Last laugh for Larsen
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Article summary
Djurgårdens IF striker Søren Larsen has been the sensation of the season in Sweden.
Article body
By Jan Juhlin
More or less unknown in Swedish football a year ago, Djurgårdens IF's Søren Larsen is now the top striker in the Allsvenskan, a Danish international and a target for Bundesliga giants FC Schalke 04.
Gradual rise
Now 23, he started his career at minnows Køge BK where his stature and goalscoring skills earned him a place in the Danish Under-19 team. Larsen went on to play for the U21s at which point Danish giants Brøndby IF opted to sign a target-man touted as the new Ebbe Sand. The years at Brøndby did, however, not go as planned, as Larsen was beset by injuries. "I never really settled, and all the injuries meant that I didn't get a chance to prove my worth," he said.
Frem loan
Larsen was sent on loan to BK Frem in the autumn of 2003 and scored eleven of their 40 goals as the club were relegated. He caught the eye of Swedish champions Djurgården, who had just sold striker Geert den Ouden and were looking for a new No9 for their three-pronged attack.
First choice
"We had our eyes on Søren for a couple of months, and when both Den Ouden and [Johan] Elmander left us we decided to get down to business," said Djurgården sporting director Bo Andersson. In June 2004 Larsen passed the medical and signed a three-year deal with the Stockholm-based side.
Djurgården worries
Within weeks of signing he suffered a groin injury which he tried to treat by changing his running style. That in turn led to problems with a stomach muscle, and after only having played a couple of minutes of first-team football, Larsen was forced to undergo surgery in December 2004.
Club faith
By that time, many Djurgården fans had written Larsen off as a huge failure and were convinced that the powerful striker was on his way out. To the striker's gratitude, however, the club were patient. "Everyone was really supportive and today I'm grateful for the patience that the club showed towards me," he said.
Ten goals
He repaid that faith this season with a blistering start, scoring ten goals in 12 games to send his side to the top of the table. His performances alerted Denmark coach Morten Olsen who duly placed him in his squad for games against Finland and Albania.
International strikes
He did enough in a substitute appearance against Finland to warrant inclusion in the starting lineup against Albania, where he stole the show with two goals in a 3-1 win. "I didn't expect to be in the Danish national side so quickly after I got back from injury, but now it just feels great," he said.
'Dream move'
The season continued to get better as Schalke made a bid for Larsen on 18 June. "Schalke is as big as it gets," he said. "Djurgården is a fantastic club that has helped me a lot, but at the same time playing for Schalke would be something of a dream move for me."
Adopted home
No deal has been concluded between the two clubs, but even if the Bundesliga is beckoning for Larsen, he will not forget the role Sweden played in his rise. "I'll keep my flat here in Stockholm even if I leave the club," he said. "The fans have been great and the club as well. I'd much rather return here than go back to Denmark again."