survive in Division One in 1999–2000, and was a regular for much of the following season, until the arrival of Russell Hoult saw the end of Jensen's playing time for WBA in February 2001.[6] Jensen never re-gained a regular place, playing only one match in Albion's promotion season of 2001–02.[7] He moved on in 2003, after West Brom were relegated, finishing 19th in the Premier League.

Burnley

He joined Burnley on 30 June 2003 on a free transfer.[8] During his first season at Burnley, he was the only goalkeeper on their books. The club avoided relegation by just two points, finishing in 19th position in the First Division. After the arrival of Danny Coyne in the summer of 2004, he found himself second choice keeper at Turf Moor, but through good form and a serious injury to Coyne he earned his place back in the starting line-up.[9] Following impressive form in autumn 2004, Jensen criticised national team manager Morten Olsen for not having watched him play, when Jensen thought he had earned a place in the Danish national squad.[10]

After a run of performances in which Jensen's form was found lacking by Burnley manager Steve Cotterill, goalkeeper Mike Pollitt was brought on loan to Turf Moor in January 2007.[11] In response to being left out of the Burnley team for a match at Southampton, Jensen wanted to leave the club, and on 22 January 2007 Burnley placed him on the transfer list.[12] However, by April of that year, Jensen had not only re-established himself as the club's first-choice but his relationship with Cotterill had improved and he was taken off the transfer list.[13]

Burnley brought in another goalkeeper, Gábor Király, before the 2007–08 season and Jensen found himself once again seemingly second choice, spending four months out of the team from mid-September.[14] He returned to regular first team action in January 2008.[14] He signed a new two-year contract with Burnley in June 2008.[15] He saved two penalties to help Burnley beat Chelsea in the fourth round of the League Cup. He played in the 2009 Football League Championship play-off Final, in which Burnley beat Sheffield United 1–0 at Wembley Stadium to earn promotion to the Premier League.[16] On the 19 August 2009 he was named man of the match in Burnley's 1–0 Premier League victory over Manchester United, which was Burnley's first top division win in 33 years. The performance included a range of saves as well as a penalty save against Michael Carrick.[17] He signed a new two-year contract with the club in June 2010.[18] Jensen played his 300th league game in a 4-0 win over Hull City on 28 September 2010. On 22 December 2010 Jensen officially handed in a written transfer request due to lack of games.

Career statistics

As of 27 August 2011.
Club Season League[A] FA Cup League Cup Other[B] Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
West Bromwich Albion 1999–00[19] 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 0
2000–01[20] 33 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 37 0
2001–02[21] 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2002–03[22] 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 46 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 50 0
Burnley
2003–04[23]
 46 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 52 0
2004–05[24]
 27 0 4 0 2 0 0 0 33 0
2005–06[25]
 39 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 41 0
2006–07[26]
 31 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 33 0
2007–08[27]
 19 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 21 0
2008–09[28]
 45 0 5 0 7 0 3 0 60 0
2009–10[29] 38 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 41 0
2010–11[30] 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 0
2011–12[31] 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Total 269 0 16 0 17 0 3 0 305 0
Career totals 315 0 16 0 21 0 3 0 355 0
A. ^ The "League" column constitutes appearances and goals (including those as a substitute) in the Premier League and the Football League.
B. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals (including those as a substitute) in the play-offs.

References

  1. ^ "Brian Jensen". ESPNsoccernet. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/stats?id=5261&cc=5739. Retrieved 22 July 2010. 
  2. ^ a b c d Kaspar Steenbach, "Bæstet fra Blågårds Plads", B.T., 20 August 2000
  3. ^ a b c d Niels Rasmussen, "Det populære udyr", Politiken, 19 March 2001
  4. ^ Hunter, Andy (8 March 2009). "Interview: Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen on facing Arsenal in the FA Cup". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/mar/08/burnley-arsenal-fa-cup-brian-jensen-interview. 
  5. ^ Tommy Heisz and Peter Gisselmann, "Talent: Bæstet i buret", Aktuelt, 29 January 2001
  6. ^ http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=19366&season_id=130
  7. ^ http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=19366&season_id=131
  8. ^ "Burnley snap up Jensen". BBC Sport. 30 June 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/burnley/3031536.stm. Retrieved 22 July 2010. 
  9. ^ http://www.bold.dk/nyt/?vis=46074?
  10. ^ Kent Hedlundh, Jensen slams Danish boss, Sky Sports, 17 October 2005
  11. ^ https://secure.tipsbladet.dk/nyhed/generelle/quotthe-beastquot-vil-vaek-fra-burnley
  12. ^ "Gudjonsson seals Clarets switch". BBC News. 22 January 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/burnley/6286435.stm. 
  13. ^ http://www.tipsbladet.dk/nyhed/generelle/beast-gamblede-og-vandt
  14. ^ a b http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=19366&season_id=137
  15. ^ "Burnley's Jensen signs new deal". BBC Sport. 29 May 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/burnley/7399286.stm. Retrieved 22 July 2010. 
  16. ^ Fletcher, Paul (25 May 2009). "Burnley 1–0 Sheff Utd". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/8060970.stm. Retrieved 27 May 2009. 
  17. ^ "Burnley 1–0 Man Utd". BBC Sport. 19 August 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8202360.stm. Retrieved 26 April 2010. 
  18. ^ "Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen signs new deal". BBC Sport. 3 June 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/burnley/8721196.stm. Retrieved 22 July 2010. 
  19. ^ "West Brom 1999/2000 player appearances". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=2744&teamTabs=stats. Retrieved 2011-08-31. 
  20. ^ "West Brom 2000/2001 player appearances". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=2744&teamTabs=stats. Retrieved 2011-08-31. 
  21. ^ "West Brom 2001/2002 player appearances". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=2744&teamTabs=stats. Retrieved 2011-08-31. 
  22. ^ "West Brom 2002/2003 player appearances". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=2744&teamTabs=stats. Retrieved 2011-08-31. 
  23. ^ "Burnley 2003/2004 player appearances". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=435&teamTabs=stats. Retrieved 2011-08-31. 
  24. ^ "Burnley 2004/2005 player appearances". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=435&teamTabs=stats. Retrieved 2011-08-31. 
  25. ^ "Burnley 2005/2006 player appearances". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=435&teamTabs=stats. Retrieved 2011-08-31. 
  26. ^ "Burnley 2006/2007 player appearances". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=435&teamTabs=stats. Retrieved 2011-08-31. 
  27. ^ "Burnley 2007/2008 player appearances". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=435&teamTabs=stats. Retrieved 2011-08-31. 
  28. ^ "Burnley 2008/2009 player appearances". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=435&teamTabs=stats. Retrieved 2011-08-31. 
  29. ^ "Burnley 2009/2010 player appearances". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=435&teamTabs=stats. Retrieved 2011-08-31. 
  30. ^ "Burnley 2010/2011 player appearances". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=435&teamTabs=stats. Retrieved 2011-08-31. 
  31. ^ "Burnley 2011/2012 player appearances". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=435&teamTabs=stats. Retrieved 2011-08-31. 

External links

Burnley F.C. – current squad