Nicklas Bendtner (; born 16 January 1988) 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
forward. His preferred position was
centre-forward, but he has also played on the
right side of attack, and occasionally on the left. A large, tall, and physically strong player, he was known for his ability in the air and possessed a powerful header.
Having progressed through the youth ranks at
Tårnby Boldklub,
Kjøbenhavns Boldklub
Kjøbenhavns Boldklub (known simply as KB) was a Danish professional multi-sports club based in Copenhagen. The club was founded on 26 April 1876 on the grassy fields in outer Copenhagen which later became Fælledparken.
Tennis has been played s ...
and
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 ...
, Bendtner signed his first professional contract with Arsenal in 2005. He made his debut in October 2005 in the
League Cup against
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
. For the
2006–07 season, Bendtner was loaned out to
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
club
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
, where he made 48 appearances. Following his return to Arsenal, he became a regular first team player, but began to slip out of favour during the
2010–11 season. As a result, he moved on loan to Premier League club Sunderland for the majority of the
2011–12 season, where he made 30 appearances. He then spent the entire
2012–13 season on loan to
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 ...
club
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 ...
, where he made 10 appearances but failed to score. Bendtner was released by Arsenal in 2014. He subsequently joined
VfL Wolfsburg
Verein für Leibesübungen Wolfsburg e. V., commonly known as VfL Wolfsburg (), is a German professional sports club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. The club grew out of a multi-sports club for Volkswagen workers in the city of Wolfsburg. I ...
on a free transfer, for whom he scored the winning goal in the
2015 DFL-Supercup. Released in 2016, he returned to England, where he spent the first half of the 2016–17 season with
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football.
Founde ...
of the Championship, and in March 2017 he signed for Rosenborg.
Bendtner has played internationally for Denmark at
under-16,
under-17,
under-19,
under-21 and senior levels. He made his senior international debut as an 18-year-old, on 16 August 2006 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
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 ...
, and scored his first international goal in that match. Bendtner was a member of Denmark's
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. ...
and
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 ...
squads, and helped them qualify for the
2018 World Cup.
Club career
Youth career
Bendtner was 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 ...
. As a child, he played football for
Tårnby Boldklub before joining
F.C. Copenhagen's feeder club
Kjøbenhavns Boldklub
Kjøbenhavns Boldklub (known simply as KB) was a Danish professional multi-sports club based in Copenhagen. The club was founded on 26 April 1876 on the grassy fields in outer Copenhagen which later became Fælledparken.
Tennis has been played s ...
(KB) in 1998.
He scored four goals in six Danish national youth team matches,
[ before joining English club ]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 ...
in August 2004.
Arsenal
Bendtner formed a prolific strike partnership in the Arsenal reserves with Arturo Lupoli. His first-team debut for Arsenal came on 25 October 2005 in a League Cup match against Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
at the Stadium of Light, as a late substitute for Quincy Owusu-Abeyie.[
]
Loan to Birmingham City
Bendtner was loaned to Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
team Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
in August 2006 to gain first team experience; the loan initially ran until January 2007. He made his debut for Birmingham as a substitute for Stephen Clemence against Colchester United
Colchester United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Colchester, Essex, England. The team competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1937, the club spent its ea ...
on 5 August. He played the final half-hour and scored the winning goal. The loan at Birmingham was extended until the end of the 2006–07 season. He finished with eleven league goals as Birmingham were promoted to the Premier League as Championship runners-up.[
]
2007–08 season
Bendtner signed a new five-year contract with Arsenal in May 2007, and returned to the club for the 2007–08 Premier League season. After impressing at Birmingham, the teenage striker was presented with opportunities to seek first-team football elsewhere, with reports that Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais (), commonly referred to as simply Lyon () or OL, is a French professional association football, football club based in Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. With origins dating back to 1899, they were founded in 1950 and p ...
and Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
wanted the promising teenager, but he stayed on in order to earn his place in the starting eleven.
