Keep an eye on: André Rømer

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  • Name: André Rømer
  • Age: 20 (18.07.1983)
  • Position: Centre Back
  • Club: Esbjerg FB
  • International Caps
    • Denmark U20
      • 4 matches / 0 goals
    • Denmark U18
      • 2 matches / 0 goals
    • Denmark U16
      • 3 matches / 0 goals
  • Value: £125.000

“We have talked about it for years; how fun it could be if not playing on the same team, then meeting each other." This week we keep an eye on one of the Rømer brothers, André; another talent from the FC Midtjylland academy.

André Rømer was only fifteen when he decided to leave not only his parents and brother, but also his youth club to follow a dream of becoming a professional football player. The talent had the opportunity to move to Brøndby, a nearby club, but the fact that he had to spend time on travelling back and forth as well as two of his teammates was heading to Midtjylland made him chose the FCM Academy. However, the transition from being a star in Køge to becoming one of many talents in Jutland was not easy:

“It is a great upheaval moving from the safe settings home with your parents and being one of the best on your team, to suddenly have to compete for a place in the starting line-up. It was hard for me not playing in the first three to four matches before I managed to get on the team [In Midtjylland],“ Rømer says.

And the centre-back surely managed to get on the youth teams in his new club. In fact, when he thinks about his years at the academy he says: "most of the time it was only going one way, and it was up." But as any other footballers have experienced in the past: What goes up must come down. The talent ran into an injury sending him off the pitch for six months:

"It was almost in the worst period possible as it was just around the time where you would be given a contract or told to find another club.

“I was close to heading home as football wasn’t really working for me at the time," Rømer says.

However, the talent stayed in Midtjylland and convinced the staff that he is worth giving a contract. In the 2012/13 season,  he was promoted to the Superliga squad, and the plan was for Rømer to be send on loan in Hobro as many other FCM-talents had been in the past. There was only one problem: Hobro had no intentions of letting the defender play as a regular and instead he agreed with Midtjylland to stay as a reserve for the season. It wasn't until just the last match before the Christmas break Rømer was handed his debut against AC Horsens when he was given the last couple of minutes. So far the talent have played 20 matches, 12 of them this season, but not in the central defends as he has been used to during his youth years:

"Since I was promoted to the senior squad I haven’t played a minute on that position. As it looks now, I will be playing somewhere else in the future.

"I prefer to play on the central midfield where you're a part of everything", the 'all-rounder' says.

While André has been a part of a Superliga club for some years now, his brother Marcel Rømer signed with newly promoted Viborg before this season. The first meeting between the rivals ended in a draw while FCM won in Viborg. This means André has the right to mock his brother; however only Marcel played in the two matches:

“If I say too much he will say ‘I played, and you didn’t’ so I can’t mock him before I play," the FCM talent says.

Rømer started the season with an injury and has more or less been a substitute so far this season. However, he hopes to play more after the Christmas break. He is determined to make a breakthrough in the club, currently leading the Danish league and is willing to stay as a reserve for this season. However, the talent dreams of someday playing in Holland, France, Belgium or the Premier League. However, he can settle with being a profile in the Danish Superliga:

“It is a dream to play abroad, but if I stay in FC Midtjylland I will not be disappointed," Rømer ends.





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Follow up: Alexander Ludwig - five shot shootout

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In relation to last weeks talent profile, Alexander Ludwig answers 5 questions from the twelve yard spot.

Who is your idol?

My idol is Carlos Puyol. As a defender, he is cynical in his duels and at the same time a leader, who controls his defends. He is also great handling the ball and a kind of all-round player.

What is your favorite club?

It is Barcelona. I like to watch, the way they play football.


What is your greatest experience as a football player?

Definitely to go on the pitch at Aalborg Stadium and have my Superliga debut.

Where is Alexander Ludwig in 10 years?

In ten years, I will be playing in either German or English football. If I could choose a club myself, it would be Werder Bremen. Not too big a club, but of course, one of the top English clubs could be fantastic to play for, but it is only a dream and not something I think about.

How far is Denmark going during the 2012 Euro?

