- Name: Christopher Geertsen
- Age: 21 (24-01-2014)
- Position: Central Midfield
- Club: FC Fredericia
- International caps:
- Denmark U19
- 3 matches / 0 goals
- Denmark U18
- 6 matches / 0 goals
- Denmark U17
- 11 matches / 3 goals
- Denmark U16
- 2 matches / 0 goals
- Value: £100.000 (Transfermarkt)
He might have taken a step down from the best Danish league, but for this week's talent it is only a matter of time before he is back in the Superliga, and till then he is just doing his best to develop as a footballer. This week we keep an eye on Christopher Geertsen of FC Fredericia.
He was only ten when he was brought in from Helsted Fremad, one of Randers FC's satellite clubs to help Randers FC in their youth Danish Championship tournament. The team won the tournament, and Geertsen had left such a great impression on the coach that he stayed in Randers throughout his youth years. In fact, he became a profile on the teams he played for, and was a part of the Danish national youth teams, as well.
All young Danish footballers dream of becoming professional, and that dream reached Geertsen when he was only thirteen; Feyenoord wanted him to join the club:
“We attended a youth tournament in Den Haag and I became the best player, and a week after Feyenoord called Randers’ head of talents and asked if I could come on a week’s trial. I came for a couple of days to see how the environment was, and then they came to Denmark to watch me play, and then I was down there for two weeks," the talent tells.
"I thought it was great to come to such a big club and train with such good players; I played against Jack Wilshere and Arsenal in a friendly, and that is when you start dreaming of making it in football. They wanted me to join them, but neither the club [Randers] and I were interested at the time.”
Instead, Geertsen stayed in Randers throughout his Junior years, and was promoted to the senior squad when the club was still playing in the Danish 1. Division. By the age of 17, he was given his debut in the light blue shirt, and only a year after he signed his first senior contract leading to seven matches in the second best division, in Denmark. However, the adventure in Randers stalled when Michael Hemmingsen, the manager that had believed in Geertsen was sacked just as the club returned to the Danish Superliga.
Instead, the former Sunderland and Derby Country defender Colin Todd took over.
"Colin [Todd] came to the club, and at the time it didn’t seem as there was any space for me, but there are no hard feelings towards Randers," Geertsen says about the change of manager.
Geertsen decided to look for a new club, and was handed a two-year contract after a trial with FC Fredericia from the Danish 1. Divison. While some might see his change as a step down, the talent believes it is a step up considering the lack of match time he got in Randers.
“As a young player you need a lot of match time, and if you can’t get that in the best league then you take a step down. I feel that Fredericia is a good club that wants to achieve something, and I feel that the 1. Division is a good division to play in,” Geertsen says,
“Because I am playing more here, I feel that I have developed more in Fredericia than during my senior year at Randers, so for me it is not a step down.”
In his eight months, in Fredericia, Geertsen has played 19 matches and is becoming a regular name on the match sheet, and the talent is not in a hurry to leave his new club, although he is looking to return to the Danish Superliga within a couple of years.
“Fredericia wants to develop me and get the best out of me, and I hope that it can bring me back to the best league in Denmark," he says and finishes off the interview with a talk about going abroad.
“Without a doubt [would I like to play abroad], but you need to crawl before you can walk, so I am taking it step by step, and I would rather return to the Superliga before an adventure abroad and I just only turned 21.”
