Simon Busk Poulsen (born 7 October 1984) is a Danish former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who played as a
left-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Defenders fall into four main categ ...
.
He has played 31 games for the Denmark national team. Following his retirement from professional football, Poulsen moved to coaching and is currently the assistant coach of
SønderjyskE
SønderjyskE is a Denmark, Danish sport corporation. They have a Football (soccer), football team (SønderjyskE Fodbold, based in Haderslev), two team handball, handball teams (SønderjyskE Håndbold, one male based in Sønderborg, one female bas ...
.
Club career
SønderjyskE
Born and raised in
Sønderborg
(; ) is a Denmark, Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Sønderborg Municipality (Kommune). The town has a population of 28,333 (1 January 2025), He then joined Haderslev Fodboldklub before the name was changed to HFK Sønderjylland and
SønderjyskE
SønderjyskE is a Denmark, Danish sport corporation. They have a Football (soccer), football team (SønderjyskE Fodbold, based in Haderslev), two team handball, handball teams (SønderjyskE Håndbold, one male based in Sønderborg, one female bas ...
and signed his first professional contract with the club, keeping him until 2003. Poulsen was also named the club's junior player of the year. While progressing at HFK Sønderjylland, he balanced his life in football and school and was banned from drinking alcohol. In 2001, Poulsen was quickly promoted to the club's first team and scored on his debut, in a 4–2 win against FC Aarhus in the third round of the Danish Cup. After the match, he reflected about scoring his debut, saying: "It was one of the best days of my life back then. I scored on my first ball touch, and actually became the youngest goal scorer in the Danish cup tournament." Poulsen then started out on the substitute bench. Once again, he was promoted to HFK Sønderjylland's first team ahead of the 2002–03 season.
Poulsen then received a handful of first team football since the start of the 2002–03 season. On 30 September 2002, he scored his first goal for HFK Sønderjylland, in a 3–2 loss against B1909. Poulsen later scored three more goals for the club, as he went on to make fifteen appearances and scoring four times at the end of the 2002–03 season. For his performance, Poulsen signed a contract extension with HFK Sønderjylland, keeping him until 2006.
The next two seasons saw Poulsen continued to regain his first team place for
SønderjyskE
SønderjyskE is a Denmark, Danish sport corporation. They have a Football (soccer), football team (SønderjyskE Fodbold, based in Haderslev), two team handball, handball teams (SønderjyskE Håndbold, one male based in Sønderborg, one female bas ...
, which has changed its name ahead of the new season. He started the season well by scoring his first goal of the season, in a 2–1 win against
Vejle
Vejle () is a city in Denmark, in the southeast of the Jutland Peninsula at the head of Vejle Fjord, where the Vejle River and Grejs River and their valleys converge. It is the site of the councils of Vejle Municipality (''Municipalities of De ...
on 31 July 2003. His performance attracted interest from
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany and the highest level of the German football league system. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams ...
side
Werder Bremen
Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen, Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, Werder are best known for their professional association foo ...
, who offered him a trial, but Poulsen ended up staying at the club. His goal scoring eventually improved for the next two seasons, scoring the total of eighteen times. His two goals for the club beating
Fredericia
Fredericia () is a town located in Fredericia Municipality in the southeastern part of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark. The city is part of the Triangle Region Denmark, Triangle Region, which includes the neighbouring cities of Kolding and Vej ...
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga (, ) is a professional association football league in Denmark and the highest level of the Danish football league system. The league is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams relegated. It is the current ...
. Despite being plagued with injuries during the two seasons, Poulsen combined the appearances of fifty–one played and scoring eighteen six times in all competitions.
Amid to his departure, Poulsen made five times for SønderjyskE at the start of the 2005–06 season, including scoring his first Danish Superliga goal, in a 3–1 loss against Viborg on 7 August 2005. After his departure from the club, he was honoured with Wall of Fame at Sydbank Park.
FC Midtjylland
It was announced on 24 June 2005 that Poulsen agreed to move to league rivals
Midtjylland
The Central Denmark Region (), or more directly translated as the Central Jutland Region and sometimes simply Mid-Jutland, is an administrative region of Denmark established on 1 January 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish municipal reform. The refo ...
on a three–year contract. However, SønderjyskE complained about the tapping-up of Poulsen to the
Danish Football Association
The Danish Football Association (; DBU) is the governing body of football in Denmark. It is the organization of Danish football clubs and runs the professional Danish football leagues, alongside the men's and women's national teams. Based ...