Bendtner scored his first goal at the Emirates Stadium
The Emirates Stadium (known as Arsenal Stadium for UEFA competitions) is a association football, football stadium in Holloway, London, England. It has been the home stadium of Arsenal F.C., Arsenal Football Club since its completion in 2006. ...
against Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain () or simply PSG, is a French professional Association football, football club based in Paris. They compete in Ligue 1, the French football league system, top d ...
in the inaugural Emirates Cup pre-season tournament; he assisted another for Mathieu Flamini
Mathieu Pierre Flamini (born 7 March 1984) is a French entrepreneur and former professional footballer. A midfielder, he played for French side Marseille, English sides Arsenal and Crystal Palace, Italian side Milan and Spanish side Getafe. At i ...
and missed a late penalty. He made his Premier League debut as a substitute against Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
on 12 August 2007. His first competitive strike for the Gunners was the match-winning goal in a 2–0 League Cup match against Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
on 25 September 2007.[ On 23 October, he scored his debut ]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 ...
goal in the 89th minute against Slavia Prague
Sportovní klub Slavia Praha – fotbal (Sports Club Slavia Prague – Football, ), commonly known as Slavia Praha or Slavia Prague, is a Czech professional football club in Prague. Founded in 1892, they are the second most successful club in t ...
, finishing off a back-heeled pass from Emmanuel Eboué to complete a 7–0 win and equal the record Champions League victory.
Bendtner's first Premier League goal came on 22 December 2007 in a 2–1 Arsenal victory in the North London derby
The North London derby is the meeting of the association football clubs Arsenal F.C., Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur, both of which are based in North London, England. Fans of both clubs consider the other to be their main ...
against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
at the Emirates Stadium. He headed the winning goal from a Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc Fàbregas Soler (; ; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who played as a central midfielder. He is currently the head coach of club Como.
Fàbregas came through La Masia, Barcelona's you ...
corner just 1.8 seconds (official time) after coming on as a substitute for Eboué, breaking the previous record. His first Premier League start came a week later at Everton; he was sent off for two bookable offences. After serving his suspension, he scored his first FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
goal against Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
on 6 January 2008 as Arsenal won 2–0.
During the season, manager Arsène Wenger
Arsène Charles Ernest Wenger (born 22 October 1949) is a French former association football, football Manager (association football), manager and football player, player who is currently serving as FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development. ...
tried to partner Bendtner with Emmanuel Adebayor whenever Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie (; born 6 August 1983) is a Dutch football coach and former professional association football, footballer who is the head coach of Eredivisie club Feyenoord. He is regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and was ...
was rested. Bendtner and Adebayor, however, did not get along well. It became apparent during the 2008 League Cup semi-final second leg away at Tottenham when the pair had a heated on-pitch altercation with the scoreline at 4–1 to Tottenham and referee Howard Webb
Howard Melton Webb MBE (born 14 July 1971) is an English former professional football referee who officiated primarily in the Premier League from 2003 to 2014, as well as for FIFA as a FIFA international referee from 2005 to 2014.
Webb is ...
, captain William Gallas, and other teammates had to intervene and separate the two. Adebayor later apologized on Arsenal's website and the Football Association
The Football Association (the FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest footb ...
declined to take any formal action against either.
Bendtner also scored a last minute equaliser against 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 ...
to keep Arsenal top of the table.
2008–09 season
The highlight of Bendtner's 2008–09 pre-season was scoring four goals in the first half of Arsenal's 10–2 victory against Burgenland XI on 29 July 2008. He scored his first Premier League goal of the season against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
and within 90 seconds provided an assist for Eboué to score.
Bendtner had a hard time in October and November, but on 25 November, he scored a controversial 87th-minute winner against Dynamo Kyiv
The Football Club 'Dynamo Kyiv', also known as Dynamo Kyiv, or simply Dynamo, ( ) is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Kyiv. Founded in 1927 as a Kyivan football team of republican branch of the bigger Soviet Dynamo Sports Society ...
in the Champions League to ensure Arsenal progressed to the knockout stages. After treatment to an injured player, with Dynamo apparently expecting the ball to be returned to them, Fàbregas hit the ball forward and Bendtner scored with a left-footed shot. He was booked for removing his shirt in celebration. In January, he scored two more goals as a substitute, late winners at home to Bolton and Hull City, both from Van Persie crosses.
On 24 February, Bendtner was goaded after missing a number of chances in the 1–0 win over Roma in the Champions League knockout stages. The following week, he scored two goals at West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
as Arsenal won 3–1. The fans were much more supportive towards him when he missed a string of chances against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
. Arsenal still won 4–0, thanks to Andrey Arshavin
Andrey Sergeyevich Arshavin (, ; born 29 May 1981) is a Russian former professional footballer who played as a winger (association football), winger or midfielder. Since 2019, Arshavin has held administrative posts at Zenit. In 2022 he became De ...
's stunner, and a brace from Eboué. Bendtner got a goal in a 3–1 win at Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
, a header from a long free-kick.
