Keep an eye on: Casper Sloth

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              Name: Casper Sloth
               Age: 20 (26-03-1992)
          Position: Central Midfield
              Club: Aarhus GF (AGF),
                    Danish Superliga
             Debut: 7-12-2009 against
                    Esbjerg FB
International caps: Denmark U21:
                    3 match(es)
                    0 goal(s)
                    Denmark U20:
                    3 match(es)
                    2 goal(s)
                    Denmark U19:
                    3 match(es)
                    0 goal(s)
                    Denmark U18:
                    7 match(es)
                    0 goal(s)
                    Denmark U17:
                    12 match(es)
                    0 goal(s)
             Value: £350.000 (transfermarkt.co.uk) 


The U21 national player debuted for Aarhus GF in the Danish Superliga aged seventeen and has since played seventy three matches in the white shirt. This week’s talent profile features Casper Sloth, who has been named as one of the greatest talents in Denmark.

Sloth joined Aarhus GF from the Danish 2. Division club Brabrand IF in 2004, aged eleven and played his way up through the club's youth department. The midfielders career started running fast when he in 2008 had his debut on the Danish U17 national team against Ukraine in the Syrenka Cup. The year after he was a part of AGF’s first team squad and played for the club’s 2. Division team. Later that year he had his debut in the Superliga against Esbjerg, when he was sent on the pitch with fifteen minutes left. Aarhus GF Manager Peter Sørensen said about the player:
“He is a player with a great potential, which is beginning to be released. He is has great skills with the ball and a fine view for the game and where to play the ball and he has the potential to become both goal scorer and assist, but still lacks a little behind when it comes to win balls and become a bit more power in his duels if he is going to make it on the central midfield.” 

Casper Sloth scored his first and second goal for AGF in the Superliga match against Silkeborg IF in 2010. The same year, Aarhus, was relegated to the Danish 1. Division. The season in the lower division should help the player to have his breakthrough in the club. However, the season was ruined by injuries:

“It was not the best year. First I had an ankle injury, then I pulled a muscle, and it was limited how much I played while we were down in 1. Division. I am just happy that we were promoted for the season after.”

Late in 2010, Sloth was rumored to Herenveen by the Danish website AGFfan.dk, but the midfielder denied that he knew anything about it. However, the talent is open for a stay abroad and “Holland could be a great place to play, or Germany and the 1. Bundesliga”, leagues that player believes would “suit” him.

The Danish player has so far played twenty eight matches in the national shirt and sees the A-squad as a future possibility. However, the first aim is to get some more matches on the U21 team and Peter Sørensen advices the player to one step at a time: 

“He shall take time to develop his play further on those parameters where he can something special.”

Casper Sloth has so far played twenty three matches and scored no goals in this season, but he can change this today, when the club meets FC Norsjælland at 16.00.
                                      
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Keep an eye on: Uffe Manich Bech

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Keep an eye on: Uffe Manich Bech

               Age: 19 (19-01-1993)
          Position: Striker - 
                    Centre Forward      
              Club: Lyngby BK,
                    Danish Superliga
             Debut: 01-08-2010 against
                    Silkeborg IF (2-2)
International Caps: Denmark U19: 8 Match(es)
                                 2 Goal(s)
                    Denmark U18: 4 Match(es)
                                 1 Goal(s)
                    Denmark U17: 10 Match(es)
                                  6 Goal(s)
                    Denmark U16: 7 Match(es)
                                 3 Goal(s)
             Value: £175.000 (transfermarkt.co.uk) 

Since his change from Hellerup Idrætsklub to Lyngby BK in 2006, Uffe Bech has become another product of the clubs fantastic youth department. The talented striker, who can play several offensive positions, signed his first contract with Lyngby aged 15. Back then he had just won the national championship for U16. 

Uffe Manich Bech describes himself as a player who is “quick on his feet” and believes that he “thinks fast and is playing in a high tempo”. 

The player also said: “I am good in the offensive play and in creating chances both for myself and my teammates.”

The description is backed up by Danish national U19 coach Per Andersen:


“Uffe is a player with a very high intelligent for the game. It means he is great at reading the game. He is tactical clever, and a technical  great player, as well. He is very creative and good at finding the openings and he can be used on several positions.”

In 2009 Uffe Bech, was invited on a trial in Blackburn Rovers where they, according to Sky Sports, had the chance of a permanent stay if they could impress the club. Bech said about his stay in Blackburn Rovers: 

“Blackburn was the first trial I had, and it was a fan experience. It was instructive; we played against some players that were physical bigger than me, and I think it went well.” 

However, the talented player returned to Lyngby but was soon invited on another trial. This time in Heerenveen. Once again, Bech returned to Lyngby, but this time to have his debut for the first team squad six months after. 

Uffe Bech had his first appearance in the 2-2 draw against Silkeborg IF in August 2010 and later that month he signed a new contract with Lyngby BK. In February 2011, the player was invited on a trial in German club HSV. However, Niels Frederiksen, Manager of Lyngby made it clear that Uffe Bech would return to Lyngby. Asked what he would suggest as the next step for Uffe Bech, Per Andersen said:

“He is in a good development in Lyngby, and I would suggest that he stays in the club and becomes a regular part of the Superliga squad. That is the first thing he should have as a goal for his future.”

