Danish footballers who played in the Premier League

Peter Schmeichel in action for Manchester United against Chelsea in December 1998.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Denmark were one of the most entertaining international teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Despite not qualifying for Euro 92, the Danes were awarded a place in the tournament after Yugoslavia's disqualification and went on to win the trophy in Sweden.

The nation's greatest-ever player, Michael Laudrup, was missing from that triumph.

He never played in the Premier League, either, but many great Danes have featured in the competition. Here, a look at some of the best...

Brian Laudrup (Chelsea)

Arsenal's Marc Overmars and Chelsea's Brian Laudrup compete for the ball in a Premier League game in September 1998.

Arsenal's Marc Overmars and Chelsea's Brian Laudrup compete for the ball in a Premier League game in September 1998. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Michael Laudrup may not have played in the Premier League during his career, but brother Brian did feature in the competition.

The younger Laudrup signed for Chelsea ahead of the 1998/99 season and won the UEFA Super Cup with the Blues, but was unhappy at the club's rotation policy and moved to Copenhagen in January 1999 after making just seven Premier League appearances.

Allan Nielsen (Tottenham)

Allan Nielsen celebrates with Chris Armstrong after scoring for Tottenham against Aston Villa in October 1996.

Allan Nielsen celebrates with Chris Armstrong after scoring for Tottenham against Aston Villa in October 1996. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Allan Nielsen joined Tottenham from Brøndby in 1996 and made 97 Premier League appearances for the north London club, scoring 12 goals.

The former Denmark midfielder's most memorable contribution came in the 1999 League Cup final, when he scored a late winner against Leicester City at Wembley. Nielsen was loaned to Watford in the second half of the next season and moved to the Hornets in a permanent deal in the summer of 2000.

Jon Dahl Tomasson (Newcastle United)

Newcastle's Jon Dahl Tomasson makes a challenge in a game against Dynamo Kyiv in October 1997.

Newcastle's Jon Dahl Tomasson makes a challenge in a game against Dynamo Kyiv in October 1997. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Jon Dahl Tomasson's much-travelled career started in Denmark and took him to Italy, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain.

The former striker also had a spell in England with Newcastle United in 1997/98. He made just 23 appearances in the Premier League, scoring three goals in the competition. He went on to win trophies at Feyenoord and AC Milan in a successful career and was capped over 100 times by Denmark.

John Jensen (Arsenal)

John Jensen in action for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest at Highbury in February 1995.

John Jensen in action for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest at Highbury in February 1995. (Image credit: Getty Images)

John Jensen scored one of the goals in Denmark's shock 2-0 win over Germany in the final of Euro 92 and the midfielder moved to Arsenal from Brøndby that summer.

Although a hard-working and combative presence in midfield, Jensen's poor form in front of goal led Gunners fans to shout "shoot" every time he was anywhere near the area. He eventually did score on his 98th appearance for Arsenal, but never netted again for the Gunners. He won an FA Cup, a League Cup and a European Cup Winners' Cup with the north London club.

Martin Laursen (Aston Villa)

Martin Laursen celebrates after scoring for Aston Villa against Tottenham at White Hart Lane in October 2007.

Martin Laursen celebrates after scoring for Aston Villa against Tottenham at White Hart Lane in October 2007. (Image credit: Getty Images)

A stylish central defender who played for Parma and AC Milan, Martin Laursen spent five seasons at Aston Villa between 2004 and 2009.

Although restricted by injuries during his time at Villa Park, Laursen made 84 Premier League appearances for the Birmingham club, scoring eight goals in the competition.

Thomas Sørensen (Sunderland, Aston Villa, Stoke City)

Thomas Sorenson in action for Aston Villa against Bolton Wanderers in May 2007.

Thomas Sorenson in action for Aston Villa against Bolton Wanderers in May 2007. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Thomas Sørensen played for 17 seasons in English football with Sunderland, Aston Villa and Stoke City between 1998 and 2015.

The former Denmark goalkeeper, who won 101 international caps, made 363 appearances in the Premier League for those three clubs, which is more than any other Danish player in the competition.

Jan Mølby (Liverpool)

Jan Molby in action for Liverpool against Genoa in March 1992.

Jan Molby in action for Liverpool against Genoa in March 1992. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Jan Mølby spent 12 years at Liverpool between 1984 and 1996, winning three First Division titles and two FA Cups with the Reds.

After suffering an injury against Manchester United in October 1992, the former Denmark midfielder was never quite the same again. He made just 35 appearances in the Premier League and scored seven goals, all from the penalty spot.

Thomas Gravesen (Everton)

Thomas Gravesen in action for Everton against Liverpool in December 2004.

Thomas Gravesen in action for Everton against Liverpool in December 2004. (Image credit: Getty Images)

A fan favourite at Everton due to his combative and wholehearted displays in midfield, Thomas Gravesen spent four-and-a-half seasons with the Toffees between 2000 and 2005.