, which delayed the move. Eventually, the move was agreed officially on 15 August 2005, with Thomas Rathe joining SønderjyskE as his replacement.
Poulsen made his debut for the club against AGF on 21 August 2005, starting the whole game, and scored his first goal, in a 3–3 draw. Since making his debut for FC Midtjylland, he quickly established himself in the starting eleven for the side. Poulsen then played in both legs in the first round of the UEFA Cup, as FC Midtjylland lost 6–2 against
CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow () is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet Union, Soviet era, it was the central part of the Armed Forces (sports ...
on aggregate and was eliminated from the tournament. However, he suffered a knee injury while on international duty and was sidelined for a month. On 4 May 2006, Poulsen returned to the first team, starting a match and played 77 minutes before being substituted, in a 1–0 win against
Odense BK
Odense Boldklub (; also known as Odense BK or the more commonly used OB) is a Danish professional football club based in the city of Odense, in southern Denmark. The club has won three Danish championships and five Danish Cup trophies. OB play ...
. At the end of the 2005–06 Superliga season, he went on to make seventeen appearances and scoring once in all competitions.
At the start of the 2006–07 season, Poulsen continued to establish himself in the starting eleven for FC Midtjylland, playing in the midfield position. On 20 August 2006, he scored his first goal of the season, in a 4–2 loss against
Esbjerg fB
Esbjerg forenede Boldklubber (; commonly known as Esbjerg fB or EfB in short) is a Danish professional Association football, football club based in Esbjerg, West Jutland, Jylland, that plays in the Danish 1st Division, 1st division, the sec ...
. Poulsen later helped the club finish second place in the league. Despite being sidelined with injuries throughout the 2006–07 season, he went on to make twenty–eight appearances and scoring once in all competitions.
At the start of the 2007–08 season, Poulsen continued to establish himself in the starting eleven for FC Midtjylland, playing in the midfield position. On 29 July 2007, he scored his first goal of the season, in a 5–0 win against Brøndby. This was followed up by scoring second goal of the season, in a 2–1 win against
Keflavík
Keflavík (pronounced , meaning ''Driftwood Bay'') is a town in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland. It is included in the municipality of Reykjanesbær whose population as of 2016 is 15,129.
In 1995, Keflavík merged with nearby Njar ...
in the second leg of the UEFA Cup First Rouynd to help the club reach the next round following FC Midtjylland win on away goals, with the results was 4–4 on aggregate. Three weeks later on 26 August 2007, Poulsen scored his third goal of the season, in a 3–2 win against
Randers
Randers () is a city in Randers Municipality, Central Denmark Region on the Jutland peninsula. It is List of cities and towns in Denmark, Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 64,511 ().Daniel Agger. In the first half of the 2007–08 season, Poulsen went on to make thirty appearances and scoring four times in all competitions.
Despite signing a contract with FC Midtjylland, his performance attracted interests from European clubs, with the likes from Germany and Netherlands, and was expected to leave the club.
AZ Alkmaar
On 23 December 2007, Poulsen transferred to Dutch side
AZ Alkmaar
Alkmaar Zaanstreek (), better known internationally as AZ Alkmaar, or simply and most commonly as AZ () in the Netherlands, is a Dutch professional Association football, football club from Alkmaar and the Zaan#The Zaan district, Zaan district. ...
for a reported
transfer fee
In professional football, a transfer is the action taken whenever a player under contract moves between clubs. It refers to the transferring of a player's registration from one association football club to another. In general, the players can onl ...
of €3 million, as the most expensive player sold by FC Midtjylland at the time.
He made his debut for the club, coming on as a 74th-minute substitute, in a 6–1 loss against
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
on 13 January 2008. Six days later on 19 January 2008, Poulsen made his first start for AZ Alkmaar, starting a match and played 65 minutes before being substituted, in a 4–0 loss against
SC Heerenveen
Sportclub Heerenveen (; West Frisian language, West Frisian: Sportklub It Hearrenfean) is a Dutch professional association football, football club from Heerenveen. They currently play in the Eredivisie, the top level of football in the Netherla ...
