Mads Roerslev Rasmussen (born 24 June 1999) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a right-back or right wing-back for Premier League club Brentford.
 Roerslev warming up with FC Copenhagen in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mads Roerslev Rasmussen[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 24 June 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Copenhagen, Denmark[1] | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Right-back/right wing-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Brentford | ||
| Number | 30 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2017 | Copenhagen | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2019 | Copenhagen | 5 | (0) |
| 2017 | → Halmstads BK (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2019 | → Vendsyssel (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2019– | Brentford | 102 | (2) |
| International career | |||
| 2015–2016 | Denmark U17 | 16 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Denmark U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Denmark U19 | 10 | (1) |
| 2018–2019 | Denmark U20 | 4 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | Denmark U21 | 6 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:15, 19 May 2024 (UTC) | |||
Roerslev is a product of the FC Copenhagen academy. A fringe player, he transferred to English club Brentford in 2019. Roerslev was capped by Denmark at youth level.
Club career
FC Copenhagen
A right-back, Roerslev progressed through the academy at F.C. Copenhagen and made his senior debut as a second-half substitute for Frederik Bay in a Danish Cup third round match versus Jammerbugt FC on 26 October 2016.[1][2] He capped a dream debut with a goal in the 6–1 victory.[3] Roerslev made four further appearances during the 2016–17 season and signed a new four-year contract in May 2017.[1][4] He worked to improve his one-on-one defending with experienced right-back Tom Høgli.[5]
Down the pecking order at the Parken Stadium,[6] Roerslev appeared sparingly during the 2017–18 and 2018–19 seasons.[1] He spent time away on loan at Halmstads BK and Vendsyssel FF,[7][8][9] but made few appearances for either club.[1] Roerslev departed FC Copenhagen in August 2019,[6] after making 13 appearances and scoring one goal during three seasons as a senior player at the club.[1]
Brentford
2019–2021
On 7 August 2019, Roerslev moved to England to join the B team at Championship club Brentford on a two-year contract, with the option of a further year, for an undisclosed nominal fee.[2][10] Roerslev broke into the first team squad in October 2019 and by March 2020, after 10 appearances, his performances led to him signing a new four-year contract and being promoted into the first team squad.[11] Roerslev finished the 2019–20 season with 14 appearances.[12]
A metatarsal injury suffered on international duty saw Roerslev miss the first four months of the 2020–21 season.[13] He returned to match play in early January 2021 and after a number of substitute cameos, an injury to his mentor, Henrik Dalsgaard, allowed him to break into the starting lineup in early April.[13][14] He held onto his place until the end of the regular season and through the playoffs,[15] which culminated in promotion to the Premier League after victory in the 2021 Championship play-off final,[16] during which he assisted Emiliano Marcondes for one of the goals.[13] Roerslev finished a breakthrough 2020–21 season with 22 appearances.[15]
2021–present
Following the release of first-choice right back Henrik Dalsgaard,[17] a change in formation to 3-5-2 saw Roerslev begin the 2021–22 season behind stand-in right wing back Sergi Canós in the pecking order and the pair traded the position during the season.[18] Approaching the midway point of the season, mounting injuries in the central defensive positions saw Roerslev deployed in a right centre back role.[19][20][21] He finished the 2021–22 season with 26 appearances and one goal, scored with the winner in a 2–1 Premier League victory over Aston Villa on 2 January 2022.[22]
After beginning the 2022–23 behind new signing Aaron Hickey and right-sided central defender Kristoffer Ajer in the right back pecking order,[23] injuries to both players led to Roerslev assuming the starting right back role in mid-October 2022.[14] He signed a new three-year contract in February 2023 and finished the season with 23 appearances.[24][25]
The early months of 2023–24 mirrored that of the previous season, with injury to Aaron Hickey in late-October 2023 allowing Roerslev to take over the starting right back role.[14][26] He ended the campaign with a season-high 38 appearances and one goal, scored in a 2–2 draw with Chelsea on 2 March 2024.[27]
International career
Roerslev was capped Denmark at every level between U17 and U21.[28] He was a member of the Denmark squads at the 2016, 2018 and 2021 UEFA European U17, U19 and U21 Championships respectively.[28][29] In May 2022, Roerslev was called into the senior team's training camp prior to its 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A matches.[30] Following the withdrawal of Alexander Bah, Roerslev won his maiden call into the Denmark squad for a pair of friendly matches in March 2024.[31] He remained an unused substitute in both matches.[14]
Style of play
A right-back, Roerslev "is very good offensively – he is a good crosser of the ball, very good one-on-one, quick and energetic to get up and down the pitch. He is also good defending one-on-one".[11]
Personal life
Roerslev was a Manchester United supporter while growing up.[32]
Career statistics
- As of match played 19 May 2024
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| FC Copenhagen | 2016–17[1] | Danish Superliga | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | ― | 0 | 0 | ― | 5 | 1 | ||
| 2017–18[1] | Danish Superliga | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ― | 0 | 0 | ― | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19[1] | Danish Superliga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ― | 4[c] | 0 | ― | 5 | 0 | |||
| Total | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | ― | 4 | 0 | ― | 13 | 1 | ||||
| Halmstads BK (loan) | 2017[1] | Allsvenskan | 1 | 0 | ― | ― | ― | ― | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Vendsyssel FF (loan) | 2018–19[1] | Danish Superliga | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ― | ― | 1[d] | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Brentford | 2019–20[12] | Championship | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ― | 1[e] | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2020–21[15] | Championship | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ― | 3[e] | 0 | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22[22] | Premier League | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ― | ― | 26 | 1 | |||
| 2022–23[25] | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ― | ― | 23 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24[27] | Premier League | 34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ― | ― | 38 | 1 | |||
| Total | 102 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ― | 4 | 0 | 123 | 2 | |||
| Career total | 114 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 143 | 3 | ||
Honours
Brentford
References
External links
- Mads Roerslev at Soccerbase
- Mads Roerslev national team profile at the Danish Football Association (in Danish)
- Mads Roerslev at brentfordfc.com
- Mads Roerslev – UEFA competition record (archive)
