Keep an eye on: Patrick Olsen

The young Brøndby IF midfielder Patrick Olsen is still waiting for his break through in the Danish Superliga, however, his talent has been discovered by other clubs from abroad. The Italian Serie B-club Atalanta had Olsen, then aged 16, on a trial in 2010.

"He is a fantastic technical and tactical player. He is very good at reading the game and what I like in particular is his ability to keep calm when he is under pressure."

                                          - Per Andersen, Danish U18 & U19 national coach

Patrick Olsen scored his only goal for the Danish U16 national team in his debut against Ireland in 2009. The year after he was one of the players to bring Denmark U17 to the 2011 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship Qualifications Elite Round. The Brøndby player had not success with the national team but also with the club as they won bronze in the national league.

The Danish U17 national team made it to the 2011 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship which Patrick Olsen was not only selected for; He also played him self on the UEFA All Star team:

"Brøndby IF prospect Olsen played an understated yet pivotal role for Denmark, always showing great calmness on the ball alongside Christian Nørgaard." - UEFA.com

The strong midfielder was also selected for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2011 where the dutch club Ajax Amsterdam was scouting him.

After only 2 caps for the U18 national team, Patrick Olsen, was promoted to the U19 team aged 17. Per Andersen said about the promotion:

"Patrick is from 1994 and plays on the national team for players from 1993. He has been promoted a year before schedules which means that right now he is competing with a few other midfielders. He is a player who is a part of the team to gather some experience but also because he has a great talent."

Olsen have also been a part of the Brøndby IF's reserves and is training with the Superliga squad. A break through may be the next for him, and Per Andersen believes that the young player has the potential to play on a higher level.

"He has the potential to play in The Premier League. Mostly because he is a winner-type and a mental strong player. It is hard to say if he will make it, but the potential is there."

                                   - Per Andersen,  Danish U18 &  U19 national coach
           
       
       
       

Special thanks to Per Andersen, DBU.

Keep an eye on: Morten Brander Knudsen

Fcm.dk

              Name: Morten Brander Knudsen
               Age: 16 (28-4-1995)

          Position: Center Midfield
              Club: FC Midtjylland,
                    Danish Superliga
    Official debut: Still to come
International caps: Denmark U17: 8 match(es)
                                 1 goal(s)
                    Denmark U16: 5 match(es)
                                 1 goal(s)
             Value: Unknown

Morten Brander Knudsen started playing football in the Danish club Hellerup IK aged six and was on a trial with Chelsea FC before joining the FC Midtjylland football academy in the summer 2010, aged 15.  Later that summer he had his debut for the Danish U16 national team in the 0-1 loss against Italy in the Citta di Latina tournament. At the end of the Citta di Latina Morten Knudsen was honoured as the tournament’s most valuable player.

“I’m a box-to-box player. I’m capable of kicking with both legs and have a good drive with the ball.”

                                 – Morten Brander Knudsen to FCM.dk

The great performance both in FC Midtjylland as well as for the national team was followed up by a trial-offer from Stoke City FC, where Knudsen was seen as a future academy-player. However, the Director of Sports in FCM Jens Ørgaard declined.

Morten Knudsen was chosen to play for the Danish U17-team in the Scandinavian InterNordic Cup by national coach Thomas Frank, where he had his debut in the 3-3 draw against Finland. Later that year he was reselected to play in the Syrenka Cup in Poland, where he scored his first ever international goal against Belarus. The performance on club as well as national level also gave him a spot in the squad for the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship Qualifications which Denmark won and advanced to the elite round. Danish U17 national coach said:

“He plays - what we call a number 8 sometimes a number 6 – one of the two back players in our triangle midfield. Morten has some very good competences and a really fine quality of passing both short and long, which is one of his strengths in the game. He is also very good at keeping a flow in the game.”

But the most exciting and interesting competence for the national coach is Mortens drive with the ball which makes him capable of going past his direct opponent. Frank also put weights on Knudsen’s “fantastic kick with both right and left foot.”

The Italian sports paper Gazetta dello Sport reported in December 2011 that Morten Knudsen had signed with FC Internazionale Milano after he had been on a trial with the club. The story was untrue according to FC Midtjylland, however, the club revealed to the Danish sports paper Tipsbladet that the club was in dialogue with Inter.

Italy looks like the next stop for the young player but asked if he could see Morten Brander Knudsen in The Premier League, Thomas Frank predicted:

“It is an immense step... It is the best league in the world where class players are bought for the exact position, but I believe that he has the physique to play in The Premier League, he has the speed and not the least some amazing skills with his feet – A Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard type of player.”

Brander Knudsen has been elected for the U17 friendlies against Switzerland and has been promoted to the FC Midtjylland Superliga squad doing the winter preseason.