On 5 May 2009, the 21-year-old Bendtner was seen leaving a nightclub hours after Arsenal's 3–1 home defeat by rival
A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
side Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
in the Champions League semi-final, pictured with his belt undone and jeans pulled down. He later said: "I may be young, but my actions were a poor error of judgment and something I deeply regret." Bendtner was a second-half substitute for Arsenal, who lost 4–1 on aggregate to defending champions United. Bendtner made amends with a goal, albeit a consolation, in a 4–1 defeat to London rival club Chelsea.
2009–10 season
Bendtner started the 2009–10 season by announcing a change in his Arsenal squad number from 26, which he had been allocated initially, to 52, which he claimed was "a special number to impersonally". He agreed to refund any supporters who had already bought a shirt printed with his original number. He scored his first goal of the season in the Champions League group stage in a 3–2 away win 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 ...
.[ On the morning of 27 September, he was involved in a car accident while driving along the A1. He suffered cuts to his knees and shoulder pain, and wrote off his ]Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC () is a British manufacturer of Luxury car, luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Headed from 1947 by David Brown (entrepreneur ...
. He returned to action on 4 October and scored his first league goal of the season in Arsenal's 6–2 win over Blackburn Rovers.[ On 28 October, he scored the winning goal in the League Cup in a 2–1 win against ]Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
.
On 10 November, Bendtner underwent surgery in Germany after aggravating a groin injury in the 3–0 win on 31 October playing against Tottenham Hotspur. He was expected to be out for up to four weeks, but did not return until 27 January in a 0–0 draw at Villa Park
Villa Park is a association football, football stadium in Aston, Birmingham, with a seating capacity of 42,918. It has been the home of Premier League club Aston Villa F.C., Aston Villa since 1897. The ground is less than a mile from both Witt ...
. He started his first match after recovering from his injury and played 82 minutes in Arsenal's victory over Liverpool on 10 February to complete his return to full fitness. Ten days later, he scored his first league goal since October with the opener in a 2–0 home defeat of Sunderland. He followed this up with the equalising goal in a 3–1 win against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on 27 February.
On 9 March, Bendtner scored the first hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
of his professional career in a 5–0 victory over Porto
Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...
in the second leg of the Champions League first knockout round to overturn their 2–1 loss in the first leg. Four days later, he scored a stoppage-time winning goal against Hull City to put the Gunners level on points with Chelsea at the top of the Premier League. Another stoppage-time winner followed in the 1–0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
on 3 April.
Bendtner won the Arsenal Player of the Month award for his performances in March, taking over 33% of the votes. He scored the only goal for Arsenal in a 4–1 defeat to Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
at the Camp Nou
Camp Nou (), meaning ''New Field'' and often referred to in English as the Nou Camp, is a stadium in Barcelona and the home of La Liga club FC Barcelona since its opening in 1957. It is currently undergoing renovation, and with a planned increa ...
as they were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-final on 6 April.
2010–11 season
After worsening his groin problem during the 2010 World Cup, and spending almost four months out of action, Bendtner's first appearance of the season came as a substitute against Birmingham City on 16 October. On 24 October, he scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 away win against Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
. Three days later, he scored again in a match against Newcastle United in the League Cup at St James' Park
St James' Park is a Association football, football stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United F.C., Newcastle United. With a seating capacity of 52,305, it is the List of football stadiums in England, 8th la ...
, as Arsenal won 4–0. Bendtner scored his first goal of 2011 on 25 January against Ipswich Town in the League Cup, to level the aggregate score at 1–1. Arsenal won the match 3–0, and 3–1 on aggregate. The goal earned him the Arsenal Goal of the Month award for January. On 2 March, Bendtner scored a hat-trick in the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
fifth round replay against League One team Leyton Orient. it was his first hat-trick for nearly a year, and the first by an Arsenal player in an FA Cup tie since Ian Wright
Ian Edward Wright (born 3 November 1963) is an English media personality and former professional footballer.
Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal as a forward, spending six years with the former and seven year ...
's against Yeovil Town in 1993.
Bendtner was left out of Arsenal's 2011 summer tour of Asia while talks took place over a transfer. Amid rumours of interest from Stoke City and Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, often known simply as Borussia Dortmund () or by its initialism BVB (), or just Dortmund by International fans, is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is ...
, as well as confirmed interest from Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
sporting director Frank Arnesen
Frank Arnesen (born 30 September 1956) is a former Danish footballer and sporting director at Dutch football club Feyenoord. Arnesen was the director of football at English football clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, and was sporting directo ...
, Bendtner made public his desire to leave Arsenal in August, citing the need for first-team football as motivation.
