Date of birth: 14 August 1949
Nationality: Danish
Playing career: B 1901, Cercle Brugge KSV, RWD Molenbeek, RSC Anderlecht, 1. FC Köln
Coaching career: Brøndby IF, 1. FC Köln, AFC Ajax, Denmark

• A commanding central defender, he played most of his club football in Belgium, winning three national titles and the UEFA Cup with Anderlecht between 1980 and 1986.

• Twice crowned Danish Player of the Year, he was captain of the legendary 'Dynamite' team of the mid-1980s that reached two successive UEFA European Championships and the 1986 FIFA World Cup; became the first Danish footballer to reach 100 caps in an international career spanning 19 years.

• Went straight into coaching and proved an immediate success, leading Brøndby to two national titles and the 1990/91 UEFA Cup semi-finals – the furthest any Danish team had progressed in Europe.

• Moved on to coach former club Köln and then, following a two-year break, Ajax, where, assisted on the field by his former Denmark team-mate Michael Laudrup, he won a Dutch league and cup double in 1998.

• Appointed Denmark head coach in 2000 and led team to 2002 World Cup and UEFA EURO 2004. Enjoyed success again as Denmark topped their 2010 World Cup qualifying group, celebrating qualification with 1-0 win against Sweden in his 100th match in charge. Subsequently named Coach of the Year in Denmark, although his team failed to get out of their group in South Africa, but bounced back to lead them to UEFA EURO 2012 and agreed a new deal until 2014.