Stephan Andersen

Stephan Maigaard Andersen (born November 26, 1981) is a Denmark professional football (soccer) player, who plays as a goalkeeper for Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga. Andersen is also playing for the Denmark national football team and was chosen to represent his country at the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship.

Biography

Starting his career at the youth teams of Hvidovre IF, he moved youth setup of multiple Danish champions Brøndby IF. When he wasn't seen as a long-term prospect for the Brøndby goalkeeping position, he left Brøndby in the winter 1999, to rejoin Hvidovre. Andersen made his senior debut for Hvidovre IF in the lower league Danish 1st Division, and was recognized as a big talent. He was called up for the Denmark national under-21 football team in June 2001, where he immediately displaced the two years older Rune Pedersen (footballer).

In March 2002, Hvidovre owner, and professional goalkeeper, Peter Schmeichel chose to end his engagement in the club. Hvidovre actively sought to off-load Andersen, one of only two professional players in the squad. He was initially wanted by a number of clubs in Football in England, including Schmeichel's club Aston Villa FC and Sunderland AFC, the club of Danish international goalkeeper Thomas Sørensen. Sunderland opted to buy Norway national football team goalkeeper Thomas Myhre instead, and no other foreign offers materialized. Andersen moved to Akademisk Boldklub (AB) in the top-flight Danish Superliga championship in August 2002. While at AB, he reached 21 games for the Danish under-21 national team, and was the first goalkeeper to win a Danish talent award, when he was named 2003 Danish Football Association Young Players of the Year. Following strong displays for AB, Andersen made his Danish national team debut against Spain national football team in March 2004. He was selected as a backup goalkeeper for the Danish national team squad at the 2004 European Championship, where Thomas Sørensen was preferred as the starting goalkeeper in every game.

He moved abroad to join England club Charlton Athletic F.C. in a DKK 8 million transfer deal in June 2004. In his first season with the London club, he only made two first team appearances. Due to an injury sustained by first choice goalkeeper Dean Kiely, Andersen started the FA Premier League 2005-06 in the team. Charlton's poor mid-season form saw him dropped in favour of Kiely at first, then Thomas Myhre, who established himself as first choice as Charlton turned their season around. Andersen was reinstated into the lineup for the last two games of the season, when Myhre suffered an injury. In the 2006 summer transfer window, Andersen looked ready to join Leeds United A.F.C. on a season-long loan (football), but as Charlton insisted on a clause to allow the club to recall Andersen at any time during the season, the transfer fell through at the last moment. In the first half of the FA Premier League 2006-07, he saw the loaned-in Scott Carson become Charlton's starting goalkeeper. In November 2006, Andersen signed a transfer deal to move back to Denmark to play for Superliga side Brøndby IF at the start of the January 2007 transfer window.

Honours

- 2003 Danish Football Association Young Players of the Year