Photo: Ali Shahrokhtash

  • Name: Kevin Ray Mendoza Hansen
  • Age: 19 (29-09-1994)
  • Position: Goalkeeper
  • Club: Viborg FF
  • International Caps: None
  • Value: £50.000 (Transfermarkt.co.uk)

He had his debut in the Danish 1. Divison when he was only 17, have had a tryout in Liverpool and is now on the look for a new club; this week we keep an eye on Viborgs Kevin Ray Mendoza Hansen.

Take the name Kevin Ray Hansen, add then Mendoza and you have a not so typical Danish name. However, there is a good explanation to the young goalkeeper's rather untraditional name of Danish standards and as the talent put it himself he is a mix of nationalities. His grandmother was Filipino and his Grandfather was Spanish, add then his Danish father and you have a multinational young talent eligible to play for the Philippines. Even though his mother have urged him to contact the Philippine national team, Kevin Hansen has his mind somewhere else.

The young keeper is a product of Viborg's youth department and is described as a safe goalkeeper with a great calmness and self confidence and was already at a young age promoted to the, back then, 1. division squad.

“It is a special feeling; when you come from U17 and U19 you have the green blood running through your veins, and it is a perfect feeling to be a part of the best team in Viborg," Hansen says about his life in Viborg.

Soon after being promoted, and by the age of 17, Kevin Hansen was given his debut for Viborg as the, by then, first choice Martin Hansen was going through a troubled time of injuries. For the same reason, it didn't come as a shock for the talent that he suddenly was in the lineup. However, since the debut the goalkeeper has had trouble getting time on the pitch, even before the start of this season where Viborg only had Kevin Hansen in their squad. However, the club decided to bring in another and more experienced goalkeeper.

“Obviously, you are disappointed and it feels like a defeat, but I was prepared as I knew they wanted a more experienced goalkeeper, so it wasn’t a big surprise, but obviously I hoped they would give me a chance," Hansen says the arrival of a new goalkeeper. 

While not  getting a chance in Viborg, Liverpool gave him a chance last year when they invited the goalkeeper for a week's tryout in England. The tryout was arranged with the help from Martin Hansen who was a part of Liverpool's youth department before joining Viborg made the contact with John Acterberg, the goalkeeper coach at the Merseyside club. Mendoza sent some videos to Acterberg and luckily for the talent, he liked what he saw.

“It is probably the biggest experience in my life; the environment was perfect and I got to train with some of the best players, so it was really good," the talent says. 

“I learned that everything is hard work, the training was harder and there was a lot of self training and weightlifting.”

Despite the interest from Liverpool Hansen have been in the shadows of more experienced goalkeepers, and by the end of this season his time in Viborg is over. The talent is looking to leave his heart club in order to get more experience even though it means he may have to take a step down from the Danish Superliga level. 

“My aim is to get back in the best league, but I’m still young and has the time on my side," he says and ends the interview with a talk about his dreams in football: 

“I dream of a breakthrough abroad somewhere; England is a dream, but Spain, Germany and maybe Italy would also be great.”