Simon Kjaer: Friend First, Captain Second
Welcome to the Road to the 2022 World Cup series, where I write about players who could (and in most cases, most likely will) feature in the biggest football tournament there is as their nations ensure qualification.
What better way to start this series off with the captain of Denmark, who is looking to participate in his third World Cup in the last four editions and whose national team finished in a respectable semi-final position at the Euro 2020 tournament.
Simon Kjaer doesn’t just stand out for me as a leader in the back and a capable defender, but for his actions during one of the most difficult times in his nation’s footballing history, and truly a moment where the footballing world paused to witness, hoping for the best but fearing the worst.
His senior club career began in FC Midtjylland in 2007 at 18 years old, where he came up through the youth system. That journey began in 2004 moving from his local club Lunds IF near his hometown Horsens, while his father was team manager of Midtjylland. While his club career was that of a journeyman, taking him to nine different clubs spanning Denmark, Italy, Germany, France, Turkey, and Spain, he has been a key player for the Denmark national team for most of the decade plus since making his senior debut in 2009.
