Nicklas Bendtner is a striker who plays for Denmark’s national side and Arsenal in the English Premier League. He has been noted for his potential ever since breaking through to the Danish U21 squad at just 17, and is regarded as one of the sharpest shooters in the game. He plays on the right hand side of the field, as a winger or strike-partner, but is at his best when he is using his height and strength to lead the line from the very front on his own.
Nicklas Bendtner was born on 16th January 1988 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was a highly-rated youngster, and was offered trials at all the big Copenhagen clubs ahead of signing on for KB (Kopenhagen Boldklub) at the age of 14.
His natural ability ensured he progressed up the youth teams, with Nicklas often playing against players two or three years older than him. He shot to prominence with 4 goals in 6 games for the Danish U16s, and was immediately sought after by the big clubs.
Nicklas Bendtner signed for Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal on 17th July 2004, aged just 16. Other clubs had shown an interest, most notably Chelsea, but Bendtner was sure that Arsenal was the right club for him – Wenger had a reputation for letting youngsters play in the first team.
Bendtner made his debut just three months later, entering the fray in a Carling Cup match which saw Wenger’s kids hailed as potential world-beaters in the future. In order to speed up Bendtner’s footballing education he was sent on loan to Birmingham City – he scored 11 goals and helped them win promotion to the Premiership.
A period as substitute striker for Arsenal followed, with Bendtner coming on late in the game to use his pace against the tired legs of defenders. He started to be used on a more regular basis when both Robin van Persie and Eduardo were injured, and is an effective foil for Adebayor, even if they haven’t always been the best of friends.
Bendtner made his first impact in world football for the Danish national side, and is still making waves with them today. He began his scoring feats in 2004, when he netted four times in six games for the U17s and was voted the U17s Player of the Year. He soon won a call-up to the U21s, in May 2006, and this was quickly followed by his first full team call-up in August 2006 – when he was just 18 years old. He is now a fixture in the Danish side, and will be expecting to score many more goals in the future.