Mikkel Damsgaard: How Patience Has Led to a Renaissance
A renaissance is happening in England, and it does have Italian connections. There are few players who boast the uniqueness of Mikel Damsgaard. Like a man touched by the supernatural, his style perhaps doesn’t get discussed as much as it should. He doesn’t score a lot of goals, but he does play a role in them.
When Damsgaard turned 21 during UEFA Euro 2020, it also happened to be his breakout tournament. He scored twice in Denmark’s fairytale run, including that goal against England in the semifinal, four days after his birthday. That tournament run earned him a move to the Premier League, where he has had mixed emotions.
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Three years on from that magical tournament, Damsgaard was home by the time his 24th birthday rolled around, Denmark, out from the tournament quite early as well, a miserable competition that fast-tracked Kasper Hjulmand’s exit. Perhaps finding a way to utilize Damsgaard became one of the challenges he had.
Born in Jyllinge, where the population is about 10000. What are the odds that a youngster would make it out and star in the Danish Superliga, Serie A and Premier League?
Damsgaard can play as a Wide 8, true 8, left winger, attacking and central midfielder and on the rare occasion as the support striker or centre forward. His multi-facetedness is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing for the manager, a curse because he basically gets stuck anywhere the team has a challenge and he would have to deliver.
It explains his low output in returns, something that has somewhat changed this season at Brentford. Then Sampdoria manager Claudio Ranieri called him an infant prodigy, a nod to his lean frame, and rather lackadaisical feel for the ball. He has become so efficient at receiving the ball in the half-space, a trait of his game he has never left, and playing in between the lines to try and thread accurate passes or rifle shots off his cannon of a leg.
Damsgaard doesn’t really fancy running onto balls, instead preferring a pass to feet to allow him to work his magic and utilize the ball in tight spaces. It is no surprise he is rarely conditioned to taken the ball in wide areas and cutting in to shoot. He doesn’t want to take that risk.
His astute decision making means he is adept at playing give and gos with teammates, and possesses some of that press resistant feature others have been praised with despite his frame. His close control doesn’t get discussed enough, and he doesn’t dwell too much on the ball, preferring the pass to dribbling. He is the ultimate provider.
He also provides on the defensive end, using his acceleration and top speed to try and force turnovers in the middle of the pitch. His 10 goal contributions in 2024-25 are his best output since breaking through at Nordsjaelland in 2019-20. His 7 assists are only bettered by Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka in the Premier League, and joint 4th amongst Europe’s top 5 leagues.
Damsgaard has earned comparisons to his compatriot Christian Eriksen, who, he will most likely succeed at national level. It’s the first time he has started double-digit games since his first season in the Serie A, and could finally get more than 30 appearances in England.
Smart people will allude to that (lack of game-time early on) as a reason why he’s barely lived up to the expectations bestowed on him, but there are no gifts to be given at this level. Injuries have been far from kind to him, and he admitted upon his arrival at Brentford that he wasn’t at the physical level to compete in England.
In fact, Damsgaard, who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis still takes his medication because of the nature of the illness. However, it is also not beyond the realm of imagination to see his development and increased playing time have come at a period when his defensive contributions have risen exponentially.
He ranks in the top 15% amongst all players in the Premier League for recoveries, interceptions, duels and tackles won as well as possession won in the final third, it is a stark contrast to his numbers in previous Premier League seasons or at any point in his career.
Perhaps his extra bit of muscle has made him more physical in the duels, but he is now the ultimate pressing machine, and while it has taken time under Thomas Frank, it sure now feels like home for Damsgaard at Brentford. The Bees are evidence patience still exists in football, and sooner than later, they will reap the rewards of Mikel Damsgaard, a superstar in the making.
By: Tosin Holmes / @Cosimo_diMedici
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Nicolò Campo – LightRocket