 |
Simon KjerDanish footballer, central defender
Date of Birth: 26.03.1989
Country:  Denmark |
Content:
Biography of Simon Kjaer
Simon Kjaer is a Danish football player who currently plays as a central defender for the club Sevilla and the Danish national team.
Early Career
Kjaer began his career at the club Midtjylland. In August 2007, Spanish club Real Madrid made an offer to purchase Kjaer, but it was rejected by Midtjylland. In October 2007, he caught the attention of English clubs Middlesbrough and Liverpool, when he was named the best young player in Denmark under the age of 19.
Move to Palermo
In 2008, Kjaer showcased his high level of play at the Viareggio Tournament, where he scored a goal. After this, on February 16, he signed a 5-year contract with Palermo, with the option for any club outside of Italy to buy his contract for 12 million euros. The transfer fee amounted to 4 million euros. The contract would come into effect starting June 2008, so Kjaer spent the remainder of the season at Midtjylland. He made his debut for Palermo on October 26, 2008, in an away match against Fiorentina, which Palermo won 3-1, and Kjaer came on as a substitute. On November 2 of the same year, he scored his first goal for the club, against Chievo. In the 2008/2009 season, Kjaer's salary was unilaterally doubled.
Interest from English Clubs
In January 2010, several English teams, including Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur, showed interest in Kjaer, with Tottenham offering 11 million pounds for the transfer of the defender. Palermo's president, Maurizio Zamparini, stated that Kjaer would leave the club in the summer. On June 29, Zamparini announced that Kjaer, along with his teammate Edinson Cavani, would be joining Tottenham Hotspur, who paid a transfer fee of 35 million euros for both players. However, the management of the English club denied Zamparini's words. On July 8, 2010, Kjaer moved to the German club Wolfsburg, signing a contract until 2014. On August 25, 2011, he was loaned to the Italian club Roma with a potential option to buy.
International Career
After representing various Danish national teams at different age levels (he was the captain of the U-19 team), Kjaer was called up to the senior national team on February 4, 2009. He made his debut in a friendly match against Greece on February 11, which ended in a 1-1 draw. On June 6, he played in an official game for Denmark in a match against Sweden, which Denmark lost 0-1.
