Rasmus Würtz

Infobox Football biography
playername= Rasmus Würtz
fullname = Rasmus Østergaard Würtz
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1983|9|18
cityofbirth = Skive
countryofbirth = Denmark
height = height|m=1.79
position = Midfielder
currentclub = F.C. Copenhagen
clubnumber = 6
contractend = 30 June 2012 [cite web |url=http://www.sjat.com/html/fck_kontrakter.htm |title=Kontraktlængder i FCK |publisher=SJAT.COM |last=Poulsen |first=Anders |accessdate=2008-01-31 |language=Danish ]
years = 2000-2002
2002-2007
2007-present
clubs = Skive IK
Aalborg BK
F.C. Copenhagen
caps(goals) =
93 (12)
17 (0)
nationalyears = 2000
2000-2001
2004
2002-2006
2005-present
nationalteam = Denmark under-17
Denmark under-19
Denmark under-20
Denmark under-21
Denmark
nationalcaps(goals) = 06 (0)
15 (0)
02 (0)
29 (1)
09 (0)
pcupdate = 19 March 2008
ntupdate = 17 November 2007

Rasmus Østergaard Würtz (born 18 September 1983) is a Danish professional football player, who plays as a midfielder for F.C. Copenhagen in the Danish Superliga. Würtz has played six matches for the Denmark national football team, as well as 52 matches for various youth national teams.

Biography

Born in Skive, Würtz played his youth years at hometown club Skive IK. He made his senior debut for the club in the secondary Danish 1st Division league. He represented Denmark in various youth national teams, and competed at the 2000 Under-17 European Championship. Würtz was a part of the Danish squad for the 2001 Under-19 European Championship, where he was one of Denmark's best players. [Flemming Linnebjerg, "Flemming Serritslev: Unge spillere skal matches hårdere", "Vejle Amts Folkeblad", 6 October 2001] In November 2001, he signed a 3½ year contract with Aalborg Boldspilklub (AaB) in the top-flight Danish Superliga championship. [Henrik Niss, "Fra Skive til AaB til Skive", "Politiken", 20 November 2001]

Würtz was subsequently loaned out to Skive for six months, where he finished the 2001-02 season. In the spring 2002, he was named 2001 Danish "Under-19 Player of the Year". He joined AaB in July 2002, and instantly became a mainstay in the first team starting line-up. In his debut season in the Danish Superliga 2002-03 season, he missed only one match, as he played 32 of 33 league games. Würtz made his debut for the Denmark under-21 national team in August 2002. He played 17 under-21 national team matches until February 2005, taking over for Jan Kristiansen as team captain in September 2004.

In his first three seasons at AaB, Würtz only missed four of 99 Superliga games. He debuted for the senior Danish national team on 2 June 2005, in a 1-0 friendly match win against Finland. He came on the pitch as a substitute for Danish team captain Jon Dahl Tomasson, and was supposed to hand over the captain's armband to Thomas Gravesen. When he approached Gravesen, he was told to take the armband himself and thus he captained the Danish national team for the final nine minutes of his debut game.

Having received his senior debut for Denmark, Würtz captained the Danish under-21 national team, as it qualified for the 2006 European Under-21 Championship in May 2006. He was the Danish under-21 team captain at the tournament, playing full time in Denmark's three matches, and scored a goal against the Italian u-21s. Following Denmark's exit from the tournament, he ended his under-21 national team career due to age restrictions, having played 29 under-21 national team matches in all. He was nominated for the Danish league national team squad to tour U.S., El Salvador and Honduras in January 2007, where he was named team captain, and started in all three games of the tour.

On July 6 2007 he moved to F.C. Copenhagen, signing a five year long contract with the Danish champions. [cite web |url=http://fck.dk/nyhedsvisning/?newsid=6925 |title=To landsholdsspillere til F.C. København |date=2007-07-06 |accessdate=2007-07-06 |publisher=F.C. Copenhagen |language=Danish ] The transfer fee was reported to be around 7 to 8 million Danish kroner (1 million Euro). [cite web |url=http://www.nordjyske.dk/index.aspx?action=SektionId%3D1&sender=239&target=240&data=Id%3D2422796%26TelegramType%3D3 |title=Rasmus Würtz er solgt til FCK |date=2007-07-06 |accessdate=2007-07-06 |publisher=NORDJYSKE Medier |language=Danish ]

Personal life

Rasmus Würtz is living in Aalborg, but is expecting to move to Copenhagen. His girlfriend's name is Kirsten. His favourite club is FC Barcelona.

Honours

*2001 Danish "Under-19 Player of the Year"

References

External links

*da icon [http://fck.dk/truppen/spillerprofil/?playerid=195 F.C. Copenhagen profile]
* [http://www.dbu.dk/lbase/playerInfo.aspx?playerid=4339 Danish national team profile]
*da icon [http://www.aabsport.dk/D9F0E860-B9F4-4ADF-B984-D671D77AA564.W5Doc?id=afd4a6e8-be57-462b-a24b-371d08918026 AaB profile]
* [http://resol.dr.dk/sportservice_person.aspx?personid=441771 Career stats] by Danmarks Radio