Henning Jensen

Football player infobox


playername = Henning Jensen
fullname = Henning Jensen
nickname =
dateofbirth = Birth date and age|1949|8|17|mf=y
cityofbirth = Nørresundby
countryofbirth = Denmark
height =
position = Deep-lying forward
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1965-1972
1972-1976
1976-1979
1979-1981
1981-1983
1984
clubs = Nørresundby BK
M'gladbach
Real Madrid
Ajax Amsterdam
AGF Aarhus
Nørresundby BK
caps(goals) =
125 (44)
81 (16)
53 (17)
nationalyears = 1972-1980
nationalteam = Denmark
nationalcaps(goals) = 21 (9)

Henning Jensen (born August 17 1949) is a Danish former football (soccer) player, who played professionally for German club Borussia Mönchengladbach, Spanish club Real Madrid and Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam where he won the domestic league championship in each country. He scored 9 goals in 21 games [Not including the January 1973 exhibition match "Old Europe" vs. "New Europe", which marked the 1973 European Community expansion. Jensen started the game, scored a goal, and was substituted after an hour, as "New Europe" won 2-0.] for the Denmark national football team from 1972 to 1980.

Born in Nørresundby, Jensen started playing football for local team Nørresundby BK in the "Denmark Series", the then fourth best division of Danish football. Playing as a Right sided Attacker, he made his debut for the Danish national team in May 1972, and scored a goal in the 1972 Summer Olympics qualification match against Romania. Before having ever played a Danish league game, he moved abroad in 1972 as he signed a professional contract with German club Borussia Mönchengladbach.

At Mönchengladbach, he played alongside fellow Danish national team player Allan Simonsen in the attack. He won the 1973 German Cup, 1975 UEFA Cup, and two German Bundesliga championships in his four years at the club. After 44 goals in 125 league games, he earned a lucrative move to defending Spanish La Liga champions Real Madrid in 1976. He played three successful years at Real Madrid, winning the 1978 and 1979 La Liga championships. He moved to the Netherlands in 1979, to play for defending Dutch Eredivisie champions Ajax Amsterdam of the coaches Cor Brom and Leo Beenhakker. He met in Amsterdam other Danish players like Frank Arnesen and Soren Lerby (and 2 years later also for a very short period Jesper Olsen). The routined player had to work hard for his position in the team for the first time at the age of 30 years. The midfielder had much rivalry from Frank Arnesen, Dick Schoenaker and Soren Lerby, which trio formed one of the strongest (attacking) midfields of Europe those years. Jensen started as centre forward, when central attacker Ray Clarke was sold. Thereafter he played at the wings, as wing attacker for a period. When Frank Arnesen had been injured a part of the 1979/1980 season Jensen moved to the midfield, there playing his best matches for Ajax Amsterdam. In the season 1979/1980 he won with Ajax the Dutch eredivisie league championship and also the semi-finals of the European CupI tournament for champions were reached that season.

He returned to Denmark July 1981, to play for AGF Aarhus, before he moved back to Nørresundby and played his last games for Nørresundby BK.

In 2006, Henning Jensen was named among the nominees for DBU's "Denmark's All-Time Best Footballer" award, alongside Preben Elkjær Larsen, Brian Laudrup, Michael Laudrup, Morten Olsen, Peter Schmeichel, Allan Simonsen and Jon Dahl Tomasson.

Honours

*German Cup: 1973
*UEFA Cup: 1975
*German Bundesliga: 1975 and 1976
*Spanish La Liga: 1978 and 1979
*Dutch Eredivisie: 1980

References

External links

* [http://www.dbu.dk/lbase/playerInfo.aspx?playerid=3466 Danish national team profile]
* [http://www.fussballdaten.de/spieler/jensenhenning/ German career statistics]
*da icon [http://www.agf.co.dk/docs/hvorblevdeaf/SpillerProfil.asp?id=7 Aarhus GF profile]
*es icon [http://www.lfp.es/historico/primera/plantillas/historial.asp?jug=4014 Spanish career statistics]