No longer than the group stages.
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Keep an eye on: Uffe Manich Bech

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Keep an eye on: Uffe Manich Bech

               Age: 19 (19-01-1993)
          Position: Striker - 
                    Centre Forward      
              Club: Lyngby BK,
                    Danish Superliga
             Debut: 01-08-2010 against
                    Silkeborg IF (2-2)
International Caps: Denmark U19: 8 Match(es)
                                 2 Goal(s)
                    Denmark U18: 4 Match(es)
                                 1 Goal(s)
                    Denmark U17: 10 Match(es)
                                  6 Goal(s)
                    Denmark U16: 7 Match(es)
                                 3 Goal(s)
             Value: £175.000 (transfermarkt.co.uk) 

Since his change from Hellerup Idrætsklub to Lyngby BK in 2006, Uffe Bech has become another product of the clubs fantastic youth department. The talented striker, who can play several offensive positions, signed his first contract with Lyngby aged 15. Back then he had just won the national championship for U16. 

Uffe Manich Bech describes himself as a player who is “quick on his feet” and believes that he “thinks fast and is playing in a high tempo”. 

The player also said: “I am good in the offensive play and in creating chances both for myself and my teammates.”

The description is backed up by Danish national U19 coach Per Andersen:


“Uffe is a player with a very high intelligent for the game. It means he is great at reading the game. He is tactical clever, and a technical  great player, as well. He is very creative and good at finding the openings and he can be used on several positions.”

In 2009 Uffe Bech, was invited on a trial in Blackburn Rovers where they, according to Sky Sports, had the chance of a permanent stay if they could impress the club. Bech said about his stay in Blackburn Rovers: 

“Blackburn was the first trial I had, and it was a fan experience. It was instructive; we played against some players that were physical bigger than me, and I think it went well.” 

However, the talented player returned to Lyngby but was soon invited on another trial. This time in Heerenveen. Once again, Bech returned to Lyngby, but this time to have his debut for the first team squad six months after. 

Uffe Bech had his first appearance in the 2-2 draw against Silkeborg IF in August 2010 and later that month he signed a new contract with Lyngby BK. In February 2011, the player was invited on a trial in German club HSV. However, Niels Frederiksen, Manager of Lyngby made it clear that Uffe Bech would return to Lyngby. Asked what he would suggest as the next step for Uffe Bech, Per Andersen said:

“He is in a good development in Lyngby, and I would suggest that he stays in the club and becomes a regular part of the Superliga squad. That is the first thing he should have as a goal for his future.”

Uffe Bech is willing to develop in Lyngby, but also said that:

“I want to play abroad at some point. I believe I have the talent and will for it, and then we will see how far it reaches. It is my goal.”

The first goal in the blue shirt came in April 2011 when the 18-year old striker was sent on the pitch in the 72nd minute against FC Midtjylland. Three minutes later had he smashed the leather in the back of the net and made himself matchwinner. An experience the striker sees as one of his biggest moments.

In December 2011, Uffe Manich Bech was awarded the Danish Football Associations U19-talent price. A price that have been awarded to some of the most influential players in Danish football, as Jon Dahl Thomasson, Jesper Grønkjær and Peter Løvenkrands. The striker said about winning the price:

“I was glad and proud of being awarded the price, but I see it as a pat in the shoulder rather than a quality stamp. It does not mean that I can go out and think I am the king here, it means I need to work harder and first of all here in Lyngby.” 

The young offensive player has earlier been compared with the Argentinean super striker, Lionel Messi, by Danish expert Per Frimann. However, the player himself has another view:

“There is a long road to become Messi and I'm never going to be the same player as Messi. It is possible that we both are small players, but we do not have the same style of playing”.

It is worth mentioning that Uffe Manich Bech was a crucial factor in Lyngby BK’s reserves victory against Viborg IF’s reserves, during the winter preseason. The team was behind by 4-0 when Uffe Bech made a hattrick in sixteen minutes, bringing the club back in the game, which they won – 5-4.
                    
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Keep an eye on: Morten Brander Knudsen

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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.


      Special thanks to: Thomas Frank - D.B.U, Thomas Andersen - D.B.U, FCM.dk
  











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