Photo: Lyngbymedia.dk

  • Name: Ryan Laursen
  • Age: 20 (14.04.1992)
  • Position: Right Back
  • Club: Lyngby BK
  • International Caps: 
    • Denmark U20
      • 2 Match(es)
      • 0 Goal(s)
    • Denmark U19
      • 9 Match(es)
      • 0 Goal(s)
  • Value: £100.000 (transfermarkt.co.uk)
His childhood dream was to someday play somewhere a bit warmer than Denmark; the name is Ryan Laursen, Lyngby BK's Danish-American defender.

The young talent describes him self as a right back who is strong is the defensive 1 on 1 situations and sees his string physic and pace as a force. Something, his manager Niels Frederiksen agrees with:

"He is a type of back that matches our way of playing, with his attacking mind and pace. He is also great in 1 one 1 situations, so he has most of the abilities that we like for our left back," Frederiksen says.

Ryan Laursen joined Lyngby from BK Skjold in 2007 in his search for the opportunity to play at a higher level. In his third year, in Lyngby, he was given his debut against FC Fyn is the Danish FA Cup. An opportunity that the talent had waited for with great humbleness:

"I waited for my chance; I think I was on the bench for 27 matches before given my debut, so it was really great. Both physically and mentally everything just went faster, but I did well.”

Since the debut, Laursen has made 12 appearances and scored 2 goals for Lyngby and considers himself as an attack minded defender. Niels Frederiksen also sees Ryan Laursen in the role as an attacking back, which matches Lyngby's play style well.

“I try to be a part of the attacking play as much as possible, and as much as the coach allows me," Laursen says.

So far, the Lyngby defender has had 11 appearances in total for the Danish youth national teams, and he is hoping for more international experience with Denmark. Ryan Laursen was born in Los Angeles, USA and has an American mother which opens for the possibility of playing for the American national team. However, Laursen has not considered playing for USA; mostly because of the distance. Despite this, he reveals that should Jürgen Klinsman give him a ring he would consider it, but at the moment the Danish national team is his aim.

At the moment, Lyngby is 5 in the NordicBet Ligaen [Danish 1. Divison] and is still in play for a positing securing them promotion to the Danish Superliga. Despite, having almost no experience from the best league in Denmark, Niels Frederiksen is sure his defender as well as other younger players can take the next step:

“What is exiting about our team is that we have players that have not reached their top level yet so players as Ryan or Youssuf Poulsen will develop from playing on a higher level. I believe that he will be able to do it well in the Superliga,” he says.

Lyngby was supposed to play their first match in the autumn season this weekend. However, due to heavy snow the match against Fredericia has been adjourned. Instead, Ryan Laursen can get his 13th match for Lyngby next week against Skive IF.