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. 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 - this was in part the reason why 1977 European Footballer of the Year striker Allan Simonsen 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 was the first player to win the award.
The record title holder is Pernille Harder, who has nine honours. The male record holder is Christian Eriksen, with five awards. Brøndby IF is the football club with most players selected for the award.
Winners Men
1961 Harald Nielsen, Frederikshavn/Bologna 1963 Jens Petersen, Esbjerg 1964 Ole Madsen, HIK 1965 Kaj Poulsen, Vejle 1966 Leif Nielsen, Frem 1967 Johnny Hansen, Vejle 1968 Henning Munk Jensen, AaB 1969 Allan Michaelsen, B 1903 1970 Jan Larsen, AB 1971 Birger Pedersen, Hvidovre 1972 Per Røntved, Brønshøj 1973 Hans Aabech, Hvidovre 1974 Niels-Christian Holmstrøm, KB 1975 Henning Munk Jensen (2), AaB 1976 Flemming Ahlberg, Frem 1977 Allan Hansen, OB 1978 Ole Kjær, Esbjerg 1979 Jens Jørn Bertelsen, Esbjerg 1980 Lars Bastrup, AGF 1981 Allan Hansen (2), OB 1982 Michael Laudrup, Brøndby 1983 Morten Olsen, Anderlecht 1984 Preben Elkjær, Hellas Verona 1985 Michael Laudrup (2), Juventus 1986 Morten Olsen (2), 1. FC Köln 1987 John 'Faxe' Jensen, Brøndby 1988 Lars Olsen, Brøndby 1989 Brian Laudrup, Brøndby/Bayer Uerdingen 1990 Peter Schmeichel, Brøndby 1991 Kim Vilfort, Brøndby 1992 Brian Laudrup (2), Bayern Munich/Fiorentina 1993 Peter Schmeichel (2), Manchester United 1994 Thomas Helveg, Udinese 1995 Brian Laudrup (3), Rangers 1996 Allan Nielsen, Brøndby/Tottenham Hotspur 1997 Brian Laudrup (4), Rangers 1998 Ebbe Sand, Brøndby 1999 Peter Schmeichel (3), Manchester United 2000 René Henriksen, Panathinaikos 2001 Ebbe Sand (2), Schalke 04 2002 Jon Dahl Tomasson, Feyenoord/Milan 2003 Morten Wieghorst, Brøndby 2004 Jon Dahl Tomasson (2), Milan 2005 Christian Poulsen, Schalke 04 2006 Christian Poulsen (2), Schalke 04/Sevilla 2007 Daniel Agger, Liverpool 2008 Martin Laursen, Aston Villa 2009 Simon Kjær, Palermo 2010 William Kvist, Copenhagen 2011 William Kvist (2), VfB Stuttgart 2012 Daniel Agger (2), Liverpool 2013 Christian Eriksen, Ajax/Tottenham Hotspur 2014 Christian Eriksen (2), Tottenham Hotspur 2015 Christian Eriksen (3), Tottenham Hotspur 2016 Kasper Schmeichel, Leicester City 2017 Christian Eriksen (4), Tottenham Hotspur 2018 Christian Eriksen (5), Tottenham Hotspur 2019 Kasper Schmeichel (2), Leicester City 2020 Kasper Schmeichel (3), Leicester City 2021 Simon Kjær (2), Milan 2022 Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Tottenham Hotspur 2023 Andreas Christensen, Barcelona 2024 Morten Hjulmand, Sporting 2025 Victor Froholdt, Copenhagen/FC Porto
Women
2000 Gitte Krogh, OB 2001 Christine Bonde, Fortuna Hjørring 2002 Heidi Johansen, OB 2003 Anne Dot Eggers Nielsen, Skovbakken 2004 Cathrine Paaske-Sørensen, Brøndby 2005 Merete Pedersen, Torres 2006 Cathrine Paaske-Sørensen (2), Brøndby 2007 Katrine S. Pedersen, Asker Fotball 2008 Mariann Gajhede, Fortuna Hjørring 2009 Mia Brogaard, Brøndby 2010 Line Røddik Hansen, Tyresö 2011 Sanne Troelsgaard Nielsen, Skovbakken 2012 Pernille Harder, Linköping 2013 Katrine S. Pedersen (2), Stabæk 2014 Simone Boye Sørensen, Brøndby 2015 Pernille Harder (2), Linköping 2016 Pernille Harder (3), Linköping 2017 Pernille Harder (4), VfL Wolfsburg 2018 Pernille Harder (5), VfL Wolfsburg 2019 Pernille Harder (6), VfL Wolfsburg 2020 Pernille Harder (7), VfL Wolfsburg/ Chelsea 2021 Signe Bruun, Lyon 2022 Stine Ballisager Pedersen, Vålerenga 2023 Amalie Vangsgaard, Paris Saint-Germain 2024 Pernille Harder (8), Bayern Munich 2025 Pernille Harder (9), Bayern Munich
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".
