Steffen Rasmussen
{{Short description|Danish footballer (born 1982)}}
{{For|the Danish badminton player|Steffen Rasmussen (badminton)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Steffen Rasmussen
| image =
| fullname = Steffen Bjørnebo Rasmussen
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|9|30|df=y}}
| birth_place = Stenvad, Denmark
| height = 1.80 m
| position = Goalkeeper
| currentclub =
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Stenvad Boldklub
| youthyears2 =
| youthclubs2 = AGF
| years1 = 1999–2001
| clubs1 = Grenaa IF
| caps1 =
| goals1 =
| years2 = 2001–2018
| clubs2 = AGF
| caps2 = 404
| goals2 = 1
| nationalyears1 = 2003
| nationalteam1 = Denmark U-21
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2010
| nationalteam2 = Danish League XI
| nationalcaps2 = 2
| nationalgoals2 = 0
}}
Steffen Bjørnebo Rasmussen (born 30 September 1982), known as Steffen Rasmussen, is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, spending most of his career with AGF. He made two appearances for the Denmark U21 national team.
Club career
Born in Stenvad near Grenaa, Steffen Rasmussen played his youth football in minor club Stenvad Boldklub, before joining the youth setup of AGF Aarhus. He spent a year with lower-league Jutland Series club Grenaa IF, before returning to AGF. He established himself as second-choice keeper behind Erik Boye, and signed a professional contract with AGF in March 2002.{{cite web|url=http://www.agf.co.dk/News.asp?id=372 |title=Nyhedsarkiv – AGF Fodbold |publisher=Agf.co.dk |date=18 September 2013 |accessdate=6 October 2013}}
Under new manager Poul Hansen, Rasmussen made his Danish Superliga debut for AGF against Odense Boldklub on 10 November 2002, replacing Boye at half-time. As Boye suffered a back injury, Rasmussen played the next three games in a row.{{cite web|url=http://www.agf.co.dk/News.asp?id=567 |title=Nyhedsarkiv – AGF Fodbold |publisher=Agf.co.dk |date=18 September 2013 |accessdate=6 October 2013}} Boye returned to the starting line-up, but following another injury,{{cite web|url=http://www.agf.co.dk/News.asp?id=789 |title=Nyhedsarkiv – AGF Fodbold |publisher=Agf.co.dk |date=18 September 2013 |accessdate=6 October 2013}} Rasmussen established himself as AGF's first choice, playing the last 13 games of the 2002–03 Danish Superliga season. In August 2003, AGF brought in Rune Pedersen to replace the retiring Boye.{{cite web|url=http://www.agf.co.dk/News.asp?id=949 |title=Nyhedsarkiv – AGF Fodbold |publisher=Agf.co.dk |date=18 September 2013 |accessdate=6 October 2013}} Rasmussen began the 2003–04 Danish Superliga season as starting goalkeeper, but lost his place to Pedersen in April 2004 following a slump in form. He was second choice for the 2004–05 Danish Superliga season, but following an injury to Pedersen in April 2005, Rasmussen got another chance and again established himself in the starting line-up.{{cite web|url=http://tipsbladet.dk/nyhed/generelle/dyr-skade-rune-pedersen |title=Dyr skade for Rune Pedersen | Tipsbladet |language=da |publisher=Tipsbladet.dk |date=20 April 2005 |accessdate=6 October 2013}}
He was the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper for the 2005–06 Danish Superliga season, missing only four games through a hand injury.{{cite web|url=http://tipsbladet.dk/nyhed/generelle/agf-maa-skifte-maalmand-skar-sig-paa-et-glasskaar |title=AGF må skifte målmand – skar sig på et glasskår | Tipsbladet |language=da |publisher=Tipsbladet.dk |date=17 April 2006 |accessdate=6 October 2013}} He was named the AGF player of the season,{{cite web|url=http://www.agf.co.dk/News.asp?id=3574 |title=Nyhedsarkiv – AGF Fodbold |publisher=Agf.co.dk |date=18 September 2013 |accessdate=6 October 2013}} but could not keep AGF from being relegated. He stayed with AGF in the Danish 1st Division. He suffered a shoulder injury during the season,{{cite web|url=http://tipsbladet.dk/nyhed/dansk/agf-keeper-faerdig-efteraaret |title=AGF-keeper færdig for efteråret | Tipsbladet |language=da |publisher=Tipsbladet.dk |date=3 November 2006 |accessdate=6 October 2013}} but helped the club bounce right back into the Superliga. He played all 33 games of the 2007–08 Danish Superliga season. Before the 2008–09 Danish Superliga season, he was named captain of the team by AGF coach Ove Pedersen, replacing Peter Graulund.{{cite web|url=http://tipsbladet.dk/nyhed/dansk/graulund-degraderet-i-agf |title=Graulund degraderet i AGF | Tipsbladet |language=da |publisher=Tipsbladet.dk |date=1 July 2008 |accessdate=6 October 2013}} He missed only two games that season, due to a hand injury.{{cite web|url=http://www.agf.co.dk/News.asp?id=5814 |title=Nyhedsarkiv – AGF Fodbold |publisher=Agf.co.dk |date=18 September 2013 |accessdate=6 October 2013}} In a 1–0 defeat to FC Midtjylland on 14 April 2010, Rasmussen got his first red card in his AGF career, following a foul on Jonas Borring.{{cite web|url=http://www.agf.co.dk/News.asp?id=7609 |title=Nyhedsarkiv – AGF Fodbold |publisher=Agf.co.dk |date=18 September 2013 |accessdate=6 October 2013}} He missed two games through suspension. Despite playing 31 of 33 games, Rasmussen could not keep AGF from being relegated at the end of the 2009–10 Danish Superliga season.
