The Danish Player of the Year award is an annual prize, which has been given to the best male Danish
football player by the
Danish Football Association since 1963. The winner is decided in a vote among the professional Danish footballers. Since 2000, there has also been an award for the top female player. The winner is decided by a vote among all
Elitedivisionen players.
Jens Petersen was the first player to win the award in 1963. When receiving the award in 1975,
Henning Munk Jensen became the first player to win the prize for a second time. Up until 1978, the Danish Football Association's rule of amateurism meant only players in the domestic league could win the prize. Even after the emergence of paid football in Denmark in 1978, no players in foreign clubs were eligible for the award - in part, the reason why 1977
European Footballer of the Year striker
Allan Simonsen
Allan Rodenkam Simonsen (born 15 December 1952) is a Danish former footballer and manager. He most prominently played as a striker for German Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach, winning the 1975 and 1979 UEFA Cups, as well as for Barc ...
didn't win the award, as he played abroad from 1972 to 1983. When the award was finally opened to all Danish players in 1983, national team captain
Morten Olsen
Morten Per Olsen (born 14 August 1949) is a Danish football manager and former player. He was the head coach of the Denmark national team for 15 years from 2000 until 2015, guiding Denmark to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 European Championshi ...
was the first player to win the award.
The record title holder is
Pernille Harder, who has seven honours; the record male holder is
Christian Eriksen
Christian Dannemann Eriksen (born 14 February 1992) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester United and the Denmark national team. He is renowned for his vision, technique, passing, and fre ...
, with five.
Brøndby IF is the
football club with most players selected for the award.
Winners
Men
Women
Danish Football Association's award
Since 2006 the
Danish Football Association, in association with the TV-station
TV2, has also given an award to the best football player in Denmark. The winner of the award is announced at the annual award show called Dansk Fodbold Award.
The past winners of DBUs "Danish player of the year".
Young Players of the Year
Sponsored by
Arla Foods
, industry = Dairy
, predecessor = ArlaMD Foods
, founded =
, founder =
, location_city = Viby
, location_country = Denmark
, area_served = Worldwide
, key_people = Peder Tub ...
, the awards were initially known as ''Mælkens talentpriser'' (the milk's talent awards) in order to promote the line of
dairy products of the company then known as "MD Foods". DBU found new sponsor
DONG (later DONG Energy), an oil company, in 2004 but Arla went on to sponsor the prize which was renamed ''Arla's talentpriser'' (Arla's talent awards) in 200
http://www.dbu.dk/news/newsShow.aspx?id=242463]
(*) Players who have played at least one match for the Denmark national football team, senior national team.
See also
* List of sports awards honoring women
This list of sports awards honoring women is an index to articles about notable awards honoring sportswomen. The list gives the country of the sponsoring organization, but some awards are open to sportswomen around the world. The list includes sub ...
External links
Official page (Danish Football Player Association)Official page (Danish Football Association)
{{National Women's Footballer of the Year
Association football player of the year awards by nationality
1963 establishments in Denmark
Awards established in 1963
Danish awards
Annual events in Denmark
Women's association football player of the year awards
Association football player non-biographical articles