FC Helsingør loans New Zealand international Nando Pijnaker from Portuguese Rio Ave FC
photo courtesy of New Zealand Football Association.
The All white Olympic participant joins FC Helsingør until the end of 2021
HELSINGØR (31. August 2021) – FC Helsingør announced today that they have agreed a loan deal with Portuguese club Rio Ave FC for New Zealand international Nando Pijnaker as a centre-back. With the loan, Pijnaker will join NordicBet Liga leaders FC Helsingør until 31 December 2021.
“We are pleased to add Nando to our already very strong defensive group,” says FC Helsingør sporting director Brian Gellert. “He is a big, strong central defender who already knows and has a relationship with some of our current players. His international experience at the Olympic 2020 shows that he has the quality and talent to continue his development here in Denmark.”
Pijnaker, 22 years old, becomes the fourth FC Helsingør player to have developed from New Zealand’s Olé Academy – alongside the forwards Elijah Just and Callum McCowatt and the defender Dalton Wilkins (who is currently on loan to Kolding IF). McCowatt and Pijanker were teammates as 17-year-olds at Western Suburbs FC in New Zealand’s Central League.
Pijanker, who was originally born in Brummen in the Netherlands, grew up with his family in New Zealand. After New Zealand’s FIFA U-20 World Cup tournament in 2019, Pijnaker joined the Swedish second division Norra Götaland in January 2020 for club Torslanda IK. He later moved to GC Zürich and Grasshopper Club Zürich before eventually joining Rio Ave FC.
At this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Pijnaker played every minute in all four New Zealand matches, including three clean sheets out of four games. Before that, he was a defensive cornerstone for the New Zealand team that impressed throughout the U20 World Cup 2019 in Poland.
At the top of the NordicBet Liga table after seven matches, FC Helsingør (6-1-0, 19 points) go into the international break in September with two points up to second place. Helsingør meet Skjold on Wednesday in the second round of the Sydbank Pokalen (18.00 | TICKETS), before Helsingør return to league action on 12 September at home against Hvidovre.
Player profile
Name: Nando Pijnaker
Position: Defender
Height: 6-3 (1,91m)
Date of birth: 25 February, 1999 (Age: 22)
Nationality: New Zealand
Transactions: New Zealand On 31 August 2021, FC Helsingør adds defender Nando Pijnaker, who is loaned from Portuguese Rio Ave FC until 31 December 2021.
