Jimmy Nielsen

Infobox Football biography
playername = Jimmy Nielsen


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1977|8|6
cityofbirth = Aalborg
countryofbirth = Denmark
height = height|meters=1.91
currentclub = Vejle Boldklub
clubnumber = 1
position = Goalkeeper
youthyears =
youthclubs = B 52/Aalborg FC
AaB Aalborg
years = 1994-1995
1995-2007
2007
2008-present
clubs = Millwall
AaB Aalborg
Leicester City
Vejle Boldklub
caps(goals) =0 (0)
342 (0)
0 (0)
24 (0)
nationalyears = 1994-1997
1997-1999
nationalteam = Denmark U-19
Denmark U-21
nationalcaps(goals) = 11 (0)
17 (0)
pcupdate = October 8, 2008
ntupdate = October 8, 2008

Jimmy Nielsen (born August 6, 1977 in Aalborg) is a Danish professional football goalkeeper currently playing for Vejle Boldklub after being released by Leicester City. Until June 2007, he played 398 games for Danish team Aalborg Boldspilklub (AaB). Playing every match for AaB in the Danish Superliga since 1997, Nielsen won the 1999 Superliga championship with AaB. Nielsen has on occasion featured in the Danish national team setup as an unused substitute. He won the 1998 and 2004 Danish "Goalkeeper of the Year" award.

Football career

Born in Aalborg, Jimmy Nielsen started his career in local club B 52/Aalborg FC. He played youth football for AaB, before signing for English club Millwall in 1994. He did not play for the club and moved back to Denmark, settling in at AaB in 1995. He made his senior debut in 1996, quickly becoming the starting goalkeeper in AaB. Nielsen was one of the cornerstones of AaB, culminating in the Danish Superliga 1998-99 championship. During a session with the Denmark national under-21 football team in 1999, Nielsen and u-21 teammates Allan Kierstein Jepsen and Peter Degn went to the Munkebjerg casino in Vejle at night to gamble. They were subsequently excluded from all national team practices, a ban that lasted several years. This earned Nielsen the nickname "Casino-Jimmy".

In April 2004, Nielsen and fellow teammate David Nielsen raked up a debt of £160,000 with Aalborg bookies. AaB director Lynge Jakobsen decided to help them both out financially, as well as giving the team counseling for gambling addiction. Nielsen continued as a stalwart in the AaB team, and was eventually named team captain. In 2006, Nielsen published an autobiography called "1000 på rød" (lit. "1000 on red").

Nielsen signed a full-time contract with Leicester City on June 4, 2007. He joined via Martin Allen's agent, who claimed he was "another Peter Schmeichel". [ [http://www.thebluearmy.co.uk/details.asp?back=true&key=1D29|0|2185366269754|R|536|6379262892007329930231&parentkey=1D29|0|2185366269754|p|536|0 Mandaric works his magic] , Leicester Mercury 2007-09-27. Retrieved on 2007-09-29.] However, he was left in the reserve squad following the arrival of Hungarian goalkeeper Márton Fülöp. As a result, Nielsen revealed he planned to leave the club during the January transfer window, [ [http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11712_2762239,00.html Nielsen set for Foxes exit] , Sky Sports 2007-09-28. Retrieved on 2007-09-29.] and was given the green light to do so on November 14. [ [http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11712_2881522,00.html Nielsen set to quit Foxes] , Sky Sports 2007-11-14. Retrieved on 2007-11-15.] He left the club on January 22 2008 having his contract terminated by mutual consent without ever having played for the club.cite news
title = Nielsen Moves On
url = http://www.lcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0,,10274~1222101,00.html
publisher = Leicester City F.C.
date = 2008-01-22
accessdate = 2008-01-22] The next day he signed a 2½-year contract with Danish team Vejle Boldklub [ da icon cite news |url=http://www.vejle-boldklub.dk/news3.aspx?NewsID=36bc4732-c9a0-11dc-ab6f-005056843820&Type=News |title=Jimmy Nielsen til Vejle Boldklub |publisher=Official Vejle Boldklub home page |date=2008-01-23 ] .

Honours

*Danish "Goalkeeper of the Year": 1998 and 2004
*Danish Superliga: 1998-99

References

External links

*da icon [http://www.vejle-boldklub.dk/Player-Jimmy%20Nielsen.asp Vejle Boldklub profile]
*da icon [http://www.dbu.dk/lbase/playerInfo.aspx?playerId=4258 Danish national team profile]
*soccerbase|id=5865|name=Jimmy Nielsen
*da icon [http://www.aabsport.dk/D9F0E860-B9F4-4ADF-B984-D671D77AA564.W5Doc?id=afc20a4e-35e6-427a-97b1-2ae21e377cc9 AaB profile]
* [http://www.ex-canaries.co.uk/players/nielson.htm Ex-Canaries profile]
* [http://resol.dr.dk/sportservice_person.aspx?personid=95026 Career stats] at Danmarks Radio