Loan to Sunderland
On the last day of the August 2011 transfer window, Premier League club Sunderland completed a one-year loan deal for Bendtner; the striker linked up again with manager Steve Bruce
Stephen Roger Bruce (born 31 December 1960) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player who was a centre-back in a twenty-year playing career. He is currently the head coa ...
. A couple of days later, Bendtner was reported as saying that he would never play for Arsenal again because he was not given the opportunity to establish himself in the first team after his car accident. On his debut, he made an assist against Chelsea. His first goal came on 1 October to begin Sunderland's comeback from 2–0 down to draw with West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
, and he made the cross from which Ahmed Elmohamady equalised. Bendtner had to wait three weeks for the Dubious Goals Committee
A Dubious Goals Committee is a committee in the English football leagues which adjudicates in any instance where the identity of the scorer of a goal is disputed.
The Premier League Committee meets on an ad hoc basis, whenever a disputed goa ...
to credit him with the goal, which had gone into the net off Gareth McAuley.
Bendtner's second goal for Sunderland came in injury time against Bolton Wanderers; the match ended 2–0 and was Sunderland's first away win of the season. He scored his third in a 3–2 win at Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...
.[ On 21 January 2012, Bendtner fractured his eye-socket in a collision during Sunderland's match against Swansea City on 21 January 2012; when he returned to action, he wore a protective facemask. He converted a penalty in the Tyne-Wear derby on 4 March to put Sunderland 1–0 up, and scored again the following week to give his team a 1–0 victory against Liverpool. In Sunderland's 3–1 victory at home to Queens Park Rangers, he scored the opening goal with an "unstoppable" header, and took his total for March to four from five matches with Sunderland's second goal in a 3–3 draw away to Manchester City.][ He finished the season as Sunderland's top scorer in Premier League matches with eight goals.
]
Loan to Juventus
On the last day of the August 2012 transfer window, Bendtner joined 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 ...
club 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 ...
on loan for the season, with an option to make the move permanent. He made his debut as a substitute for Fabio Quagliarella in a 2–0 win against Chievo at the Juventus Stadium
Juventus Stadium (), known for sponsorship reasons as the Allianz Stadium since July 2017, sometimes simply known in Italy as the Stadium (), is an all-seater football stadium in the Vallette borough of Turin, Italy, and the home of Juventus ...
on 22 September 2012, and his first start came five weeks later in a 1–0 win against Catania
Catania (, , , Sicilian and ) is the second-largest municipality on Sicily, after Palermo, both by area and by population. Despite being the second city of the island, Catania is the center of the most densely populated Sicilian conurbation, wh ...
.[ He again started in the ]Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since.
Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
match against Cagliari
Cagliari (, , ; ; ; Latin: ''Caralis'') is an Comune, Italian municipality and the capital and largest city of the island of Sardinia, an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Italy. It has about 146,62 ...
in December, but suffered a thigh injury that required surgery and was expected to be out for at least two months. While he was ruled out through injury, he was at the centre of controversy when he was arrested for drink driving on 4 March 2013. Bendtner did not return to action until Juventus's last league match of the season with the title already secured. Coming on as a 74th-minute substitute in the 3–2 defeat away to Sampdoria on 18 May 2013, he fractured his wrist late in the game. He finished his season with only two league starts and without a goal in eleven appearances in all competitions. Juventus chose not to make the loan move permanent, and Bendtner returned to Arsenal.
2013–14 season
On 22 September 2013, Bendtner was an unused substitute against Stoke City. Three days later, he made his first Arsenal appearance for two years in a League Cup match against West Bromwich Albion. He made the assist for Thomas Eisfeld's goal as the match finished 1–1 after extra time. Bendtner played the whole 120 minutes and scored Arsenal's first penalty as they won the shoot-out 4–3. He scored his first Arsenal goal since March 2011 with a second-minute header in a 2–0 win against Hull Cuty on 4 December. On 1 January 2014, Bendtner scored his last goal for Arsenal against Cardiff City in the 88th minute, injuring his ankle in the process before Theo Walcott sealed a 2–0 win.[ Although he had hoped to prove himself to Arsenal,] this did not happen, and he was released at the end of the season when his contract expired.
VfL Wolfsburg
On 15 August 2014, Bendtner signed a three-year deal with VfL Wolfsburg
Verein für Leibesübungen Wolfsburg e. V., commonly known as VfL Wolfsburg (), is a German professional sports club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. The club grew out of a multi-sports club for Volkswagen workers in the city of Wolfsburg. I ...
of the 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 ...
