Theresa Eslund

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.

Theresa Eslund

Eslund in 2017
Personal information
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
Team information
Current team	Brøndby IF
Number	8
Youth career
	Rikken
Senior career*
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)
International career‡
2002–2003	Denmark U-17	15	(3)
2006	Denmark U-21	4	(0)
2009	Denmark U-23	2	(1)
2008–	Denmark	133	(5)
Medal record Women's football Representing  Denmark UEFA Women's Championship 2017 Netherlands Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 November 2019 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 March 2020

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

• UEFA Women's Euro 2017 runners-up

Individual

• UEFA Women's Euro 2017 Best XI^[18]
• Toppserien Defender of the Year: 2017^[19]

Personal

Formerly known as Theresa Nielsen, Eslund began using her married name in 2020.^[20]

References

1. Theresa Eslund at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)
2. "Den danske sportselite: Theresa Nielsen - ChriChri". Retrieved 6 April 2018.
3. "Rikken-pige årets fodboldspiller" (in Danish). Valby Bladet. 13 November 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
4. Weber, Lennart (3 May 2013). "Theresa har stamplads på landsholdet" (in Danish). Fagligt Fælles Forbund. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
5. "Theresa Nielsen: "Det er ikke et farvel - men et på gensyn" - Fodbold for piger". Fodbold for piger (in Danish). 24 January 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
6. "T. Nielsen". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
7. bold.dk (17 May 2017). "Theresa Nielsen på tavlen i Vålerenga-sejr". bold.dk. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
8. "2017 Toppserien". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
9. "Theresa Nielsen blant 2017s beste spillere". Vålerenga (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
10. "Reign send Mathias to Courage, sign Danish defender Nielsen". The Equalizer. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
11. "Seattle Reign sign Danish defender Theresa Nielsen". Sounder At Heart. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 14 February 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
12. "Reign FC Open 2018 NWSL Season With A Win Against Washington Spirit". TheBold: Seattle Reign FC. Medium. 25 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
13. "Inden topbrag: Theresa Nielsen tilbage i Brøndby-trøjen". Brøndby IF. 16 November 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
14. Garin, Erik (9 October 2005). "European Youth Olympic Days (EYOD)". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
15. "Danmark – Tyskland 1 – 0" (in Danish). Danish Football Association. 5 March 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
16. Bruun, Peter (21 June 2013). "Upbeat Heiner-Møller confirms Denmark squad". uefa.com. UEFA. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
17. "Denmark defeated by Dutch in Euro 2017 final". The Local. 6 August 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
18. UEFA.com (7 August 2017). "Official UEFA Women's EURO 2017 Best Eleven". UEFA.com. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
19. "EM-heltinde vinder fornem pris i norsk fodbold". DR (in Danish). Retrieved 6 April 2018.
20. "NYE OG VELKENDTE ANSIGTER KÆMPER FOR KVINDELANDSHOLDET I PORTUGAL". DBU. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.

External links

• Theresa Nielsen – UEFA competition record (archive)
• Theresa Eslund national team profile at the Danish Football Association (in Danish)
• Theresa Nielsen National Women's Soccer League profile (archived)
• Theresa Nielsen Eslund at Soccerway