Mads Hermansen (born 11 July 2000) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Leicester City.
 Hermansen with Brøndby in 2021 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 11 July 2000 | ||
| Place of birth | Odense, Denmark[1] | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Leicester City | ||
| Number | 30 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2015 | Næsby | ||
| 2015–2019 | Brøndby | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2023 | Brøndby | 56 | (0) |
| 2023– | Leicester City | 44 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2015–2016 | Denmark U16 | 4 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Denmark U17 | 4 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Denmark U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Denmark U19 | 9 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Denmark U21 | 8 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:06, 4 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 05:54, 19 July 2023 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Brøndby
Born in Odense, Denmark, Hermansen began his youth career at Næsby. As a ten-year-old, he transitioned from being an outfielder into a goalkeeper after suffering from achilles tendinitis.[1]
In September 2015, Hermansen moved to Brøndby.[2] He was promoted to the first team prior to the 2019–20 season.[3]
On 5 November 2020, Hermansen made his professional debut in a Danish Cup match against Ledøje-Smørum, which ended in a 1–0 win for Brøndby.[4] At the end of the 2020–21 season, Brøndby became Danish champions for the first time since 2005,[5] with Hermansen featuring as the backup to German goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe. As a result, he did not make a league appearance.[6]
After Schwäbe's departure to 1. FC Köln, Hermansen assumed to role as starting goalkeeper.[7] He made his debut in the Danish Superliga on 18 July 2021 in a 1–1 draw against AGF.[8] The following month, on 17 August, Hermansen made his European debut in a 2–1 loss to Red Bull Salzburg in the first leg of the play-off round of the UEFA Champions League.[9] Despite the loss, Hermansen impressed in goal with vital saves.[10][11]
On 3 December 2022, Hermansen received the award of Brøndby Player of the Year 2022 after putting in strong performances through the year.[12]
Leicester City
On 18 July 2023, Hermansen signed for Championship club Leicester City on a five-year deal.[13] He made his competitive debut for the Foxes on the opening matchday of the season, providing crucial saves to help secure the team a 2–1 league victory against Coventry City.[14] However, he would pick up a quad injury during training a few days later, sidelining him for the following league game against Huddersfield Town.[15] He returned to the starting lineup on 19 August in a league win against Cardiff City.[16] On 20 September, he kept his first clean sheet after joining the Foxes, helping his side to a 2–0 away victory against Norwich City at Carrow Road.[17] After the game, Hermansen discussed his role as ball-playing goalkeeper in manager Enzo Maresca's team, saying: "He (Maresca) gives me a lot of responsibility and I really appreciate that ... I like to try to dictate the game. As a lot of teams do, they leave me open and play man-to-man with the rest of the guys, so it's up to me to find these smaller passes, to try to move things around and create these spaces."[18] His strong form throughout the season earned him a place in the EFL Championship Team of the Season, as Leicester won the division title and secured promotion back to the Premier League.[19][20]
International career
Hermansen has represented Denmark at youth international levels from under-16 to under-19.[21]
In November 2020, Hermansen was called up for the Denmark under-21 team for the first time.[22] On 7 September 2021, he gained his first cap for the team in a 1–0 win over Kazakhstan in the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification.[23][24]
Hermansen was called up to the senior Denmark squad for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches throughout June, September, and October 2023.[25]
Style of play
Hermansen is renowned for his ball-playing skills, alongside shot-stopping talent.[26] He is also considered a specialist in saving penalties, having done so in crucial occasions including a UEFA Europa Conference League qualifier against Basel in 2022 and a derby against Copenhagen,[27][28] as well as a triple penalty save against FC Nordsjælland in 2023.[29]
Career statistics
- As of match played 4 May 2024[6]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Brøndby | 2020–21 | Danish Superliga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22 | Danish Superliga | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 7[a] | 0 | 38 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23 | Danish Superliga | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[b] | 0 | 31 | 0 | |||
| Total | 56 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | 70 | 0 | ||||
| Leicester City | 2023–24[30] | Championship | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 44 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 100 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 114 | 0 | |||
Honours
Brøndby
Leicester City
Individual
- Brøndby Player of the Year: 2022[12]
- EFL Championship Team of the Season: 2023–24[19]
References
External links
- Mads Hermansen national team profile at the Danish Football Association (in Danish)