. Managing director Klaus Allofs described him as "a striker at the best age, who already was able to gather a lot of international experience in his career, which did not always run in a straight line". Bendtner made his Wolfsburg debut on 30 August, as a second-half substitute against Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. () is a German professional sports club based in Frankfurt, Hesse. It is best known for its football club, which was founded on 8 March 1899. The club currently plays in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German footb ...
in a match that finished 2–2. On 6 November, he scored his first two goals for Wolfsburg, one from the penalty-spot and one from open play, in a 5–1 win against Krasnodar
Krasnodar, formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southern Russia, with a population of 1,154,885 residents, and up to 1.263 millio ...
in the Europa League. Sixteen days later, he scored his first 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 ...
goal, against Schalke 04 in a 3–2 away defeat.[ On 19 March 2015, he scored an 89th-minute winner against ]Inter Milan
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
at the San Siro
San Siro is a football stadium in the San Siro district of Milan, Italy. It has a seating capacity of 75,817, making it the largest stadium in Italy and one of the largest stadiums in Europe. It is the home stadium of the city's principal ...
to secure a 5–2 aggregate victory that took Wolfsburg to the quarter-final of the Europa League. Bendtner was an unused substitute as Wolfsburg beat Borussia Dortmund 3–1 in the 2015 DFB-Pokal Final
The 2015 DFB-Pokal Final decided the winner of the 2014–15 DFB-Pokal, the 72nd season of Germany's premier football cup. It was played on 30 May 2015 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
Borussia Dortmund, runners-up in the previous final, faced ...
.
Bendtner began his second season at Wolfsburg with the 2015 DFL-Supercup against Bayern Munich: he produced a "poacher's finish" in the 89th minute from Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne (; born 28 June 1991) is a Belgian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for club SSC Napoli, Napoli and captains the Belgium national football team, Belgium national team.
After spending mos ...
's cross to draw the game level at 1–1 and then scored the winner in the penalty shootout to clinch the trophy. On 8 August 2015, he continued his good form by scoring in a 4–1 win at Stuttgarter Kickers
Stuttgarter Kickers is a German association football club that plays in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, founded on 21 September 1899 as FC Stuttgarter Cickers. The club currently plays in the Regionalliga Südwest, the fourth tier of German footb ...
in the first round of the 2015–16 DFB-Pokal, and opened his Bundesliga account for the season two weeks later with a goal in a 1–1 draw with 1. FC Köln.
On 25 April 2016, Wolfsburg announced that Bendtner's contract, which was due to run until June 2017, had been terminated with immediate effect. While a free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
, Bendtner trained with his hometown club F.C. Copenhagen.
Nottingham Forest
On 7 September 2016, Bendtner signed a two-year deal with English Championship club Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football.
Founde ...
. Bendtner said that he moved to Forest because both parties were desperate- Forest offered Bendtner a large salary as they were desperate for a striker, and Bendtner wanted to move closer to his son in London and to get his footballing career back on track. He made his debut for the club on 20 September in the 2016–17 EFL Cup against former club Arsenal, after which Arsène Wenger asserted that "if he keeps fit he still has a chance to come back to the top level. I think a hungry Nicklas Bendtner can score goals against anybody, and that's what you want from him."
On 11 December 2016, Bendtner scored an own goal against Forest's rivals Derby County in an eventual 3–0 defeat.
Bendtner finished his Forest career with two goals from seventeen appearances in all competitions. Bendtner felt that his heart wasn't really in it when he moved to Forest, and felt that 'It wasn't until I got to Rosenborg that I found myself again and found that true love of football'.
Rosenborg BK
On 6 March 2017, Bendtner signed for Norwegian club Rosenborg for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut as a second-half substitute in the Mesterfinalen of 2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
against Brann, and supplied the assist for the second goal in a 2–0 win. He also scored his first league goal in his Eliteserien
Eliteserien () is a professional association football league in Norway and the highest level of the Norwegian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Norwegian First Division ...
debut against Odds
In probability theory, odds provide a measure of the probability of a particular outcome. Odds are commonly used in gambling and statistics. For example for an event that is 40% probable, one could say that the odds are or
When gambling, o ...
at Lerkendal. On 12 August, Bendtner scored a trivela goal from outside the penalty box in a 2–1 win over Molde FK
Molde Fotballklubb () is a association football, football club based in Molde Municipality, Molde, Norway, that competes in Eliteserien, the top flight of Norwegian football league system, Norwegian football. Founded on 19 June 1911, the club w ...
