Casper Højer
{{short description|Danish footballer (born 1994)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Casper Højer
| fullname = Casper Højer Nielsen
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1994|11|20}}
| birth_place = Copenhagen, Denmark
| height = 1.83 m
| currentclub = Çaykur Rizespor
| clubnumber = 5
| position = Left back
| youthyears1 = 2002–2006
| youthclubs1 = Skjold{{cite web |last1=Bagge |first1=Peter |last2=Thorsen |first2=Gisle |title=Før topbrag: FCK er ikke længere min drøm |url=https://ekstrabladet.dk/sport/fodbold/dansk_fodbold/superligaen/agf/foer-topbrag-fck-er-ikke-laengere-min-droem/8205939 |website=ekstrabladet.dk |publisher=Ekstra Bladet |accessdate=21 August 2020 |date=19 July 2020}}
| youthyears2 = 2006–2012
| youthclubs2 = KB
| years1 = 2012–2014
| clubs1 = Copenhagen
| caps1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2013–2014
| clubs2 = → Brønshøj (loan)
| caps2 = 25
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2014–2018
| clubs3 = Lyngby
| caps3 = 50
| goals3 = 2
| years4 = 2018–2021
| clubs4 = AGF
| caps4 = 111
| goals4 = 11
| years5 = 2021–2023
| clubs5 = Sparta Prague
| caps5 = 32
| goals5 = 2
| years6 = 2023–
| clubs6 = Çaykur Rizespor
| caps6 = 54
| goals6 = 2
| nationalyears1 = 2011–2012
| nationalteam1 = Denmark U18
| nationalcaps1 = 9
| nationalgoals1 = 3
| nationalyears2 = 2012–2013
| nationalteam2 = Denmark U19
| nationalcaps2 = 6
| nationalgoals2 = 1
| club-update = 13:23, 21 April 2024 (UTC)
}}
Casper Højer Nielsen (born 20 November 1994) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a left back for Turkish Süper Lig club Çaykur Rizespor.
A product of FC Copenhagen's youth academy, Højer failed to break through and mainly played at the lower levels for Brønshøj and Lyngby early on. He moved to AGF in 2018, where he excelled and earned a move to Czech club Sparta Prague in 2021. After two seasons, he joined newly promoted Süper Lig club Çaykur Rizespor.
Højer has been capped 15 times for the Denmark national under-18 and under-19 teams, respectively.{{cite web |title=Casper Højer Nielsen - DBU |url=https://www.dbu.dk/landshold/landsholdsdatabasen/PlayerInfo/6982 |website=www.dbu.dk |publisher=Danish FA |accessdate=21 August 2020}}
Club career
=Early years=
Højer Nielsen, whose father Lars had played professional football himself for B 1903 and their successor club FC Copenhagen, among others, was trained in the academy of FC Copenhagen. In July 2013, he sent on loan within the city to the second-tier Danish 1st Division club Brønshøj Boldklub from the Brønshøj district to player under head coach Bo Henriksen.{{cite news |last1=Helmin |first1=Jesper |title=FCK udlejer Højer Nielsen |url=https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/FCK-udlejer-Hoejer-Nielsen/ |work=bold.dk |date=10 July 2013 |language=da}} On 28 July 2013, he played his first senior game in the 4–1 defeat away against Silkeborg IF.{{soccerway|casper-hojer-nielsen/271841|accessdate=15 October 2016}} At Brønshøj, he was utilised regularly and after a year he moved to Brønshøj's second division competitor Lyngby Boldklub from Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality in the urban area of Copenhagen.{{cite news |last1=Anker-Møller |first1=Kristian |title=Lyngby henter Casper Højer i FCK |url=https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/lyngby-henter-casper-hoejer-i-fck/ |work=bold.dk |date=24 June 2014 |language=da}} Whereas he would play most games during his first season, Højer Nielsen only appeared in nine games in his second year at Lyngby.{{cite web |title=Casper Højer Nielsen » Club matches |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/casper-hoejer-nielsen/2/ |website=worldfootball.net |access-date=30 May 2021 |language=en}} Nevertheless, he promoted with the club in the Danish Superliga.{{cite news |title=Her jubler Lyngby-spillerne over Superligaoprykning - TV 2 |url=https://sport.tv2.dk/fodbold/2016-05-08-her-jubler-lyngby-spillerne-over-superligaoprykning |work=sport.tv2.dk |date=8 May 2016 |language=da-DK}}
=AGF=
Having not played a lot in his first season in the Superliga with Lyngby either, and the situation would not improve in his second year where Lyngby had qualified for the UEFA Europa League, he signed with AGF in the winter transfer window of the 2017–18 season. Originally, he was supposed to move to the Aarhus-based club on a three-year deal in the summer of 2018,{{cite news |last1=Nøhr |first1=Mikkel |title=AGF henter Lyngby-back til sommer |url=https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/agf-henter-lyngby-back-til-sommer/ |work=bold.dk |date=16 January 2018 |language=da}} but the clubs eventually reached an agreement to send him to his new club in February 2018.{{cite news |last1=Karlsen |first1=Nanna Møller |title=Casper Højer på plads i AGF |url=https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/casper-hoejer-paa-plads-i-agf/ |work=bold.dk |date=9 February 2018 |language=da}}[https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/rygaard-og-tre-andre-forlader-lyngby/ Rygaard og tre andre forlader Lyngby]‚ bold.dk, 7 February 2018 There, Højer Nielsen fought for a regular place and helped secure the club's survival in the Superliga relegation round. On 16 September 2018, he scored his first goal for the club in the 2–3 away win over AC Horsens to win the game.{{cite web |title=AC Horsens - Aarhus GF 3:2 (Superliga 2018/2019, 9. Round) |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/report/superliga-2018-2019-ac-horsens-aarhus-gf/ |website=worldfootball.net |access-date=30 May 2021 |language=en}} In the following season, 2019–20, Højer Nielsen was a regular starter at the left-back position.{{cite web |title=Casper Højer Nielsen » Superliga 2019/2020 |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/casper-hoejer-nielsen/den-superliga-2019-2020/aarhus-gf/3/ |website=worldfootball.net |access-date=30 May 2021 |language=en}}