. However, he suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out for two matches. On 30 January 2008, Poulsen returned from injury, coming on as an 80th-minute substitute, in a 2–2 draw against
Feyenoord
Feyenoord Rotterdam () is a Netherlands, Dutch professional association football, football club based in Rotterdam, which plays in the Eredivisie, the top tier in Dutch football league system, Dutch football. Founded as Wilhelmina in 1908, the ...
. Once again, he was plagued with injuries that saw him sidelined for the rest of the 2007–08 season. At the end of the 2007–08 season, Poulsen made eight appearances in all competitions.
At the start of the 2008–09 season, Poulsen could not break into coach
Louis van Gaal
Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal (; born 8 August 1951) is a Dutch former association football, football player and former manager who currently serves as an advisor for AFC Ajax, Ajax. At club level, he served as manager of AFC Ajax, Aj ...
's starting line-up as a winger, and was placed on the substitute bench. As a result, he was demoted to Jong AZ Alkmaar and featured in a match regularly. On 31 August 2008, he made his first appearance of the season for AZ Alkmaar, starting a match and played 60 minutes before being substituted, in a 2–1 loss against
NAC Breda
NAC Breda (), often simply known as NAC, is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda, Netherlands. NAC Breda play in the Rat Verlegh Stadium, named after their most important player, Antoon 'Rat' Verlegh. They play in the Eredivisi ...
. Poulsen made a total of two more appearances for the club between August and January. By February, he began moving to the position of
left-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Defenders fall into four main categ ...
, appearing in a number of matches for AZ Alkmaar. Between 21 February 2009 and 15 March 2009, Poulsen helped the club keep four consecutive clean sheets for the club. He played a number of games in the position, as AZ won the 2008–09 Eredivisie championship, the first club championship since 1981. At the end of the 2008–09 season, Poulsen went on to make thirteen appearances in all competitions.
Ahead of the 2009–10 season, it was expected that Poulsen would leave AZ Alkmaar, due to lack of first team opportunities, but ended up staying at the club. After not being featured in the first two matches of the 2009–10 season, he made his first appearance of the season, coming on as a 42nd-minute substitute, in a 6–0 win against RKC Waalwijk on 15 August 2009. After the match, Poulsen said he was happy to get minutes of playing time. Poulsen continued to compete with Sébastien Pocognoli over the left–back position, which saw him rotated in and out of the starting eleven. However, in a match against
FC Utrecht
Football Club Utrecht () is a Dutch professional association football, football club based in Utrecht. The club competes in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football league system, Dutch football, and plays its home matches at the Stadion ...
on 26 September 2009, he was sent–off for a second bookable offence, in a 1–0 loss. Three days later on 29 September 2009, Poulsen made his UEFA Champions League debut, coming on as a 71st-minute substitute, in a 1–1 draw against
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège ( ; ; ) or simply Standard in Belgium, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Liège.
They are one of the most successful clubs in Belgium, having won t ...
. He then made his first UEFA Champions League start and started the whole game, as AZ Alkmaar drew 1–1 against
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
on 20 October 2009. Following Pocognoli's departure, Poulsen, once again, established himself in the starting eleven, playing in the left–back position. On 20 February 2010, he scored his first goal for the club, in a 3–3 draw against
VVV-Venlo
VVV-Venlo (, ''VVV'' stands for ''Venlose Voetbal Vereniging'' meaning "Venlo Football Club") is a Dutch association football, football club from Venlo, a city on the border with Germany. They play in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutc ...
. Between 3 April 2010 and 18 April 2010, Poulsen, once again, helped AZ Alkmaar keep four consecutive clean sheets. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Poulsen went on to make thirty appearances and scoring once in all competitions.
At the start of the 2010–11 season, Poulsen made his first appearance of the season, starting the whole game, in a 1–1 draw against NAC Breda in the opening game of the season. However, he suffered a groin injury while on international duty, with Manager Gertjan Verbeek was disappointed, saying: "It is ridiculous to call up internationals so soon after the World Cup. Most people who know about that do not think that is smart. However, the national associations do not care." As a result, Poulsen was sidelined for a month following a scan. But he made his return to the starting line–up in a UEFA Europa League match against Sheriff Tiraspol on 16 September 2010, coming on as a second-half substitute, in a 2–1 win. However, Poulsen's return was short–lived when he twisted his knee injury while training and was sidelined for the next two months. By November, Poulsen made a recovery from his knee injury but did not due to not being match fit for the remainder of the month. On 12 December 2010, he returned to the first team, coming on as an 84th-minute substitute, in a 2–0 loss against
FC Groningen
Football Club Groningen () is a Dutch professional association football club based in Groningen, Groningen (province), Groningen province. Founded in 1971 as the successor of GVAV-Rapiditas, GVAV, Groningen compete in the Eredivisie, the first t ...
. Following this, Poulsen continued to rotate in and out of the starting line–up, as he competed with Ragnar Klavan over the left–back position for the rest of the 2010–11 season. On 18 March 2011, Poulsen scored his first goal of the season, as well as, setting up one of AZ's goals, in a 3–1 win against Vitesse. He later helped the club finish fourth place to qualify for the
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
next season. At the end of the 2010–11 season, he went on to make sixteen appearances and scoring once in all competitions.
In the 2011–12 season, Poulsen regained his first team place in the starting eleven, playing in the left–back position. He started the season well for AZ Alkmaar by helping the club qualify for the Group Stage of the UEFA Europa League after beating the likes of Jablonec and Aalesunds. Poulsen then helped AZ Alkmaar keep three consecutive clean sheets in three league matches between 21 August 2011 and 10 September 2011. On 2 October 2011, he scored his first goal for the club, in a 3–1 win against VVV-Venlo. Between 23 October 2011 and 25 November 2011, Poulsen, once again, helped AZ Alkmaar keep four consecutive clean sheets in four league matches. Two weeks later on 10 December 2011, he scored his second goal of the season, in a 4–0 win against De Graafschap. Five days later on 15 December 2011, Poulsen helped the club qualify for the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League after drawing 1–1 against Metalist Kharkiv. After helping AZ Alkmaar beat Ajax 3–2 in the fourth round of KNVB Cup, he scored an own goal to give the opposition team an equalising goal, resulting a 1–1 draw three days later on 22 January 2012. Between 8 February 2012 and 16 February 2012, Poulsen helped the club keep three consecutive clean sheets in three matches. On 3 March 2012, he scored his third goal of the season, in a 3–1 win against
Heracles Almelo
Heracles Almelo is a Dutch professional football club based in Almelo, founded in 1903. The club has won the Dutch national title twice, in 1927 and 1941. Heracles won the Eerste Divisie title during the 2004–05 season, gaining promotion to t ...
. This was followed by helping the club keep three consecutive clean sheets in the next three league matches before scoring his fourth league of the season, in a 2–2 draw against Vitesse. Despite suffering injuries during the 2011–12 season, Poulsen went on to make fifty–four appearances and scoring four times in all competitions.
With his contract expiring at the end of the 2011–12 season, Poulsen's future at the club was in doubt and could be leaving after AZ Alkmaar has not begun negotiations over a new contract. As a result, he was linked with a move to clubs, such as,
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
side
Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
,
La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
side
Deportivo de La Coruña
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña (), commonly known as Deportivo La Coruña () or simply Depor, is a Spanish professional association football, football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia, that competes in the Segunda División, the ...
,
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...
side
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
and
Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
side
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (; from , ), commonly known as Juventus or colloquially as Juve (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Turin, Piedmont, who compete in Serie A, the ...
and
Napoli
Naples ( ; ; ) is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its province-level municipality is the thir ...
. The club, on the other hand, were not determined to let Poulsen go and wanted him to stay until next summer, as well as, possibilities of new contract. It was later confirmed on 30 November 2011 that both Brett Holman and Poulsen will leave AZ Alkmaar until the end of the 2011–12 season.
Sampdoria
On 25 August 2012, Poulsen joined the Italian
Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
side Sampdoria on a three-year contract. He was previously linked with a move to
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
, who offered him a two–year contract, but rejected the offer.