.
Bendtner won his second consecutive Mesterfinalen in the 2018 event, scoring the only goal of the game against Lillestrøm, nutmeg
Nutmeg is the seed, or the ground spice derived from the seed, of several tree species of the genus '' Myristica''; fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg ('' M. fragrans'') is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fru ...
ging defender Marius Amundsen en route to goal.
Copenhagen
On the transfer deadline day, 2 September 2019, F.C. Copenhagen signed Bendtner on a deal until the end of the year. On 17 December 2019 it was confirmed, that Copenhagen would not extend his contract and Bendtner left the club again at the end of 2019. He scored his only goal in a cup game against FC Nordsjælland on 31 October 2019.
Retirement
On 25 August 2020, Tårnby FF, whose senior team competes in the fourth-tier Denmark Series, announced that Bendtner had signed up for the club, where he would become part of the "M+32 Old Boys" team. On Bendtner joining the team, organiser of the M+32 team, Martin Skov Hæstrup stated that "we are very happy that Nicklas wants to stay in shape with some of the guys he has known for many years. This opportunity is something we have been discussing for many years." He made his debut for the team on 9 September where he started as an attacking midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
against the Fredensborg BI M+32 team which ended in a 1–0 win.
In June 2021, Bendtner announced his retirement from football in the Discovery+
Discovery may refer to:
* Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown
* Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown
* Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence
Discovery, The Discov ...
programme ''Bendtner og Philine''. In the episode, he stated that: "all your life you play football, and from one day to the next it ends", and added that he had "not been able to do some of the things I liked because of corona. I think I need to have a little more time to process that it's over now".
International career
Youth
Bendtner started his international career with three matches for the Denmark under-16 team in February 2004. During his third game he scored a hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
against Armenia
Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
. He then scored six goals in 15 appearances for the under-17s, and was named Danish Under-17 Player of the Year for 2004.
Bendtner made his under-21 debut on 17 May 2006, at the age of 18, scoring both goals in a Danish 2–0 victory over 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 ...
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 ...
. He was the youngest player selected for Denmark's squad for the 2006 European Under-21 Championships, and replaced Morten "Duncan" Rasmussen in the Danish starting line-up. When Rasmussen came on to replace Bendtner during the 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 ...
, Bendtner told the press afterwards that the change was a mistake and that he was a better striker than Rasmussen. He received a reprimand, apologised to his teammates, and retained the starting position for Denmark's remaining group match before they were eliminated.[
]
Senior
Early career and UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
On 16 August 2006, Bendtner made his first senior appearance 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 ...
;[ aged 18 years and 212 days, he was the seventh youngest debutant ever. He started the match, a friendly against ]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 ...
, and scored after 32 minutes, helping Denmark to a 2–0 win. On 1 September, he played his second senior match for his country, as a substitute in a friendly against 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 ...
. He scored the final goal in a 4–2 win for Denmark.[ Although he still qualified to play for the U21s, Bendtner soon earned a starting place for the senior team; he scored two goals in ]UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; ; ) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach football in Europe and the transcontinental countries of Turkey, Azerbaijan ...
.[
]
2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Bendtner scored an 84th-minute goal against Portugal to make the score 1–1; Denmark went on to win 3–2. He scored again in the reverse fixture against Portugal which ended 1–1,[ and four days later scored a header against ]Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
in another 1–1 draw. He assisted Jakob Poulsen's goal in Denmark's 1–0 win over Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
, which meant they qualified for 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. ...
. He ended the campaign with three goals.[ For his contribution, he was voted ]Danish Player of the Year
The Danish Player of the Year award is an annual prize, which has been given to the best male Danish football (soccer), football player by the Danish Football Association since 1963. The winner is decided in a vote among the professional Danish fo ...
and his goal against Portugal won the Goal of the Year award. Bendtner was selected by 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 ...
for the World Cup squad. He played in all three of Denmark's group matches, and scored his country's first goal of the 2–1 win 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 ...
.
Bendtner turned down the opportunity of representing his country at the 2011 European Under-21 Championships because he wanted to "spend some quality time with isyoung son". In qualifying for UEFA Euro 2012, he scored two goals for the senior team in a 2–0 win against Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
on 6 September 2011. On 11 October, he scored a "second-half tap-in" against Portugal to ensure Denmark qualified 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 ...