Uffe Bech is willing to develop in Lyngby, but also said that:

“I want to play abroad at some point. I believe I have the talent and will for it, and then we will see how far it reaches. It is my goal.”

The first goal in the blue shirt came in April 2011 when the 18-year old striker was sent on the pitch in the 72nd minute against FC Midtjylland. Three minutes later had he smashed the leather in the back of the net and made himself matchwinner. An experience the striker sees as one of his biggest moments.

In December 2011, Uffe Manich Bech was awarded the Danish Football Associations U19-talent price. A price that have been awarded to some of the most influential players in Danish football, as Jon Dahl Thomasson, Jesper Grønkjær and Peter Løvenkrands. The striker said about winning the price:

“I was glad and proud of being awarded the price, but I see it as a pat in the shoulder rather than a quality stamp. It does not mean that I can go out and think I am the king here, it means I need to work harder and first of all here in Lyngby.” 

The young offensive player has earlier been compared with the Argentinean super striker, Lionel Messi, by Danish expert Per Frimann. However, the player himself has another view:

“There is a long road to become Messi and I'm never going to be the same player as Messi. It is possible that we both are small players, but we do not have the same style of playing”.

It is worth mentioning that Uffe Manich Bech was a crucial factor in Lyngby BK’s reserves victory against Viborg IF’s reserves, during the winter preseason. The team was behind by 4-0 when Uffe Bech made a hattrick in sixteen minutes, bringing the club back in the game, which they won – 5-4.
                    
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Keep an eye on: Andreas Retz Laudrup

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Keep an eye on: Andreas Retz Laudrup
    
               Age: 21 (10-11-1990)      
          Position: Striker - Left Wing
              Club: FCN (FC Nordsjælland),
                    Danish Superliga
             Debut: 23-04-2009
                    against Brøndby If,
                    Danish Superliga
International Caps: Denmark U21:
                    6 Match(es)
                    2 Goal(s)
                    Denmark U20:
                    1 Match(es)
                    0 Goal(s)
                    Denmark U19: 2 Match(es)
                                 0 Goal(s)
                    Denmark U18: 3 Match(es)
                                 0 Goal(s)
                    Denmark U17: 5 Match(es)
                                 0 Goal(s)
                    Denmark U16: 2 Match(es)
                                 0 Goal(s)
             Value: £450.000 (transfermarkt.co.uk)

Andreas Laudrup had his youth career in Boldklubben Søllerød-Vedbæk before joining Lyngby BK in the 2006/07 season. Laudrup was invited on a trial to the Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam twice in his first year in Lyngby, and it was reported that Barcelona and Real Madrid also were interested in a tryout for the young player.

When Andreas Laudrup’s father, the Danish football legend, Michael Laudrup was hired as manager for the Spanish La Liga team Gestafe, Andreas joined Real Madrid. As Andreas Laudrups father is a well known name in Spanish football, the player decided to use his mother’s maiden name, Retz, to avoid attention around his personality. Danish U21 national coach Morten Wieghorst why the player chose to use another name:
“As soon as the name Laudrup is being mentioned, you think of especially Michael and Brian. People, conscious or unconscious, compare Andreas with his father and uncle. It is a heavy burden for a young player, but Andreas is aware of how it is and has become much stronger as well as a lot better in tackling this than he was before”.

The former FCN-coach also said that Andreas Laudrup was “beginning to make a name of himself”, and that it was “the best thing he could do, as people at some point will associate the name with him and not his father and uncle”.

During his time in Real Madrid’s youth department, the Spanish club was very eager to get him on a full time contract. Real Madrid’s youth coach, Juvenil A Alejandro Menéndez Garcia, said to the Danish newspaper B.T:
“What I have seen from Andreas Laudrup is very positive. He has the right ingredients to become a star player”.

When Michael Laudrup signed a contract as manager for Russian Spartak Moscow, the club tried to sign Andreas, as well. However, they younger Laudrup rejected and instead transferred back to Lyngby on a free contract, to play as an amateur.

Three months after his transfer to Lyngby, the young attacker, was about to sign with a new Dutch club Heerenveen, according to the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet. Asked if Laudrup is too good to Danish football, Morten Wieghorst said:
“Andreas is still a young player, and he is in a good club [FC Nordsjælland] at the moment, with a great environment, where they are good at developing young players. He has already of first team experience in the Danish Superliga, and he needs more of it before he can take the next step”.

In January 2009, Laudrup transferred to his current club FCN where he signed a contract for 3 years. He had his debut against Brøndby IF 3 months after he joined the club. Great performances for his club resulted in a place in the Danish U21 squad, where he had his debut in the 1-0 victory against Mexico. Morten Wieghorst, who at that time was Laudrup’s manager in Nordsjælland here, gives his view on the players’ strengths and weaknesses:

“He has his best forces in the offensive play. When he has players around him whom he can play combination plays with, then he is really dangerous for the opponent because he has  quick feet and at the same time he knows where his teammates are. What he is working a lot with and what he is putting in his play is to be more decisive in the matches and thereby bringing himself or his fellow player in a position to finish at goal”.

Andreas Laudrup signed a new contract with FCN last year, keeping him in the club for at least 2014.


Andreas Laudrup scores a goal for Lyngby (Youth match)
 
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