Steffen Rasmussen

Steffen Rasmussen
Personal information
Full name Steffen Bjørnebo Rasmussen
Date of birth (1982-09-30) 30 September 1982
Place of birth Stenvad, Denmark
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 AGF
Number 1
Youth career
Stenvad Boldklub
AGF
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2001 Grenaa IF
2001– AGF 404 (1)
National team‡
2003 Denmark U-21 2 (0)
2010– Danish League XI 2 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 25 April 2012.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 27 January 2013

Steffen Bjørnebo Rasmussen (born 30 September 1982), known as Steffen Rasmussen, is a Danish professional football player in the goalkeeper position, who currently plays for Danish Superliga team AGF Aarhus. He has played two games with the Denmark national under-21 football team.

Playing style

Rasmussen's strengths are in one-on-one situations, relying on his quick reactions and vision for the game,[1] but he has been criticized for not commanding his field on especially corner kicks and free kicks, due to his lack of height.[2]

Club career

Born in Stenvad near Grenaa, Steffen Rasmussen played his youth football in minor club Stenvad Boldklub, before joining the youth setup of AGF Aarhus. He spent a year with lower-league Jutland Series club Grenaa IF,[3] before returning to AGF. He established himself as second-choice keeper behind Erik Boye, and signed a professional contract with AGF in March 2002.[3]

Under new manager Poul Hansen, Rasmussen made his Danish Superliga debut for AGF against Odense Boldklub on 10 November 2002, replacing Boye at half-time. As Boye suffered a back injury, Rasmussen played the next three games in a row.[4] Boye returned to the starting line-up, but following another injury,[5] Rasmussen established himself as AGF's first choice, playing the last 13 games of the Danish Superliga 2002-03 season. In August 2003, AGF brought in Rune Pedersen to replace the retiring Boye.[6] Rasmussen began the Danish Superliga 2003-04 season as starting goalkeeper, but lost his place to Pedersen in April 2004 following a slump in form.[7] He was second choice for the Danish Superliga 2004-05 season, but following an injury to Pedersen in April 2005, Rasmussen got another chance and again established himself in the starting line-up.[7]

He was the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper for the Danish Superliga 2005-06 season, missing only four games through a hand injury.[8] He was named the AGF player of the season,[9] but could not keep AGF from being relegated. He stayed with AGF in the Danish 1st Division. He suffered a shoulder injury during the season,[10] but helped the club bounce right back into the Superliga. He played all 33 games of the Danish Superliga 2007-08 season. Before the Danish Superliga 2008-09 season, he was named captain of the team by AGF coach Ove Pedersen, replacing Peter Graulund.[11] He missed only two games that season, due to a hand injury.[12] In the 0–1 defeat to FC Midtjylland on 14 April 2010, Rasmussen got his first red card in his AGF career, following a foul on Jonas Borring.[13] He missed two games through suspension. Despite playing 31 of 33 games, Rasmussen could not keep AGF from being relegated at the end of the Danish Superliga 2009-10 season.

International career

Having made his breakthrough with AGF, Rasmussen was called up for the Denmark national under-21 football team in March 2003,[14] serving as a backup to Stephan Andersen.[15] He made his under-21 debut in an April 2003 friendly match, and played an additional friendly game for the team in August that year.

Danish national team coach Morten Olsen considered including Rasmussen in the squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification games against Portugal and Albania in September 2009, but chose Kim Christensen from IFK Göteborg instead.[16] In January 2010, he was called up for the Denmark League XI national football team to replace the injured Stephan Andersen,[17] playing one unofficial national team game for the team.

References

  1. ↑ "Nyhedsarkiv – AGF Fodbold". Agf.co.dk. 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  2. ↑ "Rasmussen er som Casillas og Valdés | Tipsbladet" (in Danish). Tipsbladet.dk. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  3. 1 2 "Nyhedsarkiv – AGF Fodbold". Agf.co.dk. 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  4. ↑ "Nyhedsarkiv – AGF Fodbold". Agf.co.dk. 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  5. ↑ "Nyhedsarkiv – AGF Fodbold". Agf.co.dk. 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  6. ↑ "Nyhedsarkiv – AGF Fodbold". Agf.co.dk. 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  7. 1 2 "Dyr skade for Rune Pedersen | Tipsbladet" (in Danish). Tipsbladet.dk. 2005-04-20. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  8. ↑ "AGF må skifte målmand – skar sig på et glasskår | Tipsbladet" (in Danish). Tipsbladet.dk. 2006-04-17. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  9. ↑ "Nyhedsarkiv – AGF Fodbold". Agf.co.dk. 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  10. ↑ "AGF-keeper færdig for efteråret | Tipsbladet" (in Danish). Tipsbladet.dk. 2006-11-03. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  11. ↑ "Graulund degraderet i AGF | Tipsbladet" (in Danish). Tipsbladet.dk. 2008-07-01. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  12. ↑ "Nyhedsarkiv – AGF Fodbold". Agf.co.dk. 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  13. ↑ "Nyhedsarkiv – AGF Fodbold". Agf.co.dk. 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  14. ↑ "Klar til to svære kampe". Dbu.dk. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  15. ↑ "Flot og fortjent sejr i Rumænien". Dbu.dk. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  16. ↑ "Rasmussen: Landsholdet havde været fair nok | Tipsbladet" (in Danish). Tipsbladet.dk. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  17. ↑ "Steffen afløser Stephan på Ligalandsholdet". Dbu.dk. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Denmark Peter Graulund		 AGF captain
2008– 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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