Nicklas Bendtner The Gunners Giant Striker

Profile

Full name: Nicklas Bendtner

Date of birth: January 16, 1988

Birthplace: København, Denmark

Nationality: Danish

2nd nationality: none

EU passport: Yes

Height: 191 cms

Weight: 78 kgs

Current club: Arsenal

Previous clubs: FC Copenhaguen

Number: 26

Position: Striker

International debut: August 2006, v Poland

World Cups: none

Honours:

•2006-07 Football League Championship runner-up

•Emirates Cup Winner 2007

•Amsterdam Tournament Winner 2008

•2004 Danish Under-17 Player of the Year

•2007 Danish Talent of the Year

Football career

Nicklas Bendtner (born 16 January 1988) is a Danish professional footballer, who plays as a striker for English club Arsenal in the Premier League. Bendtner has played 18 games and scored 7 goals for the Denmark national football team.

Bendtner started playing football for Copenhagen club Kjøbenhavns Boldklub. He scored four goals in six Danish national youth team matches, before joining English club Arsenal in the summer of 2004. He formed a prolific striking partnership at the Arsenal reserve team, with reserve teammate Arturo Lupoli. Bendtner's first team debut for Arsenal came on October 25, 2005, in a League Cup match against Sunderland A.F.C. at the Stadium of Light, as a substitute for Quincy Owusu-Abeyie in the final minutes.

Bendtner was loaned out to Birmingham City in August 2006, with the loan initially lasting until January 2007.Bendtner made his debut for Birmingham City, as a substitute for Stephen Clemence, in the game against Colchester United on August 5, 2006. He played the final half hour, scoring the winning goal.

The loan to Birmingham was extended through the end of the 2006–07 season as Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger decided that the experience would be good for Bendtner; however, the loan agreement stated that Arsenal could recall him in an emergency situation. The 2006–07 season ended with the Blues as runner-up in the Football Championship, thus winning promotion to the FA Premier League.

Bendtner signed a new five-year contract with Arsenal in May 2007,and returned to the club for the 2007–08 Premier League season.

In his first match at the Emirates Stadium, a friendly versus Paris Saint Germain in the inaugural pre-season Emirates Cup tournament, Bendtner scored a goal, and assisted in another by Mathieu Flamini. Manager Arsene Wenger played him only sparingly in the beginning of the 2007–08 season, which led to media speculation of "showdown talks" between Bendtner and Wenger.

Bendtner's first competitive strike for the Gunners was the game winning goal in a 2–0 result versus Newcastle United on 25 September 2007 during a Carling Cup match. His first Champions League goal came in the 89th minute against Slavia Prague on 23 October 2007 and finished off a 7–0 victory for Arsenal after receiving back-heeled pass from Emmanuel Eboue. He then scored his second Champions League goal in the 2–1 victory over Steaua Bucharest from a through pass by Robin van Persie.

Bendtner's first Premier League goal came on December 22, 2007 in a 2–1 Arsenal victory against arch-rivals, Tottenham, at The Emirates Stadium. Bendtner was called in with 17 minutes left of the game to replace Emmanuel Eboué. He scored the winning header with his first touch, from a Cesc Fabregas corner immediately after coming off the bench. It holds the record for the fastest goal ever scored by a substitute (1.8 seconds the official time), and was the winner for this game. His first Premier League start came at Everton on December 29, 2007. In the game he was sent off for two bookable offences. After suspension ended, Bendtner scored his first FA Cup goal against Burnley on January 6, 2008. Arsenal won the game 2–0. He got his second Premier League goal on March 1, 2008 against Aston Villa in a last second effort to seal a 1–1 draw for Arsenal.

Bendtner started once more in the starting line up against Derby on April 28. Bendtner scored the first goal of the match following an assist from his fellow strike partner Robin van Persie. The game ended 2–6 for Arsenal. He followed this up with the winner in Arsenal F.C's penultimate match of the season, against Everton F.C, heading in an Armand Traore cross.

International career

Bendtner started his national team career by scoring three goals in three starts for the Denmark under-16 national team in February 2004. He then scored six goals in 15 games for the Denmark under-17 national team, and was named 2004 Danish Under-17 Player of the Year.

On 9 May 2006 he was the youngest player selected for the Danish under-21 national squad for the 2006 European Under-21 Championship tournament. He got his under-21 debut on May 17, 2006, at the age of 18, scoring both goals in a Danish 2–0 victory over Spain under-21 team in a friendly match. At the 2006 European Under-21 Championship, Bendtner replaced Morten Rasmussen in the Danish starting line-up. When Bendtner was substituted with Rasmussen during the game against the Netherlands under-21 team, Bendtner told the press he found Rasmussen a lesser player. Bendtner was reprimanded, but played the rest of the tournament before Denmark were eliminated.

On 16 August 2006 Bendtner earned his first senior cap for the Danish national team, still only 18 years old, making him the seventh youngest player on the Danish senior national team ever.He was in the starting lineup for his debut game, a friendly match against Poland. He scored a goal after 30 minutes, helping Denmark to a 2–0 win. On 1 September 2006, he played his second national team game, and came on as a substitute in a friendly match against Portugal. He scored the final goal in a 4–2 win for Denmark. Bendtner has since then earned a spot in the starting line on the Danish national team scoring two goals in UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying.

Did you know?

John Sivebæk said to the media that he can see great potential in Bendtner. "His speed and technique reminds me that of Thierry Henry but there is also a little bit of Zlatan Ibrahimović in his challenging and unpredictable style.