. In friendlies in November, Bendtner scored against both Sweden and Finland; in the latter match, he "finished a fine counterattacking move to net the winning goal".[
]
UEFA Euro 2012
Bendtner was selected in the Denmark squad for Euro 2012. A ''Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' preview described him as "tall and powerful, capable of acting as a target man, yet also has the technical gifts to play deeper or on the flank." On 13 June, he scored twice in Denmark's narrow 3–2 defeat to Portugal in the second group match. After scoring his second goal, Bendtner revealed the logo of bookmaker
A bookmaker, bookie, or turf accountant is an organization or a person that accepts and pays out bets on sporting and other events at agreed-upon odds
In probability theory, odds provide a measure of the probability of a particular outco ...
s Paddy Power
Paddy Power is an Irish gambling company founded in 1988. Its product offering includes sports betting, online casino, online poker, and online bingo. Business operations are led from its headquarters in Dublin, alongside a satellite office ...
on the waistband of his underwear, in an instance of ambush marketing
Ambush marketing or ambush advertising is a marketing strategy in which an advertiser "wikt:ambush, ambushes" an event to compete for exposure against other advertisers.
The term was coined by marketing strategist Jerry Welsh, while he was work ...
for which UEFA banned him for one 2014 World Cup qualifying match and fined him €100,000. The company paid the fine. On 12 October 2012, he scored the equalising goal in a 1–1 draw with Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
in a World Cup qualifier, and received a yellow card
Yellow card may refer to:
* Yellow card (sport), shown in many sports after a rules infraction or, by analogy, a serious warning in other areas
* Yellowcard, an American alternative rock band
* Yellow Card Scheme, a United Kingdom initiative co ...
when playing against Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
four days later.[
]
Suspension from the national team and UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
In March 2013, after Bendtner's arrest for drink driving, 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 ...
(DBU) suspended Bendtner from consideration for national team selection for six months. According to their statement: "The DBU have demanded that Nicklas Bendtner take six months off to think over his international future. The DBU respect the rights of all players to have a private life, but we also have certain rules that need to be met by international players in their public behaviour." On his next appearance, in the return fixture against Italy, he scored both of Denmark's goals in a 2–2 draw and was yellow-carded for removing his shirt in celebration. An ankle injury sustained on club duty with Arsenal resulted in Bendtner being sidelined from international football until a friendly 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 ...
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
in March 2014, in which he played the first 63 minutes.
In the first round of international call-ups after Bendtner's transfer to Wolfsburg, he was left out of the Denmark squad by Morten Olsen, who named Martin Braithwaite as his sole striker for a friendly against Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
and a Euro 2016 qualifier against Armenia
Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
. In March 2015, he scored a hat-trick as Denmark came from behind to beat 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 ...
3–2 in a friendly at 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 ...
.
2018 FIFA World Cup
He was named in Denmark's preliminary 35-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded t ...
, and retained his place when the group was reduced to 27, but a groin injury sustained on club duty meant he was not included in the final 23.
Style of play
Bendtner was a versatile forward capable of playing in several attacking positions. Although his preferred role was as a centre-forward, he has also been used out wide on either flank. A large, tall, and physically strong player, he was known for his ability in the air and possessed a powerful header.
Considered a promising but undisciplined player in his youth, he was regarded as "a player blessed with a fabulous all-round talent", and a quick, intelligent, and hard-working striker, with a good positional sense, first touch, tactical awareness, and an ability to score goals or hold up the ball and create chances.
His former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger once labelled Bendtner as a potentially "unstoppable striker", and also described him as a player who as a youngster was "good in the air", and who had "good technique, good stature, good pace, ... good link play", also adding that "he had it all in the locker." Despite his talent and confidence in his abilities, Bendtner often struggled with injuries, which limited his fitness; he was also criticised in the media for his perceived arrogance, mentality, and inconsistency, as well as his off-field antics, and as a result, he has been accused of failing to live up to his potential.
Personal life
In November 2009, it was reported that Bendtner was seen in Hyde Park with former Baron
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
ess Caroline Iuel-Brockdorff, a socialite
A socialite is a person, typically a woman from a wealthy or aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having ...
and close friend of the Danish royal family
The Danish royal family is the dynastic family of the monarch of Denmark. While some members of the Danish royal family hold the title of ''Prince(ss) of Denmark'', descendants of Margrethe II additionally bear the title '' Count(ess) of Monpe ...
. In 2008 she divorced banker Rory Fleming, first cousin once removed of ''James Bond
The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
'' writer Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer, best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his ...
