Theresa Eslund

(Redirected from Theresa Nielsen)

Theresa Eslund (née Nielsen; born 20 July 1986) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Brøndby IF in the Danish Elitedivisionen and the Danish national team.

Theresa Eslund
Eslund in 2017
Personal information
Full name Theresa Eslund
Birth name Theresa Nielsen[1]
Date of birth (1986-07-20) 20 July 1986 (age 38)
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Right back
Team information
Current team
Brøndby IF
Number 8
Youth career
Rikken
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
–2002 Hvidovre IF
2003–2008 Ballerup-Skovlunde
2009–2017 Brøndby IF 87 (13)
2017 Vålerenga 22 (2)
2018–2019 Reign FC 41 (1)
2018–2019Melbourne City (loan) 12 (0)
2020– Brøndby IF 22 (2)
International career
2002–2003 Denmark U-17 15 (3)
2006 Denmark U-21 4 (0)
2009 Denmark U-23 2 (1)
2008– Denmark 133 (5)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing  Denmark
UEFA Women's Championship
Silver medal – second place 2017 Netherlands Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 November 2019
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 March 2020

Eslund previously played for Reign FC of the American National Women's Soccer League, Melbourne City of the Australian W-League, and Vålerenga in Norway's Toppserien. She was named Danish Women's Footballer of the Year in 2012.

Early life

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Raised in Valby, Eslund began playing football at age six on a team known as Rikken.[2][3]

Club career

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Brøndby IF, 2009–2016

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In 2012, Eslund was named Danish Women's Footballer of the Year after helping Brøndby IF to a league and cup double.[4]

Vålerenga, 2017

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In January 2017, Eslund signed with Norwegian club, Vålerenga in Oslo, marking her first time playing for a foreign club.[5] Eslund made 22 appearances for Vålerenga and scored two goals during the 2017 season.[6] She scored her first goal for Vålerenga in the 47th minute of a match against Kolbotn resulting in a 2–0 win.[7] The club finished in seventh place with a 10–8–4 record.[8] Eslund was named one of the top 200 players in the world for 2017 by The Offside Rule, a podcast by The Guardian.[9]

Reign FC, 2018–2019

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Eslund signed with American side Reign FC ahead of the 2018 National Women's Soccer League season in January 2018.[10][11] She made her debut for Seattle as a starting defender during the home opener — a 2–1 win over the Washington Spirit on 24 March.[12]

Return to Brøndby IF

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Eslund returned to Brøndby IF on a two-year contract in 2020, were the team ended up at second place in the league.[13]

International career

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Nielsen during the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 semi-final against Austria.

At age 17, Eslund competed with the Denmark's under-17 national team at the 2003 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival. She scored in the final as Denmark beat Switzerland on penalties after a 1–1 draw at Stade Sébastien Charléty in Paris.[14]

Eslund made her senior international debut for Denmark in March 2008, during the team's 1–0 win over Germany at the 2008 Algarve Cup.[15]

She was named to Kenneth Heiner-Møller's squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2013[16] and she was also part of Danish squad, who received silver at the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 in Netherlands.[17]

Honours

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Brøndby IF
Denmark
Individual

Personal

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Formerly known as Theresa Nielsen, Eslund began using her married name in 2020.[20]

References

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  1. ^ Theresa Eslund at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)  
  2. ^ "Den danske sportselite: Theresa Nielsen - ChriChri". Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Rikken-pige årets fodboldspiller" (in Danish). Valby Bladet. 13 November 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  4. ^ Weber, Lennart (3 May 2013). "Theresa har stamplads på landsholdet" (in Danish). Fagligt Fælles Forbund. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  5. ^ "Theresa Nielsen: "Det er ikke et farvel - men et på gensyn" - Fodbold for piger". Fodbold for piger (in Danish). 24 January 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  6. ^ a b c "T. Nielsen". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  7. ^ bold.dk (17 May 2017). "Theresa Nielsen på tavlen i Vålerenga-sejr". bold.dk. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  8. ^ "2017 Toppserien". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  9. ^ "Theresa Nielsen blant 2017s beste spillere". Vålerenga (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  10. ^ "Reign send Mathias to Courage, sign Danish defender Nielsen". The Equalizer. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  11. ^ "Seattle Reign sign Danish defender Theresa Nielsen". Sounder At Heart. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 14 February 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  12. ^ "Reign FC Open 2018 NWSL Season With A Win Against Washington Spirit". TheBold: Seattle Reign FC. Medium. 25 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  13. ^ "Inden topbrag: Theresa Nielsen tilbage i Brøndby-trøjen". Brøndby IF. 16 November 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  14. ^ Garin, Erik (9 October 2005). "European Youth Olympic Days (EYOD)". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  15. ^ "Danmark – Tyskland 1 – 0" (in Danish). Danish Football Association. 5 March 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  16. ^ Bruun, Peter (21 June 2013). "Upbeat Heiner-Møller confirms Denmark squad". uefa.com. UEFA. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  17. ^ "Denmark defeated by Dutch in Euro 2017 final". The Local. 6 August 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  18. ^ UEFA.com (7 August 2017). "Official UEFA Women's EURO 2017 Best Eleven". UEFA.com. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  19. ^ "EM-heltinde vinder fornem pris i norsk fodbold". DR (in Danish). Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  20. ^ "NYE OG VELKENDTE ANSIGTER KÆMPER FOR KVINDELANDSHOLDET I PORTUGAL". DBU. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
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