2006 Christian Poulsen, Schalke 04/Sevilla 2007 Dennis Rommedahl, Ajax 2008 Martin Laursen, Aston Villa 2009 Nicklas Bendtner, Arsenal 2010 Dennis Rommedahl, Ajax/Olympiacos 2011 Christian Eriksen, Ajax 2012 Daniel Agger, Liverpool 2013 Christian Eriksen, Ajax/Tottenham Hotspur 2014 Christian Eriksen, Tottenham Hotspur 2015 Kasper Schmeichel, Leicester City 2016 Kasper Schmeichel, Leicester City 2017 Christian Eriksen, Tottenham Hotspur 2018 Kasper Schmeichel, Leicester City 2019 Kasper Schmeichel, Leicester City 2020 Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Tottenham Hotspur 2021 Simon Kjær, AC Milan 2022 Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Tottenham Hotspur 2023 Andreas Christensen, Barcelona 2024 Morten Hjulmand, Sporting 2025 Victor Froholdt, Copenhagen/FC Porto
Young Players of the Year Sponsored by Arla Foods, 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 2005.
YearU/21U/19U/171987*Johnny Mølby, Vejle Anders Maibom, B 1909 Diego Tur, B 19031988*Henrik Risom, Vejle Jens Madsen, Brøndby Ronnie Ekelund, Brøndby1989*Brian Steen Nielsen, VejleJacob Laursen, VejleJeppe Tengbjerg, KB1990Steen Nedergaard, Odense*Martin & *Michael Johansen KB Kenni Sommer, Silkeborg1991 *Miklos Molnar, Servette Christian Duus, Silkeborg Jesper Søgaard, Vejle1992 *Jakob Kjeldbjerg, Silkeborg Thomas Jensen, AaB Simon Karkov, Esbjerg1993 *Jesper Kristensen, Brøndby *Ulrik Laursen, Odense Michael Kremer, Brøndby1994 *Thomas Rytter, Lyngby *Jon Dahl Tomasson, Køge Carsten Lektonen, Odense1995 *Niclas Jensen, Lyngby *Jesper Grønkjær, AaBDan Anton Johansen, Brøndby1996 *Martin Jørgensen, AGF AarhusStefan K. Hansen, Copenhagen *Kasper Bøgelund, Odense1997 *Ole Tobiasen, Ajax *Lars Jacobsen, Odense Jesper Håkansson, Frem1998 Mikkel Jensen, Brøndby *Peter Løvenkrands, AB Tom Christensen, AGF Aarhus1999 Christian Magleby, Lyngby *Hjalte Bo Nørregaard, Copenhagen Claus Pedersen, Odense2000 *Martin Albrechtsen, AB Allan Olesen, Brøndby Martin Bergvold, KB2001 *Christian Poulsen, Copenhagen *Rasmus Würtz, Skive *Kasper Lorentzen, Brøndby2002 *Jan Kristiansen, Esbjerg Jeppe Curth, Feyenoord*Michael Jakobsen, B 932003*Stephan Andersen, AB*Morten "Duncan" Rasmussen, AGF AarhusLasse Qvist, Lyngby2004*Thomas Kahlenberg, BrøndbySøren Christensen, Nykøbing FA*Nicklas Bendtner, Arsenal2005*Daniel Agger, LiverpoolMagnus Troest, MidtjyllandRasmus Christiansen, Lyngby2006*Niki Zimling, Esbjerg*Mike Jensen, BrøndbyMads Albæk, Midtjylland2007*Kasper Schmeichel, Manchester City*Simon Kjær, MidtjyllandNikola Saric, Herfølge2008*Michael Lumb, AGF Aarhus*Mathias "Zanka" Jørgensen, Copenhagen*Christian Eriksen, OB2009*Anders Randrup, Brøndby*Thomas Delaney, CopenhagenNiels Bisp Rasmussen, Vejle2010*Jonas Lössl, Midtjylland*Jannik Vestergaard, HoffenheimKenneth Zohore, Copenhagen2011*Nicolai Boilesen, Ajax*Uffe Manich Bech, Lyngby*Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Brøndby2012*Jores Okore, FC Nordsjælland*Viktor Fischer, Ajax*Andreas Christensen, Chelsea2013*Andreas Cornelius, CopenhagenAndrew Hjulsager, BrøndbyDaniel Iversen, Esbjerg2014*Yussuf Poulsen, RB Leipzig**Joachim Andersen, TwenteMark Brink Christensen, Esbjerg2015Jeppe Højbjerg, EsbjergMikkel Duelund, FC MidtjyllandNicklas Strunck, FC Nordsjælland2016*Marcus Ingvartsen, FC Nordsjælland*Jacob Bruun Larsen, Borussia DortmundVictor Jensen, FC København
() Players who have played at least one match for the senior national team.
See also Danish Football Hall of Fame Danish Football Manager of the Year Danish Sports Name of the Year
References
External links Official page (Danish Football Player Association) Official page (Danish Football Association)