International career
Having made his breakthrough with AGF, Rasmussen was called up for the Denmark U21 national team in March 2003,{{cite web|url=http://www.dbu.dk/news/newsShow.aspx?id=1939 |title=Klar til to svære kampe |publisher=Dbu.dk |date= |accessdate=6 October 2013}} serving as a backup to Stephan Andersen.{{cite web|url=http://www.dbu.dk/news/newsShow.aspx?id=1970 |title=Flot og fortjent sejr i Rumænien |publisher=Dbu.dk |date= |accessdate=6 October 2013}} He made his under-21 debut in an April 2003 friendly match, and played an additional friendly game for the team in August that year.
Denmark senior national team coach Morten Olsen considered including Rasmussen in the squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification games against Portugal and Albania in September 2009, but chose Kim Christensen from IFK Göteborg instead.{{cite web|url=http://tipsbladet.dk/nyhed/danmark/rasmussen-landsholdet-havde-vaeret-fair-nok |title=Rasmussen: Landsholdet havde været fair nok | Tipsbladet |language=da |publisher=Tipsbladet.dk |date= |accessdate=6 October 2013}} In January 2010, he was called up for the Denmark League XI to replace the injured Stephan Andersen,{{cite web|url=http://www.dbu.dk/news/newsShow.aspx?id=252570 |title=Steffen afløser Stephan på Ligalandsholdet |publisher=Dbu.dk |date= |accessdate=6 October 2013}} playing one unofficial national team game for the team.
Retirement
On 20 March 2018, it was confirmed that Rasmussen retired from football.[https://www.agf.dk/klubben/nyhedsarkiv/2018/marts/steffen-rasmussen-laegger-handskerne-paa-hylden/ Steffen Rasmussen lægger handskerne på hylden], agf.dk, 20 March 2018
Style of play
Rasmussen's strengths were in one-on-one situations, relying on his quick reactions and vision for the game,{{cite web |url=http://www.agf.co.dk/News.asp?id=4418 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718174509/http://www.agf.co.dk/News.asp?id=4418 |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 July 2012 |title=Nyhedsarkiv – AGF Fodbold |publisher=Agf.co.dk |date=18 September 2013 |access-date=6 October 2013 }} but he was criticized for not commanding his field on especially corner kicks and free kicks, due to his lack of height.{{cite web|url=http://tipsbladet.dk/nyhed/sas-liga/rasmussen-er-som-casillas-og-valdes |title=Rasmussen er som Casillas og Valdés | Tipsbladet |language=da |publisher=Tipsbladet.dk |date= |accessdate=6 October 2013}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{DBU player|4418}}
- [https://www.danskfodbold.com/spiller.php?ligaid=2001&spillerid=10202 Steffen Rasmussen] official Danish Superliga statistics at danskfodbold.com {{in lang|da}}
- {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206032121/http://www.agf.co.dk/SpillerProfil.asp?id=431 |date=dmy |title=Steffen Rasmussen at AGF {{in lang|da}} }}
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{{succession box|before={{flagicon|DNK}} Peter Graulund|title=AGF captain|years=2008–|after=Incumbent}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rasmussen, Steffen}}
Category:Danish men's footballers
Category:Denmark men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Aarhus Gymnastikforening players
Category:Danish Superliga players