Jakob Poulsen

Jakob Poulsen

Poulsen playing for Monaco in 2013
Personal information
Full nameJakob Bendix Uhd Poulsen[1]
Date of birth7 July 1983
Place of birthVarde, Denmark
Height1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionMidfielder
Club information
Current team
Midtjylland
Number7
Youth career
Næsbjerg RUI
1999–2002Esbjerg fB
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2002–2006Esbjerg fB107(19)
2006–2008Heerenveen57(3)
2008–2010AGF54(10)
2010–2012FC Midtjylland46(9)
2012–2014AS Monaco17(0)
2014–FC Midtjylland32(3)
National team‡
2000–2001Denmark U195(0)
2002–2004Denmark U207(0)
2003–2006Denmark U2116(1)
2009–Denmark31(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12:13, 22 February 2014 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 March 2014

Jakob Bendix Uhd Poulsen (born 7 July 1983) is a Danish professional football player in the midfielder position, playing for Midtjylland. Poulsen started his senior career with Esbjerg fB, before moving to Dutch side SC Heerenveen in 2006. He joined AGF Aarhus in the summer of 2008. He has played 30 games and scored one goal for the Denmark national football team.

Club career

As a schoolboy, Poulsen played alongside Anders Egholm and Nicolai Høgh in the Danish school tournament for Næsbjerg.[2] He played youth football with Esbjerg fB, and got his senior debut under coach Viggo Jensen in September 2001. In the team of new coach Ove Pedersen, Poulsen established himself in the starting line-up. Having played 21 of 33 games in the Danish Superliga 2002-03 season while missing some games due to injury, Poulsen played all games of the Danish Superliga 2003-04 season, scoring seven goals as Esbjerg finished in third place. He played a total 107 games and scored 19 goals in the Superliga, before leaving the club.

In January 2006, Poulsen was sold to Dutch team SC Heerenveen, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract with the club.[3] At Heerenveen, he played alongside fellow Danes Hjalte Bo Nørregaard, Bo Storm, Timmi Johansen, and Ken Ilsø.[4] He suffered an injury in late February 2006,[5] but returned to play seven games in his first half-year with the team. By fall 2006 he was backup to right back Gianni Zuiverloon,[6] and stated he did not like coach Gertjan Verbeek's motivational skills.[7]

He was used as right midfielder in the spring 2007,[8] but could not establish himself in the starting line-up,[4] and played most of his Heerenveen games as a substitute.[2] He established himself in the team in early 2008,[9] but under new coach Trond Sollied his run in the starting line-up came to an end. As Sollied would not include him in more games, Poulsen decided to leave the club.[2]

He moved back to Denmark in August 2008, signing a four-year contract with AGF Aarhus. He rejoined his former coach Ove Pedersen, and looked to restart his career by receiving more regular playing time.[10] He debuted for AGF in August, and established himself as a right-sided midfielder in the starting line-up. He scored his first goal against AaB, which was named September 2008 goal of the month in a TV 2 Sport poll.[11] He was included in the team of the fall season by both TV 2 Sport[12] and TV 3.[13] AGF finished the Danish Superliga 2008-09 season in sixth place. He started the Danish Superliga 2009-10 season well, playing all 18 games, and was named 2009 Danish Superliga Player of the Year.[14] A transfer offer from Serie A side Lazio was accepted by AGF in January 2010, but Poulsen rejected the offer in order not to put his 2010 FIFA World Cup participation in jeopardy.[15] He suffered an ankle injury in February 2010,[16] and only played six games in the spring season, as AGF were relegated to the Danish 1st Division.

Following the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa, English Premier League club, Wigan Athletic, as well as German Bundesliga club, 1. FC Köln, reportedly was interested in Poulsens services.[17][18] However, on 17 August 2010 it was announced that Poulsen joined the Danish Superliga side FC Midtjylland.[19] At the start of the season, Poulsen suffered an seriously ankle and hadn't play much until making his debut on 22 November 2010, coming on as a substitute, in a 3–2 loss against OB; then scored his first goal on 6 March 2011, in a 2–0 win over Copenhagen, followed up his second with his right foot in a 3–2 win over Randers in a 2–2 draw on 25 May 2011. In his first season, Poulsen scored twice in sixteen appearance. The next season, Poulsen would increasingly used in the first team, with scoring his first goal on the opening game of the season in a 2–1 loss against Silkeborg. This is soon followed up with six more goals later on the season and scored seven goals in thirty appearance, as well making five assists.

Following the Euro 2012 in Poland/Ukraine, it announced that Poulsen had joined Ligue 2 side Monaco for worth around 10 million Danish kroner (£900,000), becoming Claudio Ranieri's second signing.[20] On the opening game of the season, he made his AS Monaco debut in a 4–0 win over Tours, after coming on as a substitute, just ten minutes from full-time. In the second round of Coupe de la Ligue against Niort, Poulsen scored his first goal, which was winning goal. At Monaco, Poulsen since featured in the starting eleven, in various position in midfields and once in defense. However, he lost his place in the first team after the first half of the 2012–13 Ligue 2 campaign and spent the reserve team for the remainder of the season. He failed to regain his first team spot the following season after Monaco were promoted to the top-flight as champions. In January 2014, he returned to Denmark for his former team Midtjylland.[21]

International career

Poulsen got his international debut with the Denmark national under-19 football team in September 2000, and represented the team five times until October 2001. He was a part of the Danish under-20 national team at the Milk Cup in July 2002, and played seven games for the team until June 2004. He debuted for the under-21 national team in November 2003, coming on as a substitute to replace right back Allan Olesen. [22] He also played as a centre midfielder,[23] attacking midfielder,[24] and centre back[25] for the team. He played a total 16 games for the under-21s until January 2006, scoring one goal in the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification. He was included in the Danish squad for the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship,[26] but did not play any games at the tournament.