=Sparta Prague=
On 9 May 2021, it was announced that Højer Nielsen had signed with Czech First League club Sparta Prague for an undisclosed fee, reported to be €700,000.{{cite news |last1=Christensen |first1=Troels |title=AGF-stjerne solgt til Sparta Prag |url=https://ekstrabladet.dk/sport/fodbold/dansk_fodbold/superligaen/agf-stjerne-solgt-til-sparta-prag/8563321 |work=ekstrabladet.dk |date=9 May 2021 |language=da}} His contract with AGF had been set to expire in December 2021.{{cite news |last1=Kokborg |first1=Johnny Wojciech |last2=Davidsen |first2=Michel Wikkelsø |title=B.T. afslører: AGF tæt på salg af Casper Højer |url=https://www.bt.dk/superligaen/bt-afsloerer-agf-taet-paa-salg-af-casper-hoejer |date=9 May 2021 |language=da}}
=Çaykur Rizespor=
On 10 September 2023, Højer Nielsen signed a three-year contract with Turkish club Çaykur Rizespor.{{cite web |last=Šťastný|first=Pavel| title = Sparta hlásí odchody: Höjer a Minčev do Turecka, podpisy na tři roky | trans-title = Sparta reports departures: Höjer and Minčev to Turkey, signing for three years | url = https://isport.blesk.cz/clanek/fotbal-1-liga-rocnik-2023-24/436455/sparta-hlasi-odchody-hojer-a-mincev-do-turecka-podpisy-na-tri-roky.html | publisher = Czech News Center | date = 10 September 2023 | language = cs| website = Blesk}}
International career
Højer Nielsen played nine games for the national under-18 team from 2011 to 2012, in which he scored three goals. He would then play at the side of, among others, Yussuf Poulsen for the under-19 team a year later, where he gained six caps and scored one goal.{{cite web |title=Landsholdsdatabasen - Casper Højer Nielsen |url=https://www.dbu.dk/landshold/landsholdsdatabasen/PlayerInfo/6982 |website=DBU |access-date=30 May 2021 |language=DA}}
Personal life
He is the son of former professional football player Lars Højer Nielsen.{{cite news |last1=Skipper |first1=Kasper Wilkenschildt |title=AGF'er ville ud af fars skygge: - Har sgu ikke altid været nemt |url=https://www.tv2ostjylland.dk/agf/agfer-ville-ud-af-fars-skygge-har-sgu-ikke-altid-vaeret-nemt |work=TV2 ØSTJYLLAND |date=16 November 2018 |language=da}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 21 April 2024}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Copenhagen
|0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | ||
| Brønshøj (loan)
|25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 27 | 0 | |||
| rowspan="5"|Lyngby
|Danish 1st Division |24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 25 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16
|Danish 1st Division |9 | 1 | 4 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 13 | 2 | |||
| 2016–17
|Danish Superliga |9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 11 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18
|Danish Superliga |8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 10 | 1 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!50 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 59 | 3 | ||
| rowspan="5"|AGF
|Danish Superliga |16 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 16 | 0 | ||||
| 2018–19
|Danish Superliga |31 | 4 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 33 | 4 | |||
| 2019–20
|Danish Superliga |35 | 4 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 37 | 4 | |||
| 2020–21
|Danish Superliga |28 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 34 | 3 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!111 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 121 | 11 | ||
| rowspan="3"|Sparta Prague
|11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 15 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23
|Czech First League |21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 23 | 2 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!32 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 38 | 2 | ||
| rowspan="1"|Çaykur Rizespor
|27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 27 | 1 | |||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!245 | 16 | 22 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 272 | 17 |
Honours
=Club=
Sparta Prague
- Czech First League: 2022–23{{Cite news|agency=Czech News Agency|date=23 May 2023|accessdate=23 May 2023|title=Sparta v euforii! Remíza na Slovácku odstartovala mistrovské oslavy|url=https://www.sport.cz/clanek/fotbal-ceska-1-liga-sparta-v-euforii-remiza-na-slovacku-odstartovala-mistrovske-oslavy-4229432 |website=Sport.cz|language=cs}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Çaykur Rizespor squad}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Højer, Casper}}
Category:Danish men's footballers
Category:Denmark men's youth international footballers
Category:Danish Superliga players
Category:Danish 1st Division players
Category:Czech First League players
Category:F.C. Copenhagen players
Category:Brønshøj Boldklub players
Category:Lyngby Boldklub players
Category:Aarhus Gymnastikforening players
Category:AC Sparta Prague players
Category:Çaykur Rizespor footballers
Category:Men's association football fullbacks
Category:Footballers from Copenhagen
Category:Danish expatriate men's footballers
Category:Danish expatriate sportspeople in the Czech Republic
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Czech Republic
Category:Danish expatriate sportspeople in Turkey