Photo: Jesper Poulsen / Bold.dk
  • Name: Kevin Niclas Mensah
  • Age: 21 (15.05.1991)
  • Position: Midfield/Attacker
  • Club: Viborg FF
  • International Caps:
    • Denmark U20
      • 3 Match(es)
      • 0 Goal(s)
    • Denmark U19
      • 5 Match(es)
      • 1 Goal(s)
    • Denmark U18
      • 4 Match(es)
      • 2 Goal(s)
    • Denmark U17
      •  12 Match(es)
      •    1 Goal(s)
    • Denmark U16
      •    2 Match(es)
      •    0 Goal(s)
  • Value: £225.000 (transfermarkt.co.uk) 
 
Since last year, we have kept an eye on one of the Mensah brothers - Jeff Mensah. Today, we include his brother Kevin Mensah in our Keep an eye on archive.

Kevin Niclas Mensah is the oldest of the two brothers, spending his entire career in Viborg FF where he also played during his youth years. Since his breakthrough in Viborg's youth department as well as in the Danish youth national teams, he has been considered as one of the greatest talents in Denmark. In 2005, several SAS-Liga clubs (Superliga today), was interested in the midfielder, but Kevin decided to stay in Viborg.

“At the time, Viborg was playing in the Superliga, so I didn’t feel it would be any different playing for one of the other teams," Mensah says.

The player does nor regret staying in Viborg, despite the club has been playing in the Danish 1. Divison the last couple of years. In fact, he enjoys playing in Viborg:

”Viborg is a great club with a lot of great people around it. We [the players] is getting along well, and within the last couple of years it has become more competitive. The competitive spirit in the squad has improved, which makes it more attractive for other players to join. We know we are getting better; it is a club in development and with ambitions and talent to at some point play in the Superliga.”

In 2007, Mensah's talent was discovered outside Denmarks boundaries as both Arsenal and Newcastle invited him for a trial. He joined Arsenal in Italy where they played a youth tournament against Inter, Vicenza and Cheivo. The team made it to the final, where the Dane played fulltime - unfortunately Arsenal lost 1-0. The experience was positive for Mensah:

"I was playing with some real talented players; one of them was Jack Wilshere, one of the 10th best midfielders in the world today. Of course, it is great to have played with a guy like him, but it is not something I think about in my every day.”

However, it stayed with the trial and Mensah is still to be found in Viborg where coach Ove Christensen is more than happy to have him.  The coach describes Mensah as a technical strong and talent players in his squad. Furthermore, he tells that the talent is one of the fastest in the squad.

Kevin Mensah had his debut in 2009 against Næstved in the Danish 1. Division, but long before that he had been included in the squad for a match against Aalborg in the Superliga. Despite his debut came in the 1. Division, the talent remembers the match with great pleasure:

“I was so proud; suddenly, everyone I know from this city saw me, a young guy on the pitch. As I remember I did well and despite losing the players and the fans welcomed me well,“ he says.

In Viborg Kevin has his younger brother Jeff in whom he finds strong support. According to Kevin, the two Mensah brothers are capable getting them best out of each other as well as seeing each others faults. However, the oldest of the two brother's doesn't hope that they will play together for the rest of their career's.

“I hope not; I hope both of us can take the next step. We are two individuals with separate patches and separate ambitions for our lives. However, it would be great to play together again as we do now, later in out career.”

Coach Ove Christensen is also happy to have the two brothers on his team: “It is a pleasure to have those two guys as Jeff has the same genes as Kevin. Jeff is also a happy and positive guy and has some physical and technical abilities. They are much the same, and both have some tactical things to learn. It is two guys that you can only like, and they are great ambassadors for the club.”

The Superliga club FC Nordsjælland invited Mensah for a trial in 2011, but Mensah returned to Viborg where he is ready to stay. At the moment,  Viborg is in a position to be promoted for the Superliga next season, why Mensah doesn't see any point in changing club. Instead, he would like to fulfill his potential in his current club.

However, he acknowledge that if he had played in a Superliga club he probably would have played more for the Danish youth national teams. However, injuries have also had an impact on the talents career, but he now feels that he has put the injuries behind him. In fact, one of his goals is to play for the Danish national team in the future. Mensah also has another possibility as he has Ghanian blood running through his veins. Unfortunately for Ghana, Mensah laughs and says:

"I've never considered playing Ghana!" 
 
   

 
  




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              Name: Jeff Andy Mensah
               Age: 20 (10.08.1992)
          Position: Winger
              Club: Viborg F.F
International caps: Denmark U21: 1 Match(es)
                                 0 Goal(s)
                    Denmark U20: 3 Match(es)
                                 1 Goal(s)
                    Denmark U19: 1 Match(es)
                                 0 Goal(s)
             Value: £275.000

He is twenty years old and has already played more than sixty matches for his club Viborg F.F. Here, the Assistant coach, Søren Frederiksen, describes Jeff Mensah as “a physical strong and energetic player”.

Jeff Mensah has played in Viborg throughout his entire career. He started in the club’s youth department F.K. Viborg before signing a contract with the senior club in 2008. Back then, Mensah rejected one of the other leading clubs in Jutland, Aalborg BK.

The debut for Mensah came only two years later, when he was sent on the pitch against Vejle in the Danish 1. Division. Here, Mensah played his first senior match along with his brother Kevin Mensah and even though he only played ten minutes, the talent sees it as a great experience:

“I have played in Viborg all of my life; I’m born and raised in Viborg, so playing for the team I have always followed is great.”

Jeff Mensah’s first starting match was against Brabrand. Here, the offensive player also scored his first goal. Even though, the young player has scored a sensational goal from 55 meters distance; goals are not something you see from the talent every day. Søren Frederiksen points out that:

“He is missing some overview and to be able to come forward in the attacking play; to create more chances and score more goals”.

Jeff Mensah is not only used on the wing or in the attacking roles. The Danish-Ghanaian has filled out the position as both wing back and central midfield, especially in his breakthrough season last year. However, Mensah is aware of the drawback of being an all-around player:

“I’m best in the attacking role, and my coach know this. I’m not playing the back position to become an all around player, and I don’t hope it will turn out this way. However, I have not had the fear for this to happen.”

While Jeff Mensahs brother Kevin Mensah has been on trial in clubs as Arsenal and Newcastle United, Jeff is still missing the chance to show a big foreign club what he is made of. However, there is no envy from the young player.


“It is just fantastic to see him in a greater club, and he has done well. I just hope that one of us will have the chance once again, but right now we are playing in Viborg.”

Assistant coach Søren Frederiksen is also hoping to keep the two brothers in the squad for a while longer:

“They are some wonderful boys to work with and are always in a good mode. I enjoy working with them and hope that I can give them some advice and some experience from my own career, so they one day can take the next step.”

The next step for Jeff Mensah is far out in the future he assures the fans of Viborg. However, he speaks well about English football which he describes as, “a great football culture and one of the places you would like to go”. Another possibility for Mensah is Holland as it matches his “play style”.

Mensah has so far played four youth matches for Denmark and scored one goal. The attacking midfielder has a Ghanaian background and can play for Ghana. However, it is not something the Dane has thought about:

“It is a possibility, but it is not something I consider. I don’t know the culture of Ghana, and I am playing in Denmark where I have been a part of the youth teams so I am hoping to play for the Danish national team if I should have the chance”.

Jeff Mensah, who played and scored in last nights 4-1 win against Hjørring, is on contract with Viborg until 2014.



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