, with whom she has two children. The couple met when Iuel-Brockdorff was filmed renovating her family home, Valdemar's Castle, on a reality show. Bendtner was a guest and they did a photoshoot together to promote his appearance.[ In December 2010, Iuel-Brockdorff gave birth to Bendtner's son at London's ]Portland Hospital
The Portland Hospital for Women and Children is a private hospital, private maternity hospital on Great Portland Street, City of Westminster, London, England, owned by the Hospital Corporation of America.
History
The Portland was conceived b ...
. The couple separated soon afterwards.
Bendtner has a cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
who refer to him as "Lord Bendtner". In March 2015, Danish celebrity tabloid '' Se og Hør'' bought him a square foot of land in Scotland to bestow him the title of "Lord", and according to his agent, he considered it a "fun gimmick". Bendtner has also taken part in the joke, uploading on Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
a poster of him holding the Ballon d'Or
The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual association football, football award presented by French magazine ''France Football'' since 1956 Ballon d'Or, 1956 to honour the player deemed to have performed the best over the previous season.
Conceived ...
and running as a candidate for Prime Minister in the June 2015 Danish election. During his time at Rosenborg, Bendtner was dubbed "Emperor" as Mushaga Bakenga was already nicknamed 'Lord' at Rosenborg.
In November 2018, Bendtner was sentenced to 50 days in prison in Denmark for assault
In the terminology of law, an assault is the act of causing physical harm or consent, unwanted physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may ...
ing a taxi driver. On 21 November, Bendtner and his lawyer dropped the appeal, accepting that Bendtner will serve his sentence either in jail or house arrest.
During the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, Bendtner began playing '' Counter-Strike: Global Offensive'', and became the owner of a small CSGO team called Prosapia Esport. In November 2022, he participated in a showmatch at the BLAST Premier Fall Finals at the Royal Arena
The Royal Arena is a multi-use indoor arena in the Ørestad#Ørestad South, Ørestad South area of Copenhagen, Denmark. The ground was broken for construction on 26 June 2013 and the arena opened in February 2017. It has a capacity of 13,000 for ...
in Copenhagen, playing on Team Denmark.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Denmark's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bendtner goal.''
Honours
Birmingham City
*Football League Championship
The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Betting & Gaming, Sky Bet Championship, is a professional association football league in England and Wales. Contested by 24 clubs, i ...
runner-up: 2006–07
Arsenal
*Football League Cup
The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England.
Orga ...
runner-up: 2010–11
Juventus
*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 ...
: 2012–13[
VfL Wolfsburg
*]DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal (), also known as the German Cup in English language, English, is a German knockout Association football, football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competiti ...
: 2014–15[
*]DFL-Supercup
The Franz Beckenbauer Supercup or ''German Super Cup'' is a one-off association football, football match in Germany that features the winners of the Bundesliga championship and the DFB-Pokal. The competition is run by the Deutsche Fußball Liga (E ...
: 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 ...
[
Rosenborg
*]Eliteserien
Eliteserien () is a professional association football league in Norway and the highest level of the Norwegian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Norwegian First Division ...
: 2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
, 2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
*Norwegian Football Cup
The Norwegian Football Cup () is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament ...
: 2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
* Mesterfinalen: 2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
,[ ]2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
[
Individual
* Danish Under-17 Player of the Year: 2004][
*Danish Talent of the Year: 2007]
* Danish Football Player of the Year: 2009[
*Danish Goal of the Year: 2009][
* Eliteserien top scorer: ]2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
References
External links
Player profile
at Arsenal F.C. website
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bendtner, Nicklas
1988 births
Living people
Footballers from Copenhagen
Danish men's footballers
Denmark men's youth international footballers
Denmark men's under-21 international footballers
Denmark men's international footballers
Men's association football forwards
Arsenal F.C. players
Birmingham City F.C. players
Sunderland A.F.C. players
Juventus FC players
VfL Wolfsburg players
Nottingham Forest F.C. players
Rosenborg BK players
F.C. Copenhagen players
English Football League players
Premier League players
Serie A players
Bundesliga players
Eliteserien players
Danish Superliga players
2010 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 2012 players
Danish expatriate men's footballers
Danish expatriate sportspeople in England
Danish expatriate sportspeople in Germany
Danish expatriate sportspeople in Italy
Danish expatriate sportspeople in Norway
Expatriate men's footballers in England
Expatriate men's footballers in Germany
Expatriate men's footballers in Italy
Expatriate men's footballers in Norway
People convicted of assault
AB Tårnby players
Sportspeople convicted of crimes
21st-century Danish sportsmen