FC Helsingør have extended the contract of defender Nikolaj Hansen. The centre-back has played almost full time since moving from Næstved last summer and has been part of the captaincy group all season, so for sporting director Brian Gellert the extension was a no-brainer.
– When we signed Nikolaj, he came from a then top team in 1. Division, and over the past year he has shown that both as a player and as a person, he is someone you can rely on. He has hardly missed a training session and he is very professional in the way he takes care of himself. He has also proven that he is a player the younger ones can look up to, and when we want a young squad, it is important to have experienced players like Nikolaj, who has stepped in and become a leader both on and off the pitch.
Nikolaj Hansen himself looks back on both the promotion season and the coming season with joy:
– I have been happy to be here this past year and I have the desire and motivation to continue, and hopefully help stabilize FCH in 1. Division. A crazy amount has happened in the twelve months I have been here, it has been wild, fun and exciting, and I think we have built a good and homogeneous group, with good people and good players
– Given my experience and position on the pitch, I am one of those who must lead the way when “the shithouse is on fire.” We have many good players who can play good football and score goals, so we also need someone who can keep them in line, and that is probably my role on the team.
– In the long run, I think there are great perspectives in the club and good potential. But in the short term, we first and foremost need to figure out how to transition from being a dominant favourite, to an underdog that has to go out and fight in every match in a tough and challenging first division. But of course I believe that we have the potential to do well, otherwise I would not have extended either. First and foremost, it is about starting by winning some football matches and getting up into the middle of the table before we begin to have bigger ambitions, and then I believe that we have a team that can do well.
Nikolaj Hansen has played 24 matches for FCH and scored two goals.
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
