Danish footballer
Theresa Eslund
Eslund in 2017
Full name
Theresa Eslund Birth name
Theresa Nielsen[ 1] Date of birth
(1986-07-20 ) 20 July 1986 (age 38) Height
1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) Position(s)
Right back Current team
Brøndby IF Number
8
Rikken Years
Team
Apps
(Gls ) 0000 –2002
Hvidovre IF
2003–2008
Ballerup-Skovlunde
2009–2017
Brøndby IF
87
(13) 2017
Vålerenga
22
(2) 2018–2019
Reign FC
41
(1) 2018–2019
→ Melbourne City (loan)
12
(0) 2020–
Brøndby IF
22
(2) 2002–2003
Denmark U-17
15
(3) 2006
Denmark U-21
4
(0) 2009
Denmark U-23
2
(1) 2008–
Denmark
133
(5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 November 2019 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 March 2020
Theresa Eslund (née Nielsen ; born 20 July 1986) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Brøndby IF in the Danish Elitedivisionen and the Danish national team .
Eslund previously played for Reign FC of the American National Women's Soccer League , Melbourne City of the Australian W-League , and Vålerenga in Norway's Toppserien . She was named Danish Women's Footballer of the Year in 2012.
Early life
Raised in Valby , Eslund began playing football at age six on a team known as Rikken.[ 2] [ 3]
Club career
Brøndby IF, 2009–2016
In 2012, Eslund was named Danish Women's Footballer of the Year after helping Brøndby IF to a league and cup double .[ 4]
Vålerenga, 2017
In January 2017, Eslund signed with Norwegian club, Vålerenga in Oslo , marking her first time playing for a foreign club.[ 5] Eslund made 22 appearances for Vålerenga and scored two goals during the 2017 season .[ 6] She scored her first goal for Vålerenga in the 47th minute of a match against Kolbotn resulting in a 2–0 win.[ 7] The club finished in seventh place with a 10–8–4 record.[ 8] Eslund was named one of the top 200 players in the world for 2017 by The Offside Rule, a podcast by The Guardian .[ 9]
Reign FC, 2018–2019
Eslund signed with American side Reign FC ahead of the 2018 National Women's Soccer League season in January 2018.[ 10] [ 11] She made her debut for Seattle as a starting defender during the home opener — a 2–1 win over the Washington Spirit on 24 March.[ 12]
Return to Brøndby IF
Eslund returned to Brøndby IF on a two-year contract in 2020, were the team ended up at second place in the league.[ 13]
International career
Nielsen during the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 semi-final against Austria .
At age 17, Eslund competed with the Denmark's under-17 national team at the 2003 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival . She scored in the final as Denmark beat Switzerland on penalties after a 1–1 draw at Stade Sébastien Charléty in Paris .[ 14]
Eslund made her senior international debut for Denmark in March 2008, during the team's 1–0 win over Germany at the 2008 Algarve Cup .[ 15]
She was named to Kenneth Heiner-Møller 's squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2013 [ 16] and she was also part of Danish squad, who received silver at the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 in Netherlands.[ 17]
Honours
Brøndby IF
Elitedivisionen : Winner 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017 [ 6]
Danish Women's Cup : Winner 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017[ 6]
Denmark
Individual
Personal
Formerly known as Theresa Nielsen, Eslund began using her married name in 2020.[ 20]
References
External links