He is only 21-years old, but he has already been in his first Danish Cup final and played European football. This week we keep an eye on AC Horsens’ André Bjerregaard.

André Bjerregaard had most of his football in education in Silkeborg IF, but his career took speed in Horsens. However, before the Superliga club contacted him, he played six months in the minor Danish league Danmarks Serien for Herning Fremad.

The change from Herning Fremad in the minor league, to AC Horsens in the 1. Division was quite a culture shock for the talent, who suddenly had to play on a much higher level.  In 2010, he then got his first appearance for Horsens in the last match, in the season against Frem, in the Danish 1. Divison. However, Bjerregaard does not think back on the match as something special. Instead, his debut in the Danish Superliga against Fc Nordsjælland is a highlight in his career:

Since his debut, André Bjerregaard has often started the matches on the bench and had a role as a joker. However, coach Johnny Mølby sees a great future for his talented winger.

One of the great matches is the Danish Cup final in 2012. Here, Horsens met Fc Copenhagen, who brought themselves in front after 42 minutes. During the second half, Bjerregaard was sent on the pitch, and in the dying minutes of the match, the talents gets the ball, takes a touch and hammers the ball on the bar! A few seconds after, the match was over.

Despite losing the Danish Cup final, Horsens qualified for the Europa League Qualifications. Here, they were set up against Sporting Lisbon from Portugal. The first match in Horsens ended in a deserved 1-1 draw, but Danes were sent home from Lisbon with a 5-0 loss. Despite, being out of the qualifications, Bjerregaard sees it as a great experience, bot for him and the club as well as the city of Horsens.

If you ask Bjerregaard, this season wasn't the last with European football in Horsens. In fact, the talent has only seen progress and development since he joined the team in the 1. Division days. The talent dreams of one day to play abroad – and it doesn’t really matter where – but for now he is in Horsens. Coach Johnny Mølby is also keen to keep his talent:

The last match André Bjerregaard played was against Aalborg last Thursday. Here, the winger contributed to the teams comeback from 2-0, by scoring Horsens first goal. The next mission for the talent will be tomorrow against Odense BK.

He travelled from one part of Denmark to the other to become the footballer he is today. This week's talent is Jeppe Illum from Silkeborg IF.

Illum was born in Næstved, and represented the city's club as well as Karrebæk IF and Herlufholm GF before leaving Zealand to study at Hesselgods Football School. The young player attended the border school for a year and has only fund memories from it.

"It was a year of maturity with football as the main object. It was perfect for me as there were competent coaches and you had some opportunities of development. It was a great year, and I will never regret it," Illum says.

Unlike many other players, Illum was not directly scouted by Silkeborg. The striker was actually recommended to join Silkeborg's Football Academy as he then had the opportunity to study in college as well as keep developing his football career. At first, Illum's parents paid the tuition fees, but after 1½ year, Silkeborg noticed the talent and paid for the rest of his college. Joining the college was a wake up call for the young player.

"It opened my eyes for how much work is needed to become something in the world of football. Training two times a day – one of the at seven in the morning - and at the same time go to school and move away from your parents was a point of no return for me. It made me realise that this was what I wanted, and I had to work hard to make it."

Illum had become topscorer for the club U19-team and was promoted to the senior squad aged 18. Only six days before his 19-year old birthday, he was given his debut in the dying minutes against Odense Boldklub. The former topscorer hardly had time to make an impact, but two months later he became the fourth youngest goalscorer in the club. However, the striker wasn't even aware of this.

"Well, it is always good to be remembered, but it is not something I think about. I’m just trying to make as many goals as possible and help my team the best I can."

Silkeborg IF has recently hired a new coach, Viggo Jensen, and, despite only knowing Illum for a short period of time, he has a clear view on how the talent has to develop.

"He has a good ball control and view for the game, but he has to work with his physics on every level; especially speed and stamina," Jensen said,

And added: "He needs to have more great moments – it is not enough to be good three or four times during a match, he has to be good the whole match."

Despite being positioned in the bottom of the Danish Superliga, Silkeborg is considered to have a fairly strong offensive. During this week,  they even added a Swedish talent to the squad; Illum is aware of the situation but is keeping calm:

"My situation is hard at the moment; I’m being matched in training every day, and it is all about being the best every time. However, this is also what makes me better, and I just have to fight for my position and play as much as possible."

Viggo Jensen is backing up his young player, saying he has a chance if he can work with his physics and that the club is seeing a future in him.

Jeppe Illum has not been a part of the Danish national youth teams and has only had four matches for the Danish U20. However, the Silkeborg-player does not believe he has been missing out on anything as he sees a line between the DBU (Danish national teams) and the Danish clubs way of playing and training. And they U20 national is hoping to take the next step to the U21, but is aware that he will have to work for it.

"It goes together; success for my club team can open for the U21 national team, so for me it is all about getting some match experience here. I hope to be a more regular starter in Silkeborg, and when this has happened I can begin to think about the national team," the Dane says.

The few international matches have given Illum the taste for more, but with 2½ year left of his contract in Silkeborg he does not know what the future brings. However, should he be lucky to go abroad Spain is to be preferred as he finds their play attractive.

 

Nicolaj Ritter moved around between minor clubs in North Jutland, before joining Aalborg BK. However, before his youth career was even started he joined the FC Midtjylland Academy, where he played together with last week’s talent Mads Hvilsom.

 

Ritter joined Midtjylland at the age of fifteen, and thereby had most of his youth in the club. Here, he won two Danish youth Championships and participated in several international cups. It was also in Midtjylland Ritter found his way to the Danish youth national team. However, his senior debut was to be in another club. Last summer, the winger joined Silkeborg IF: 

 

 

In the new club, Ritter went from being nobody to be in the starting XI. His debut in the best Danish league came, ironically, in the 2-1 win against his former club FC Midtjylland. However, the break trough is still to come, but one of the team mates in Silkeborg – former Bolton striker Henrik Pedersen – is sure this is the season for Ritter. The young winger is happy for the trust in him:

 

 

Silkeborg coach Keld Bordingaard ensures that the break through is not impossible for Ritter, but he can’t “promise either Henrik or Ritter that it will happen.”

Since his transfer to Silkeborg, Nicolaj Ritter has been a part of the Danish U19 national team as well as the U20, where he had his debut this year. It is a dream for the young player, to play for the Danish senior national team, however; it is not something he worries about at the time. Instead, Ritter dreams to transfer to a foreign club one day: 

 

“If I have the chance in a couple of years, it is defiantly an opportunity. I would really like to experience life as a Dane in a foreign club.”

Ritter would prefer to play in the Dutch or Spanish league, and has Real Madrid as his favorite team. However, right now the talent keeps his feet on the Danish ground, and his coach urges him to stay there: