Morten Nicolas Rasmussen (born 31 January 1985) 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 ...
, better known as Morten Duncan Rasmussen, who played as a forward, and current assistant coach of
FC Midtjylland
Football Club Midtjylland (, "Central Jutland") is a Danish professional football club based in Herning and Ikast. The club is the result of a merger between Ikast FS and Herning Fremad. Midtjylland competes in the Danish Superliga, which they ...
.
He has played 13 times and scored 4 goals for the Denmark national team. Rasmussen scored 37 goals in 60 matches for various Denmark national youth sides and was named the Danish under-19 Player of the Year in 2003. He is the highest scoring player in the history of the Danish Superliga, scoring 141 goals for Aalborg BK, AGF, Brøndby and FC Midtjylland.
Early life
Born in
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 ...
, Rasmussen lived in
Valby
Valby () is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen Municipality, Denmark. It is in the southwestern corner of Copenhagen Municipality, and has a mixture of different types of housing. This includes apartment blocks, terraced housing, area ...
until he was two years old, at which point he and his parents moved to Tilst, 10 km west of
Aarhus
Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...
.
Club career
AGF Aarhus
Rasmussen started his career in the youth scheme of Aarhus top-flight club AGF. While at AGF, he earned the nickname "Duncan" due to a slight physical resemblance of former Scottish international striker
Duncan Ferguson
Duncan Cowan Ferguson (born 27 December 1971) is a Scottish football coach and former player.
He began his career at Dundee United in 1990, and moved to Rangers in 1993 for what was then a British transfer record fee. He spent the remainder o ...
,Mads Glenn Wehlast. "Fem fra Duncan". ''
Ekstra Bladet
is a Danish tabloid newspaper, published by JP/Politikens Hus in Copenhagen.About (in Danish) . Retrieved 22 Se ...
''. 30 April 2002. though he stated at the time that he wasn't a particular fan of Duncan Ferguson himself.
In January 2002, Rasmussen turned professional as he signed a three-year contract with AGF, running to January 2005. He made his debut for AGF in the
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 ...
championship in May 2002, as he played the last two games of the 2001–02 Superliga season. He made his debut in the 0–1 defeat to
Lyngby
Kongens Lyngby (, Danish language, Danish for "the King's Heather Town"; short form Lyngby) is the seat and commercial centre of Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. Lyngby Hovedgade is a busy shopping stre ...
on 12 May, before scoring his first goal in the 4–0 win against
Silkeborg
Silkeborg () is a Denmark, Danish town with a population of 52,571 (1 January 2025).2002–03 Superliga season, Rasmussen signed an improved five-year contract running until the summer of 2008.
After meagre goalscoring in his first three full seasons for AGF, scoring 17 goals in 82 games, the 2005–06 Superliga season was Rasmussen's senior-level breakthrough. Rasmussen scored 10 goals in 19 games during the first half of the season, including a scoring streak of six goals in five games. Before the winter 2005
transfer window
In association football, a transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club, club can add players to their squad who were previously under contract with another club. Such a Transfer (association football), transfer is comp ...
. Following a total of 28 goals in 103 Superliga matches for AGF, Rasmussen left the club in January 2006.
Brøndby
Rasmussen was bought by the defending Superliga champions
Brøndby IF
Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening (, usually abbreviated to Brøndby IF (), is a Danish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Brøndbyvester. Brøndby IF denotes the professional football section of Brøndbyernes ...
, with whom he signed a five-year contract. With a price tag of 12 million DKK, he replaced striker Morten Skoubo who had been sold to Spanish club
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad de Fútbol, more commonly referred to as Real Sociedad ( ; ''Royal Society'') in English, and Erreala or Reala in Basque language, Basque, is a Spanish professional sports club in the city of San Sebastián, Donostia / San Sebastián, ...
. He started using the moniker "Duncan" when playing for Brøndby. His start at Brøndby was marked by an injury incurred in March 2006, and in the remaining games of the 2005–06 Superliga season, he scored one goal in six matches.
He started the 2006–07 Superliga season by scoring three goals in six games, before an injury sidelined him in August 2006. He returned in February 2007, helping Brøndby win the 2007
Royal League
The Royal League was an annual Scandinavian football tournament held three times in the 2000s between teams from the three Scandinavian monarchies (Denmark, Sweden, and Norway), starting after the end of the regular domestic seasons of Norway and ...
cup tournament, and went on to score 15 goals in 13 games in the second half of the 2006–07 Superliga season. In the 2007–08 Superliga season, Rasmussen scored seven goals in 19 games, before suffering an injury in March 2008. In that season he also helped Brøndby win the 2008
Danish Cup
The Danish Cup (; often referred to as Pokalen) is the official "single-elimination tournament, knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955.
The winner will ...
. The 2008–09 season was Rasmussen's first full Brøndby season without major injuries, as he scored nine goals in 25 games.
Celtic
Following 12 goals in 15 games in the first half of the 2009–10 Superliga, Rasmussen attracted the attention of
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the Scottish football league system, top-level league competition for professional Association football, football clubs in Scotland. The league was founded in 1998, when it broke away from the Scottish Foo ...
club
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
*Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Foot ...
. On 25 January 2010, Rasmussen arrived in
Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
for contract negotiations and a medical with Celtic before signing on a three-and-a-half-year deal the next day for a fee in excess of £1 million. Rasmussen exclaimed he was delighted to join the Glasgow club saying "I started at Aarhus, before going to Brondby, which was a bigger club, so moving to Celtic is another big step up for me." Rasmussen chose to abandon the moniker "Duncan" when playing for Celtic. He made his debut for Celtic on 27 January, coming on as a 60th-minute substitute for
Georgios Samaras
Georgios Samaras (, ; born 21 February 1985) is a Greek former professional association football, footballer who played as a forward (association football), forward.
Samaras started his career at OFI Crete F.C., OFI, before moving on to Erediv ...
as ''the Hoops'' lost 2–1 to Hibernian and scored his first Celtic goal three days later in the 1–0 victory against Hamilton Accies. Rasmussen scored a goal in his third game for Celtic in a 4–2 win over
Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dunfermline, Fife. Founded in 1885, the club currently compete in the after winning the 2022–23 Scottish League One title. Dunfermline play at ...
in the
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a Soccer-specific stadium, football stadium and the home of Scottish Premiership team Celtic F.C., Celtic, in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. With a capacity of 60,832, it is the largest List of football stadiums in Sco ...
.
Rasmussen rarely featured for Celtic under the management of
Neil Lennon
Neil Francis Lennon (born 25 June 1971) is a Northern Irish professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He currently manages Scottish Championship club Dunfermline Athletic.
During his playing career he represe ...
, making only four starts during his time with the club. He left Celtic in August 2012 after completing loan spells with Mainz, AaB and Sivasspor.
Mainz (loan)
In August 2010, Rasmussen signed for
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
1. FSV Mainz 05
1. Fußball- und Sport-Verein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05 or simply Mainz 05 (), is a German professional sports club, founded in 1905 and based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Mainz 05 play in the Bundesliga, the top tie ...
on a season-long loan deal from Celtic with a view to a permanent move. He made his debut against
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V. (), commonly known as VfB Stuttgart (), is a German professional sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club's Association football, football team is currently part of Germany's f ...
on 21 August 2010 and scored a looping header to make it 2–0. Rasmussen scored in the next game against Wolfsburg on 28 August 2010, the side's first goal of a 4–3 away win. Rasmussen rarely featured after that making only one start and two substitute appearances for the German side after his relatively good start.
In December, Mainz's sporting director
Christian Heidel
Christian Heidel (born 2 June 1963) is a German football executive who works for 1. FSV Mainz 05, FSV Mainz 05 and previously worked for FC Schalke 04, Schalke 04.
Career
1. FSV Mainz 05 (1992–2016)
Heidel became Mainz 05's manager in 1992 an ...
announced the club would not be making a permanent move after the end of the loan deal.
AaB (loan)
In February 2011, Rasmussen signed for Danish side AaB on loan from Celtic after his loan spell with Mainz was cut short. He did not score any goals in his first five league matches for AaB in the league, but he scored six goals in the following five, including a goal against former team Brøndby.
Sivasspor (loan)
In September 2011, Rasmussen signed for Turkish side
Sivasspor
Sivasspor Kulübü, known as Net Global Sivasspor due to sponsorship reasons, is a Turkish sports club based in Sivas. The primary department of the club is men's football. Formed in 1967, its football department has competed in Süper Lig since t ...
on a six-month loan deal. In Rasmussen's second game for the club, he was forced to play in goal after goalkeeper,
Milan Borjan
Milan Borjan ( sr-Cyrl, Милан Борјан; born 23 October 1987) is a professional Association football, soccer player who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Saudi Pro League club Al-Riyadh SC, Al-Riyadh. Born in ...
, had been sent off and all three substitutes had been used. Rasmussen picked up a yellow card after conceding a penalty during the match, but this was the only goal he let in.
Midtjylland
Rasmussen signed a four-year contract with Danish club Midtjylland in August 2012.
In the
2014–15 Danish Superliga
The 2014–15 Danish Superliga season was the 25th season of the Danish Superliga, which decides the Danish football championship.
Since Denmark dropped from fifteenth to nineteenth place in the 2014 UEFA association coefficient rankings at th ...
season, Rasmussen scored 13 league goals in 23 appearances, helping Midtjylland to their first league title.
AGF
Rasmussen return to his first professional club, AGF, in January 2016 and signed a three-year contract.
Pogoń Szczecin
Duncan signed for Polish club
Pogoń Szczecin
Pogoń Szczecin Spółka Akcyjna, commonly referred to as Pogoń Szczecin (), is a Polish professional football club based in Szczecin, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, which plays in the Ekstraklasa, the top tier of the national football league s ...
on 30 January 2018.
International career
Rasmussen made his international debut with the Danish under-16 national team in 2001, scoring three goals in three under-16 national team games. He represented Denmark at the 2002 European Under-17 Championship, scoring six goals in four games, including five goals in 20 minutes in the 6–0 win against the Finland under-17s. Having scored 17 goals in 19 matches for the under-17 national team, he moved into the under-19 national team in September 2002, still aged 17. Following six goals in 11 matches for the under-19 team, he was awarded 2003 Danish under-19 Player of the Year. On 3 September 2004, aged 19, Rasmussen got his debut for the Denmark under-21 national team. He scored eight goals in 13 games to help Denmark qualify for the 2006 European Under-21 Championship. However, at the main tournament, Rasmussen had to relinquish his place in the starting line-up to
Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner (; born 16 January 1988) is a Danish former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. His preferred position was centre-forward, but he has also played on the Forward ...
, though he played as a substitute in all three Denmark games. In total, Rasmussen scored nine goals in 21 games for the under-21 team.
Rasmussen made his debut for the senior Danish national team on 11 October 2008, as he played the last 13 minutes of the 3–0 win against
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
in the
2010 World Cup qualification
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
. In January 2009, he was a part of the unofficial
Denmark League XI national football team
The Denmark League XI is an unofficial national football team run by the Danish Football Association.
The team generally consists of Danish players playing in the Danish Superliga or other leagues if their clubs agree to release them. It is only ...
which won the 2009 King's Cup invitational tournament, under the management of Danish national coach
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 ...
. He played a further two senior international
friendly game
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 ...
s in November 2009. In January 2010, he once again joined the League XI team for the
2010 King's Cup
The 40th King's Cup (Thailand), King's Cup finals was held in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand from 17 January until 23 January. The King's Cup is an international association football, football competition held in Thailand. ...
. Rasmussen scored for the Danish side in their first game, a 3–1 win over
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, as his team went on to defend their title.
On 10 May 2010, Rasmussen was included in Olsen's preliminary 30-man squad for the
2010 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. ...
. After first-choice striker
Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner (; born 16 January 1988) is a Danish former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. His preferred position was centre-forward, but he has also played on the Forward ...
picked up an injury, Rasmussen was called up for the Danish squad on 21 May to act as cover, but was eventually left out of the final 23-man squad on 28 May.
Coaching and later career
After retiring at the end of the 2018/19 season,
FC Midtjylland
Football Club Midtjylland (, "Central Jutland") is a Danish professional football club based in Herning and Ikast. The club is the result of a merger between Ikast FS and Herning Fremad. Midtjylland competes in the Danish Superliga, which they ...
announced, that they had hired Duncan as a forward coach. Beside, Duncan also played for
Denmark Series
The Denmark Series () is the fifth tier in the Danish football league system. Teams are divided into four groups of ten. The top team in each following promotion group is promoted to the Danish 3rd Division. The bottom three teams in each group ...
4 team, TIF All Stars. He scored six goals in his first game which the club won 16–1. Other former players such as
Kristian Bach Bak
Kristian Bach Bak (né Bak Nielsen; born 20 October 1982) is a Danish former professional footballer. Bak usually played centre-back, but he has a past as a striker. He has played one game for the Danish under-21 national team.
Club career Mi ...
, Jens Berthel Askou and Søren Mussmann also played for TIF All Stars.
In the summer of 2021, Duncan became assistant coach for the club's U-19 team under manager
Kenneth Andersen
Kenneth Andersen (born 23 October 1967) is a Danish football manager.
Career
Andersen was the manager of various FC Midtjylland youth teams for 13 years before succeeding Jess Thorup in October 2018 as head coach of the club. From 2001 to 2004 ...
, but also still continued in the role of attack coach at the club, albeit on an individual level. On January 6, 2025, the club confirmed that Duncan would be the assistant coach for the club's
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 ...
:''Scores and results list Denmark's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Rasmussen goal.''
Honours
Brøndby
*
Danish Cup
The Danish Cup (; often referred to as Pokalen) is the official "single-elimination tournament, knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955.
The winner will ...
Royal League
The Royal League was an annual Scandinavian football tournament held three times in the 2000s between teams from the three Scandinavian monarchies (Denmark, Sweden, and Norway), starting after the end of the regular domestic seasons of Norway and ...
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 ...