Michael Stensgaard
{{Short description|Danish footballer (born 1974)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Michael Stensgaard
| image =
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|9|1|df=y}}
| birth_place = Copenhagen, Denmark
| height = {{height|ft=6|in=2}}
| position = Goalkeeper
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 =
| years1 = 1993–1994
| clubs1 = Hvidovre
| caps1 =
| goals1 =
| years2 = 1994–1996
| clubs2 = Liverpool
| caps2 = 0
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 1997–1998
| clubs3 = Hvidovre
| caps3 = 0
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 1998
| clubs4 = Copenhagen
| caps4 = 17
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 1998–1999
| clubs5 = Southampton
| caps5 = 0
| goals5 = 0
| years6 = 1999–2001
| clubs6 = Copenhagen
| caps6 = 19
| goals6 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 1993–1994
| nationalteam1 = Denmark U21
| nationalcaps1 = 8
| nationalgoals1 = 0
}}
Michael Stensgaard (born 1 September 1974) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
He represented Danish clubs Hvidovre IF and FC Copenhagen, as well as Liverpool and Southampton in the Premier League. He played eight games for the Denmark U21 national team. After ending his footballing career in 2001 due to injuries, he studied Cand.jur. with a degree in business conflict mediation.
Career
Stensgaard got his national breakthrough with Hvidovre IF, and was touted the successor of former Hvidovre and Danish international goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel. He made his Denmark national under-21 football team debut in October 1993.[http://www.dbu.dk/landshold/landsholdsdatabasen/PlayerInfo/4786&teamtypeid=1889#match Michael Stensgaard - U/21-landshold (Alle kampe)] at Danish Football Association In May 1994, he was bought by English team Liverpool for a transfer fee of £400,000.{{soccerbase|id=7593}}
He arrived at Liverpool to succeed Bruce Grobbelaar as understudy to David James, and was issued the number 13 shirt during his time at the club.[http://www.footballsquads.co.uk/eng/1995-1996/faprem/liverpool.htm Liverpool - 1995/96] at Footballsquads.co.uk He became known for a bizarre injury which ended his chances of breaking into the Liverpool first team, as he dislocated his shoulder when setting up an ironing board soon after joining the club.[http://www.lfchistory.net/Players/Player/Profile/486 Michael Stensgaard] at LFCHistory.net The injury evolved into a recurring shoulder ailment requiring surgery,Søren Olsen, "Det forsømte fodboldår", Politiken, 30 January 1996 and he never played a first team game for the club. His lack of success in Liverpool later earned him a selection in the Liverpool Echo's Merseyside Lost 11, a selection of players which the newspaper considered the biggest fiascos in the history of Liverpool and local rivals Everton.Michael Kettiros, [http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2009/02/21/players-who-made-us-both-laugh-and-cry-100252-22974361/ Top Ten: Players who made us both laugh and cry], Liverpool Echo, 21 February 2009
He was declared a footballing invalid in July 1996, aged 21, and his Liverpool contract was mutually terminated after more than a year on the sidelines.Søren Olsen, "21 år og færdig som fodboldspiller", Politiken, 27 July 1996 He returned to Denmark, and became the goalkeeping coach of Hvidovre IF, coaching later Liverpool goalkeeper Jørgen Nielsen.Hans Christian Blem, "Liverpool tester målmand Nielsen", Ekstra Bladet, 19 February 1997 In May 1997, he requested his licence from Liverpool in order to become backup keeper for Hvidovre,Kurt Stendal, "Bundhold garderer sig", Berlingske Tidende, 2 May 1997 but refused to play when given the opportunity, as he still feared for his shoulder.Per Steffensen, "Vil vippe Zaza af pinden", B.T., 17 April 1998 With medical help and Olympic medalist Arne Nielsson as his mental coach, Stensgaard then aimed to reignite his active career.
He signed a six-month deal with Danish Superliga club F.C. Copenhagen (FCK) in May 1998.Mads Glenn Wehlast, "Spiller ikke for halv kraft", Ekstra Bladet, 23 May 1998 He replaced injured keeper Karim Zaza,"Ny i målet", Politiken, 27 July 1998 and kept his place in the FCK starting line-up for all 17 games in the first half of the 1998–99 Superliga season. When his contract expired in December 1998, he moved back to England to play for Southampton on a three-and-a-half-year contract.Harvy Hansen & Peter Grønborg, "Stensgaard til Southampton", Berlingske Tidende, 19 November 1998 He spent his time at Southampton as the understudy of Welsh international Paul Jones, and after controversy with manager Dave Jones over missing playing time, he was relegated to third choice goalkeeper. He returned to FCK in July 1999."Tålmodighed og brudte løfter", Jyllands-Posten, 1 July 1999 He played a further 19 games for FCK, but suffered a spinal disc herniation and terminated his career in July 2001, 26 years old."Stensgaard færdig - Gall på kontrakt", B.T., 20 July 2001
Personal life
After ending his footballing career, Stensgaard finished his cand.jur. education. He was the first in Scandinavia to specialize in business conflict mediation,[http://www.intenz.dk/index.php?id=206 Michael Stensgaard] at Intenz.dk and he was on the winning team in the 2004 International Negotiation Competition.[https://web.archive.org/web/20100527172236/http://www.jmls.edu/academics/advocacy_dispute/inc2009/past_winners.htm Past Winners] at JMLS.edu He served as an International Negotiation Competition judge, and has lectured at the University of Copenhagen. He is also a FIFA-licensed football player agent, and acts as a mental coach for both athletes and businessmen.
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{DBU player|4786}}
- [https://www.danskfodbold.com/spiller.php?ligaid=2001&spillerid=9476 Michael Stensgaard] official Danish Superliga statistics at danskfodbold.com {{in lang|da}}
- {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928064813/http://www.fck.dk/saesonen/statistik/spillerstatistik?search=1&play_playerid_fk=99 |date=dmy |title=F.C. Copenhagen profile {{in lang|da}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stensgaard, Michael}}
Category:Danish men's footballers
Category:Footballers from Copenhagen
Category:Men's association football goalkeepers
Category:Denmark men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Danish Superliga players
Category:Liverpool F.C. players
Category:F.C. Copenhagen players
Category:Southampton F.C. players
Category:Danish expatriate men's footballers