Six months before his contract was due to expire, Gravesen was sold to Real Madrid in January 2005 for a cut-price £2.5 million. During a spell at Celtic, he briefly returned to Everton on loan and made 149 Premier League appearances in total for the Goodison Park club, scoring 11 times.

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Southampton, Tottenham)

Tottenham's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg celebrates a win over Arsenal in the Premier League in May 2022.

Tottenham's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg celebrates a win over Arsenal in the Premier League in May 2022. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg spent eight seasons in the Premier League between 2016 and 2024, racking up over 100 appearances in the competition for both Southampton and Tottenham.

Fiercely competitive, the defensive midfielder played over 250 times in the Premier League for the two clubs combined, scoring 12 goals.

Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal, Sunderland)

Nicklas Bendtner celebrates after scoring for Arsenal against Liverpool in April 2008.

Nicklas Bendtner celebrates after scoring for Arsenal against Liverpool in April 2008. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Nicklas Bendtner joined Arsenal as a youngster and went on to make 108 appearances in the Premier League with the Gunners, scoring 24 goals.

A League Cup finalist with the north London club in 2011, Bendtner played on loan at Sunderland in the Premier League the following season. Earlier, he also spent a year at Birmingham City in the Championship.

Rasmus Højlund (Manchester United)

Rasmus Hojlund celebrates after scoring for Manchester United against Newcastle United in May 2024.

Rasmus Hojlund celebrates after scoring for Manchester United against Newcastle United in May 2024. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Rasmus Højlund moved to Manchester United from Atalanta in the summer of 2023 for an initial £64 million fee plus £8 million in potential add-ons.

The young Danish striker scored 16 times in his first season at Old Trafford, including 10 in the Premier League, and came off the bench as United beat Manchester City 2-1 at Wembley in the 2024 FA Cup final.

Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)

Andreas Christensen in action for Chelsea against Newcastle in the Premier League in October 2021.

Andreas Christensen in action for Chelsea against Newcastle in the Premier League in October 2021. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Andreas Christensen joined Chelsea from Brøndby as a youth player but was loaned out to Borussia Mönchengladbach for two seasons early in his career.

On his return to Stamford Bridge, the Danish defender established himself as a key player, going on to win an FA Cup, a Europa League, a Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup and a FIFA Club World Cup with the Blues. He was transferred to Barcelona in the summer of 2022.

Daniel Agger (Liverpool)

Daniel Agger in action for Liverpool against Chelsea in April 2013.

Daniel Agger in action for Liverpool against Chelsea in April 2013. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Daniel Agger started and finished his career with Brøndby. In between, the centre-back spent eight-and-a-half years at Liverpool.

A League Cup winner in 2012, Agger was an FA Cup and Champions League finalist with Liverpool and the popular defender made 175 Premier League appearances for the Reds, scoring nine goals.

Kasper Schmeichel (Manchester City, Leicester City)

Kasper Schmeichel in action for Leicester City against Roma in the Europa Conference League in May 2022.

Kasper Schmeichel in action for Leicester City against Roma in the Europa Conference League in May 2022. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Kasper Schmeichel started his career at Manchester City, but made just a handful of Premier League appearances for the Sky Blues.

After a series of loan moves and spells at Notts County and Leeds United, Schmeichel joined Leicester City and went on to spend over a decade with the Foxes, winning the Premier League title in 2015/16 and an FA Cup in 2020/21. And like his famous father, former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter, he was capped over 100 times by Denmark.

Christian Eriksen (Tottenham, Brentford, Manchester United)

Tottenham's Christian Eriksen shoots at goal in a game against Sunderland at White Hart Lane in January 2015.

Tottenham's Christian Eriksen shoots at goal in a game against Sunderland at White Hart Lane in January 2015. (Image credit: Getty Images)

One of a cluster of new signings at Tottenham following Gareth Bale's sale to Real Madrid in 2013, Christian Eriksen went on to become an important player in a fine Spurs side which narrowly missed out on silverware under Mauricio Pochettino.

The midfielder left for Inter in January 2020, but was not permitted to play in Serie A following his cardiac arrest during Euro 2020 due to the fitting of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. He returned to the Premier League with Brentford in January 2022 and signed for Manchester United the following summer, going on to win a League Cup and an FA Cup with the Red Devils.

Peter Schmeichel (Manchester United, Aston Villa, Manchester City)

Peter Schmeichel in action for Manchester United against Arsenal in November 1992.

Peter Schmeichel in action for Manchester United against Arsenal in November 1992. (Image credit: Getty Images)

One of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Peter Schmeichel spent eight seasons at Manchester United between 1991 and 1999, culminating in the club's treble triumph under Alex Ferguson.

After two years in Lisbon with Sporting CP, Schmeichel returned to the Premier League for a season with Aston Villa and then spent another at Manchester City before retiring in 2003.

Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.