Poulsen made his debut for the club, coming on as an 87th-minute substitute, in a 1–0 loss against
Napoli
Naples ( ; ; ) is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its province-level municipality is the thir ...
on 30 September 2012. In a follow–up match against Chievo, he made his first start for Sampdoria, playing 66 minutes before being substituted, in a 2–1 loss. Since joining the club, however, Poulsen found his first team opportunities limited at Sampdoria, due to strong competitions in the defence. He also faced his own injury concerns throughout the 2012–13 season. In his first season at the club, Poulsen made eight appearances in all competitions.
Ahead of the 2013–14 season, Poulsen was linked a move away from Sampdoria, with several clubs from Europe wanted to sign him, but he ended up staying at the club. His only appearance for Sampdoria came on 5 December 2013 against
Hellas Verona
Hellas Verona Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Hellas Verona (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Verona, Veneto, that currently plays in Serie A. The team won ...
in the fourth round of the Italian Cup, as the club won 4–1. It was announced on 16 January 2014 that Poulsen left Sampdoria by mutual consent.
AZ Alkmaar
On the same day when his contract with Sampdoria had been dissolved on 16 January 2014, Poulsen rejoined his former team
AZ Alkmaar
Alkmaar Zaanstreek (), better known internationally as AZ Alkmaar, or simply and most commonly as AZ () in the Netherlands, is a Dutch professional Association football, football club from Alkmaar and the Zaan#The Zaan district, Zaan district. ...
, keeping him until 2015. Upon joining the club, he was given a number fifteen shirt.
Poulsen made his AZ Alkmaar debut on 8 February 2014, coming on as a 73rd-minute substitute, in a 2–1 loss against Go Ahead Eagles. He soon regained his first team place for the rest of the 2013–14 season. Poulsen then kept four of the five clean sheets in the club's matches between 2 March 2014 and 20 March 2014, especially against Anzhi Makhachkala. This was followed by making his 100th league appearance for AZ Alkmaar, in a 2–1 win against
PEC Zwolle
Prins Hendrik Ende Desespereert Nimmer Combinatie Zwolle, commonly known as PEC Zwolle, is a Dutch professional football club based in Zwolle, Netherlands. They play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football. They have played in the Ered ...
. He was featured in the league's play–offs for the UEFA Europa League spot, as the club were unsuccessful to qualify after losing 3–0 against FC Groningen. Despite suffering a groin injury later in the 2013–14 season, Poulsen went on to make eighteen appearances in all competitions.
At the start of the 2014–15 season, Poulsen continued to establish himself in the first team, playing in the left–back position. On 27 September 2014, he scored his first goal of the season, in a 3–2 win against
ADO Den Haag
Alles Door Oefening Den Haag (), commonly known by the abbreviated name ADO Den Haag (), is a Dutch association football club from the city of The Hague. They play in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football, following relegation ...
. Between 8 November 2014 and 29 November 2014, Poulsen kept three consecutive clean sheets in three league matches for AZ Alkmaar. During a match against Cambuur on 29 November 2014, he suffered a calf injury and was substituted at half time; resulting in him missing one match. But Poulsen returned to the starting line–up against
Feyenoord
Feyenoord Rotterdam () is a Netherlands, Dutch professional association football, football club based in Rotterdam, which plays in the Eredivisie, the top tier in Dutch football league system, Dutch football. Founded as Wilhelmina in 1908, the ...
on 14 December 2014 and helped the club draw 2–2. A month later on 17 January 2015, he scored his second goal of the season, in a 2–0 win against
Dordrecht
Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Western Netherlands, lo ...
. After the match, Poulsen was named Man of the Match. However, he suffered a leg injury that saw him miss one match. Poulsen returned to the starting line–up against Ajax and set up the only goal of the game to help AZ Alkmaar win 1–0 on 5 February 2015. Two weeks later on 21 February 2015, he scored his third goal of the season, in a 2–0 win against Go Ahead Eagles. At the end of the 2014–15 season, Poulsen went on to make thirty–five appearances and scoring three times in all competitions.
PSV Eindhoven
On 15 May 2015, Poulsen signed for PSV on a free transfer, signing a two–year contract. AZ Alkmaar offered him a contract to stay at the club, ended up joining PSV Eindhoven instead. Upon joining the club, he was given a number fourteen shirt.