After strong performances for AGF, he was called up by national team coach Morten Olsen for the Denmark League XI national football team in January 2009.[27] He impressed in January 2009, and Olsen saw him as a competitor with Lars Jacobsen and Kasper Bøgelund for the right back position, while Poulsen maintained he saw himself as a right midfielder.[28] He was also a part of the League XI in January 2010.[29]

He was called up for the Danish national team in February 2009,[30] and made his senior international debut in a friendly match against Greece, coming on as a substitute for Lars Jacobsen. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification game against Albania in April 2009, he replaced Martin Jørgensen in the midfield,[31] and went on to secure himself a place in the starting line-up,[29] as a central midfielder.[31] In his seventh national team game, Poulsen scored his first international goal in the 1–0 win against Sweden in November 2009, which secured the qualification for Denmark.[32] He was one of five nominees for the 2009 Danish Footballer of the Year award,[33] which eventually went to Nicklas Bendtner. He played a total six qualification games, and was included in Olsen's final squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

In the 2010 FIFA World Cup Poulsen came on as a substitute in Denmarks 2–1 win against Cameroon, as well as the 3–1 loss to Japan in the last group match.

Career highlights

International goals

Scores and results list Denmark's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 10 October 2009 Copenhagen, Denmark  Sweden 1–0 1–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qual.

Honours

AGF

References

  1. ↑ "FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010 – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Jakob Poulsen: Stjernen fra Næsbjerg Skole" [Jakob Poulsen: The star of Næsbjerg School] (in Danish). Ekstra Bladet. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  3. ↑ "Jakob Poulsen til Heerenveen" [Jakob Poulsen to Heerenveen] (in Danish). Tipsbladet. 27 January 2006. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1
  5. ↑ "Endnu en U/21-landsholdsspiller skadet" (in Danish). Tipsbladet. 23 February 2006. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  6. ↑ "Most p å æ b nken" (in Danish). Tipsbladet. 30 October 2006. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  7. ↑ "Træneren er stadig ikke min kop te" [The trainer is still not my cup of tea] (in Danish). Tipsbladet. 4 December 2006. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  8. ↑ "Poulsen sidder ikke og venter på Olsens opkald" [Poulsen is not sitting and waiting Olsen calls] (in Danish). Tipsbladet. 7 March 2007. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  9. ↑ "Vestjysk friserinstinkt langt ude på landet" [Vestjysk friserinstinkt deep in the countryside] (in Danish). Tipsbladet. 22 February 2008. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  10. ↑
  11. ↑
  12. ↑
  13. ↑
  14. ↑ "Tidligere kårede – Årets Profiler igennem tiderne" (in Danish). spillerforeningen.dk. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  15. ↑ "Jakob Poulsen siger nej til Lazio" [Jakob Poulsen says no to Lazio] (in Danish). Tipsbladet. 29 January 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  16. ↑
  17. ↑ "Jakob Poulsen: FC jagt Dänen-Rakete" [FC chases Danes rocket] (in German). Express.de. 8 December 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  18. ↑ "Latics like look of Poulsen". Sky Sports. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  19. ↑ "Officielt: Jakob Poulsen til FCM" (in Danish). AGF Homepage. 17 August 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  20. ↑ "Monaco sign Poulsen". ESPN Soccernet. 23 June 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  21. ↑ "FCM Holding A/S meddelelse nr. 222: FCM henter Jakob Poulsen tilbage" (in Danish). Midtjylland Homepage. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  22. ↑ "Danmark tabte 0–0" (in Danish). DBU. 19 November 2003. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  23. ↑ "Debut til Simon Braemer" (in Danish). DBU. 1 June 2005. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  24. ↑ "Uafgjort i andet opgor I panama" (in Danish). 23 January 2005. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  25. ↑ "Curth og 'Duncan' i front" (in Danish). DBU. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  26. ↑ "U/21-landsholdets EM-trup udtaget" (in Danish). DBU. 9 May 2006. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  27. ↑ "Stokholm tilbage på Ligalandsholdet" (in Danish). DBU. 19 December 2008. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  28. ↑ "Olsens nye fund", B.T., 26 January 2009, p.10
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 "Jesper Grønkjær på Ligalandsholdet" [Jesper Gronkjaer the League national team] (in Danish). DBU. 19 December 2008. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  30. ↑ "Simon Kjær på landsholdet" [Simon Kjaer national team] (in Danish). DBU. 3 February 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1
  32. ↑ "Denmark 1–0 Sweden: Late Jakob Poulsen Goal Wins It For The Danes". Goal.com. 10 October 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  33. ↑ "Årets Spiller 2009? – du bestemmer!!" (in Danish). DBU. 26 October 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2013.

External links