A UEFA European Championship winner in 1992, Peter Schmeichel has been chosen as Carlsberg's global ambassador for UEFA EURO 2012 by the tournament sponsors.

The former Manchester United FC and Denmark goalkeeper spoke of his delight at securing the position for the finals in Poland and Ukraine – and explained how Carlsberg played an important part in his development as a player.

"Carlsberg is one of the reasons I got the chance to play football," he said. "When I was growing up, I dreamt about playing for Denmark and Manchester United. At that time, in the 1970s, Carlsberg had already started investing in and supporting Danish football and this provided opportunities for people like myself to get more involved in this wonderful game.

"Having sponsored the European Championship for more than 20 years, Carlsberg has a fantastic track record and has shown a big commitment to supporters and lovers of football. I am really looking forward to playing my part," added the 48-year-old, who was capped 129 times by Denmark from 1987 to 2001.

Schmeichel will be involved in many ways, engaging with fans through the Carlsberg Facebook campaign and promoting the Fan Challenge, whereby supporters are given the chance to be at UEFA EURO 2012 and ultimately present the Carlsberg Man of the Match award at the final itself. Schmeichel will also take an active role in Carlsberg's media and hospitality events before and during the tournament.

Jørgen Buhl Rasmussen, Carlsberg Group's president and CEO, said: "We are delighted to have Peter as one of our team. Not only has Peter played much of his football in our two biggest Carlsberg markets – Denmark and the UK – but he is a well-known personality across Carlsberg's key markets in all of Europe and Asia. We are confident Peter will help us deliver another very successful UEFA EURO campaign.

"Peter Schmeichel is a sponsor's dream," added Rasmussen. "Not content with being part of the victorious Danish team at EURO '92 and the 1999 Manchester United 'dream team' which won the UEFA Champions League, English Premier League and FA Cup, Peter has now established himself as a well-respected presenter, commentator and speaker, both in Denmark and internationally."

To find out more about Carlsberg's Fan Challenge and football heritage, visit facebook.com/Carlsberg or carlsberg.com.