Poulsen made his debut for PSV Eindhoven where he started throughout the match and kept a clean sheet, in a 3–0 win over FC Groningen to win the Johan Cruijff Schaal. A month later on 19 September 2015, Poulsen made his league debut for the club, coming on as an 80th-minute substitute, in a 2–1 loss against
Heracles Almelo
Heracles Almelo is a Dutch professional football club based in Almelo, founded in 1903. The club has won the Dutch national title twice, in 1927 and 1941. Heracles won the Eerste Divisie title during the 2004–05 season, gaining promotion to t ...
. He then played three more times, including two
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
matches against
CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow () is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet Union, Soviet era, it was the central part of the Armed Forces (sports ...
and
Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg (; Eastphalian language, Eastphalian: ''Wulfsborg'') is the fifth-largest city in the Germany, German state of Lower Saxony, on the river Aller (Germany), Aller east of Hanover and west of Berlin.
Wolfsburg is famous as the locat ...
. However, throughout the 2015–16 season, Poulsen found himself placed on the substitute bench, as he was as cover for incumbent PSV left-back Jetro Willems. Poulsen also faced his own injury concerns along the way. At the end of the 2015–16 season, he went on to make five appearances in all competitions. Poulsen was further demoted to
Jong PSV
Jong PSV is a Dutch football team based in Eindhoven. It is the reserve team of PSV Eindhoven and plays in the Eerste Divisie since the 2013–14 season.
History
Until 2013, Jong PSV played in the Beloften Eredivisie, a league exclusively fo ...
, playing nine times for the second team.
In the 2016–17 season, Poulsen's first team opportunities at PSV Eindhoven continued to be limited, covering for Willems and made no appearances for the club. As a result, he wanted to leave PSV Eindhoven to get first team football.
SønderjyskE (second spell)
On 31 January 2017, Poulsen returned to former club SønderjyskE, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract. PSV Eindhoven mentioned that they "receives a small transfer fee". Upon joining the club for the second time, he said his return was to end his career there.
Poulsen re–debuted for SønderjyskE, starting the whole game in the left–back position, in a 3–0 loss against Esbjerg fB on 17 February 2017. Since joining the club, he started in the next six matches for SønderjyskE, starting in the left–back position to help the side qualify for the league's Championship Round. After being placed on the substitute bench for two matches, Poulsen returned to the starting line–up against Brøndby on 30 April 2017 and played 65 minutes before being substituted, in a 1–1 draw. After missing the next three matches due to quarantine, he returned to the starting line–up against Brøndby on 21 May 2017 and helped the club keep a clean sheet, in a 3–0 win. At the end of the 2016–17 season, Poulsen went on to make ten appearances in all competitions.
Ahead of the 2017–18 season, it was announced Poulsen was appointed as SønderjyskE's vice captain, with Marc Pedersen appointed as the main captain. He started in the next the first four league matches before suffering a calf injury that saw him miss one match. But Poulsen returned to the starting line–up against
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
on 19 August 2017, as the club lost 3–2. In the absence of Pedersen, he captained SønderjyskE for the first time against
AC Horsens
Alliance Club Horsens (), commonly referred to as AC Horsens () or simply Horsens, is a Danish professional football club based in Horsens, Central Denmark Region. Founded in 1994, as a superstructure on Horsens fS (founded 1915), Stensballe ...
on 16 September 2017 and scored his first goal since returning to the club for the first time in twelve years, in a 2–2 draw. This was followed up by captaining SønderjyskE in the next two matches. However, he suffered an injury while training that saw him miss two matches. On 29 October 2017, Poulsen returned to the first team, coming on as a 59th-minute substitute, in a 1–1 draw against Hobro. After appearing two more times, his return was short–lived when he suffered another injury that kept him out for months. By February, Poulsen made a quick recovery and returned to the starting line–up against
Helsingør
Helsingør ( , ; ), classically known in English as Elsinore ( ), is a coastal city in northeastern Denmark. Helsingør Municipality had a population of 63,953 on 1 January 2025, making it the 23rd most populated municipality in Denmark. Helsin ...
on 4 March 2018 and set up the club's second goal of the game, which turns out to be a winning goal, in a 2–0 win. Two weeks later on 18 March 2018, he, once again, captained SønderjyskE in the absence of Pedersen, as the club lost 2–1. In the league's relegation round, Poulsen appeared twice, as the club qualify for the league's European play–offs. However, SønderjyskE were unsuccessful to qualify for the
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
next season after losing 4–2 on aggregate against AGF. At the end of the 2017–18 season, he went on to make nineteen appearances and scoring once in all competitions.
