Five U23 Danish Players To Keep An Eye On
They may only have a population of 6 million, but Denmark certainly knows how to punch above their weight on the footballing scene. They’ve reached the knockout round in three of their last four major tournaments, coming within inches of the UEFA European Championship Final in 2021, and they’ve managed to export a number of players to the biggest teams in Europe, such as Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Marseille) and Andreas Christensen (Barcelona). And with a crop of promising youngsters on the rise, there’s reason to believe that De Rød-Hvide can aspire to pull off yet another scintillating campaign in next year’s FIFA World Cup.
Today, we’re taking a look at five U-23 Danish players who are primed for a breakout year.
Patrick Dorgu
After Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Højlund, the latest Danish player to take his talents to Manchester United is Patrick Dorgu. Born in Copenhagen to Nigerian parents, Dorgu left his homeland in 2022 and joined Italian side Lecce, where he quickly emerged as a vital cog in their survival efforts. A technically refined left back who oozes composure on the ball, Dorgu is skilled at carrying the ball up the pitch, evading the press, and closing down his opponents thanks to his bulky frame and blistering speed. It’s why, on February 2, United signed Dorgu to a five-year contract for £25 million. At 20 years old, Dorgu is still a work in progress, but he should nevertheless provide a dose of quality to a left wing-back position that has stuck out like a sore thumb in Rúben Amorim’s brief tenure.
Thomas Kristensen
Another Danish player who has cut his teeth in Serie A is Thomas Kristensen. On September 1, 2023, Kristensen relocated to Italy and joined Udinese, where he faced immediate challenges. Across a season that saw Udinese go through three different managers and survive the drop on the final day, Kristensen was a bright spot in defense. The 23-year-old has continued his upward momentum under new manager Kosta Runjaić, emerging as a vital cog in defense—both as a center back and even as a right back on occasion—and steering them to the midtable positions. At 6’6”, he towers over the opposition and is unfazed in aerial clashes, but his adolescence as a central midfielder has made him far more cultured in possession and enabled him to become a ball-playing defender.
Mika Biereth
Born in London to a Danish-German father and a Bosnian mother, Mika Biereth is eligible to play for various national teams, but so far, he’s represented Denmark at the U19 and U21 levels. Following his development at the academies of Fulham and Arsenal, Biereth gained experience at RKC Waalwijk and Motherwell before joining Sturm Graz in January 2024, where he played a crucial role in their domestic double. And after bouncing around from the Netherlands to Scotland to Austria, Biereth made the move to France and joined AS Monaco in January 2025 for €13 million with €2 million in potential add-ons. So far, it’s proven to be money well spent: the 22-year-old striker has put his robust physicality and poacher’s instinct to good use at the principality, racking up 4 goals in 4 Ligue 1 appearances.
Conrad Harder
FC Nordsjælland has proven to be a breeding ground of electrifying talents, and one player who has continued that trend is Conrad Harder. He left Denmark for Portugal on September 2, rejecting an offer from Brighton and instead joining Sporting for €19 million. Although he’s had to compete with one of the finest center forwards in Europe—Viktor Gyökeres—Harder has nevertheless been able to leave his mark in Lisbon and deliver in the biggest scenarios. He has a knack for coming alive when the lights are brightest, like on November 10, when he scored a late brace to secure a comeback 4-2 win vs. Braga, or on January 29, when he fired in a late equalizer vs. Bologna. Harder’s ferocious ball striking and incisive third-man runs make him into a brilliant young profile, and at 19, he’s only getting started.
Morten Frendrup
Despite losing key figures like Mateo Retegui and Albert Guðmundsson, Genoa currently sit seven points clear of the relegation zone, and one player who has proven vital is Morten Frendrup. Since joining in 2022, Frendrup has proven instrumental in their promotion to Italy’s top flight, excelling as a box-to-box midfielder who can cover ample spaces, read the game well, and anticipate passes and step in with a desperately needed intervention. Last season, Frendrup led all Serie A players in balls won (122) and successful tackles (131), and this season, he’s confirming his positive sensations with yet another promising campaign. A tireless figure who can fill into a variety of positions, the 23-year-old midfielder is already leaving his mark in Serie A, and it may only be a matter of time before he leaves for greener pastures.
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