After missing the first four league matches due to being on the substitute bench, Poulsen made his first appearance for SønderjyskE of the 2018–19 season, coming on as a second-half substitute, in a 1–0 loss against Esbjerg fB on 13 August 2018. Two weeks later on 26 August 2018, he set up the club's first goal of the game, in a 3–2 loss against Copenhagen. In a follow–up match, Poulsen captained SønderjyskE for the first time this season in the absence of Pedersen and helped the club draw 1–1 against Hobro. In another follow–up match, he set up two goals for SønderjyskE, as the club won 4–2 against Brøndby. Following this, Poulsen continued to establish himself in the left–back position for the rest of the first of the season. By the time he announced his retirement from professional football, Poulsen made sixteen appearances in all competitions.
Post-playing career
On 4 January 2019, Poulsen announced his retirement from professional football, but would continue at the club, becoming the new assistant coach of the first team and a youth coach. It was announced on 27 November 2018 that he signed a contract extension with SønderjyskE, keeping him until 2023.
International career
Poulsen is eligible to play for
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
(through his mother) and
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
(through his father), but opted to play for Denmark.
Youth team
Having represented Denmark under-19 national team and Denmark U20 (making a total of 25 games and score one goal for various Danish youth selections), Poulsen was selected for the Denmark under-21 national team squad for the first time in April 2004. It wasn't until on 16 August 2005 when he made his U21 debut, in a 1–0 loss against
England U21
The England national under-21 football team, also known as England under-21s or England U21(s), is the national under-21 association football team of England, under the control of the Football Association. It is considered to be the feeder team ...
. In May 2006, Poulsen was selected for the Denmark U21 squad for the 2006 European Under-21 Championship. However, he appeared once in the tournament, as the U21 side were eliminated in the group stage. Three months later on 16 August 2006, Poulsen scored his first Denmark U21 goal, in a 3–2 loss against the Switzerland under-21 national team. In all, he played 11 games and scored one goal for the Danish under-21 national team.
Poulsen was called up for the Denmark League XI national football team, and played unofficial national team games against the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
,
El Salvador
El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...
and
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...
in January 2007.
Senior team
Poulsen was called up for the Denmark national team in March 2007, by national team manager
Morten Olsen
Morten Per Olsen (; born 14 August 1949) is a Danish former Association football, football manager and former player. He was the head coach of the Denmark national football team, Denmark national team for 15 years from 2000 until 2015, guiding ...
. Initially not getting playing time against
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, he made his national team debut in a
friendly match
An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, scrimmage, demonstration, training match, pre-season game, warmup match, or preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sport, sporting event whose prize money and impact on th ...
against
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
and
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
.
Following this, his international career went on a hiatus and it wasn't until on 10 May 2010 when Poulsen was recalled to the team, ahead of the
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
, as Olsen thought he had improved in the back position. For the first time in almost three years, Poulsen made his first appearances for Denmark in the
friendly match
An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, scrimmage, demonstration, training match, pre-season game, warmup match, or preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sport, sporting event whose prize money and impact on th ...
against
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
on 27 May 2010, starting a match and played 45 minutes before being substituted at half time, in a 2–0 win. Shortly after, he was included in Olsen's final World Cup squad. On 14 June in their first
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
group match against the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
own goal
An own goal occurs in sports when a player performs actions that result in scoring points for the opposition, such as when a Association football, footballer puts a ball into their own net.
In some parts of the world, the term has become a met ...
by heading the ball against his back inside the first minute of the second half which deflected past the Danish
goalkeeper
In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...
, thus giving the Dutch the lead, and the national side went on to lose 2–0. He started two more matches against
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
and
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, as Denmark were eliminated in the group stage.
Following the World Cup tournament, Poulsen was called up to the national team two months later and started against Germany on 11 August 2010, only to suffer an injury and was substituted in the 28th minute, as the national team drew 2–2. It wasn't until on 1 February 2011 when he was called up to the national team once again. Poulsen was featured against
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
on 9 February 2011 and was at fault for conceding an equalising, leading him to be substituted at half time, as Denmark lost 2–1. Despite this, he was later featured three more matches in the
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 was a series of parallel association football competitions held across Europe between 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012. The draw for the qualifying rounds was held on 7 Febru ...
, helping Denmark qualify for the
UEFA Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th UEFA European Championship, European Championship for List of men's national association football teams#UEFA (Europe), men's ...
after coming on as a 76th-minute substitute to help the national side beat 2–1
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
on 11 October 2011. In May 2012, Poulsen was inducted in the final squad for
Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
. He started in the tournament against
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
on 9 June 2012 and set up a goal for Michael Krohn-Dehli, who scored the only goal of the game to help Denmark win 1–0. After the match, Ekstrabladet said about his performance, saying: "If you can talk about revenge from the World Cup two years ago, he got it. He's only grown a few levels. Tactically and playfully, it's great to see how unimpressed he goes to work. The robe was most often shut down. In the first half he was the Dane with the most passes." He then featured two more matches in the tournament for the national team, playing in the left–back position against Portugal and Germany, as they were eliminated in the group stage.
Following the end of the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament, Poulsen didn't get a call–up from Denmark until on 12 March 2013. He made his first appearance in nine months against
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
on 22 March 2013 and started the whole game to help the national team keep a clean sheet, in a 3–0 win. After the match, Ekstrabladet said about his performance: "Hesitant and insecure in most interventions. Seemed clearly rusty and the lack of combat training could be seen in both the interventions and the duels." This led Manager Olsen to defend his performance, saying: "Simon played a really good match as a team player. Everyone makes small mistakes. So do those who played a great match, but those mistakes are sometimes not noticed. I think that many have a wrong approach to Simon Poulsen. Every time he has made just a small mistake, he has played a bad match." Poulsen went on to make three more appearances by the end of the year, two of which were qualifying matches, as Denmark failed to qualify for the
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...
.
It wasn't until on 30 September 2014 when he was called up to the national team for the first time in a year. Poulsen made his first appearance in a year, coming on as a 58th-minute substitute, in a 1–0 loss against Portugal on 14 October 2014. He then followed up by making five more appearances in the next five matches. He then spent the rest of 2015 for Denmark's matches on the substitute bench, including the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying play-offs against Sweden, as the national team failed to qualify for the
UEFA Euro 2016
The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's association football, football ch ...
following a 4–3 defeat on aggregate. Following this, Poulsen was never called up to the Denmark squad again and made thirty–one appearances for the national team.
Personal life
As a result of joining Haderslev Fodboldklub, Poulsen and his family relocated to Haderslev, as his mother, Bibbi Poulsen, was supportive of his son becoming a professional footballer. He is married to his wife, Mette, and together, they have a daughter. The combination of his daughter being born and scoring against Go Ahead Eagles on 21 February 2015 led Poulsen to describe the week as "fantastic".
In November 2005, while on international duty with Denmark U21, Poulsen was under investigation by Anti Doping Denmark, DBU or UEFA for alleged doping. After a month of investigation, he was cleared by the DIF's doping committee.
In October 2007, Poulsen was subjected to death threats on his mobile phone after receiving a phone call from an unknown individuals. This was quickly resolved when a Viborg's supporter was caught and was banned from entering the
Viborg Stadium
Viborg Stadion, currently known as Energi Viborg Arena for sponsorship reasons, is the home of Danish Superliga club Viborg FF with a capacity of 10,000. Originally built in 1931, it previously hosted the Danish national women's football team bet ...
for three years. Poulsen revealed earlier this year when he was subjected to racial abuse from the opposition team supporters.
Career statistics
Honours
SønderjyskE
*
Danish 1st Division
The 1st Division (''1. Division'') is the second-highest football league in Denmark, also known as NordicBet Liga for sponsorship reasons. From 1945 to 1991, the 1. Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark. With the for ...
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; "Honour Division" or "Premier Division") is a professional association football league in the Netherlands and the highest level of the Dutch football league system. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start o ...
Johan Cruyff Shield
The Johan Cruyff Shield (, ) is a football trophy in the Netherlands named after Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff, also often referred to as the Dutch Super Cup. The winner is decided in one match only, played by the winner of the national footbal ...
:
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga (, ) is a professional association football league in Denmark and the highest level of the Danish football league system. The league is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams relegated. It is the current ...