Mathias Jensen
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.jpg) Jensen playing for Brentford in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mathias Jensen[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 1 January 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | Jerslev, Zealand, Denmark[2] | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Central midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Brentford | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2007 | Hvidebæk IF | ||
| 2007–2011 | Kalundborg GB | ||
| 2011–2015 | Nordsjælland | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2018 | Nordsjælland | 63 | (15) |
| 2018–2019 | Celta Vigo | 6 | (0) |
| 2019– | Brentford | 240 | (14) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2014 | Denmark U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | Denmark U19 | 8 | (0) |
| 2015–2017 | Denmark U20 | 6 | (1) |
| 2017–2019 | Denmark U21 | 15 | (2) |
| 2020– | Denmark | 31 | (1) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:48, 27 April 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 22:42, 31 March 2026 (UTC) | |||
Mathias Jensen (born 1 January 1996) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Premier League club Brentford and the Denmark national team.
Jensen is a product of the Nordsjælland academy and began his senior career with the club in 2016. Following two seasons as a regular member of the team, he transferred to Celta Vigo in 2018. After an injury-hit 2018–19 season, he transferred to Brentford and was a part of the squad which was promoted to the Premier League in 2021. A former Denmark youth international, Jensen made his full international debut in 2020. He was a member of the Denmark squads at Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024.
Nordsjælland
A midfielder, Jensen progressed through the academy at Nordsjælland and signed a three-year professional contract in January 2015.[4][5] He was promoted into the first team squad for the 2015–16 season and made five appearances during the campaign, scoring one goal, which came in a 2–2 draw with Randers on 1 May 2016.[1] Jensen was a regular in the 2016–17 season, making 22 appearances,[6] before 2017–18 proved to be his breakthrough season.[1] He made 36 appearances, scored 12 goals, was awarded the captaincy and his achievements were recognised by the DBU and his club,[7] with the DBU 2017 Talent of the Year and FC Nordsjælland Player of the Year awards respectively.[8][9] After three early 2018–19-season appearances, Jensen departed Nordsjælland in August 2018.[10] During just over three seasons as a professional at Farum Park, Jensen made 66 appearances and scored 15 goals.[1]
Celta Vigo
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On 8 August 2018, Jensen moved to Spain joining La Liga club Celta Vigo on a five-year contract.[10] During an injury-affected 2018–19 season, he made just six appearances and left the club in July 2019.[11][12]
Brentford
2019–2021
On 10 July 2019, Jensen moved to England signing with Championship club Brentford on a four-year contract, with the option of an additional year, for an undisclosed fee,[12] reported to be £3.5 million.[13] He made 43 appearances and scored one goal during the 2019–20 season,[14] which ended with defeat in the 2020 Championship play-off final.[15] Jensen made a career high 53 appearances during the 2020–21 season and celebrated promotion to the Premier League with victory in the 2021 Championship play-off final.[16][17]
2021–22 season
As a result of suffering a "badly gashed" foot while away on international duty, Jensen missed Brentford's entire 2021–22 pre-season and the first three matches of the regular season.[18][19] Restricted to a mix of starting and substitute roles,[20][21] particularly after the January 2022 signing of Christian Eriksen,[22] Jensen made 35 appearances during a "stop-start" season.[19][23] Despite being affected by COVID-19 and another minor injury, Jensen won praise from head coach Thomas Frank for training "like an animal" while sidelined.[22]
2022–23 season
Entering the final year of his contract, Jensen hired his own personal trainer to work with him daily during the off-season in Denmark and he returned for the 2022–23 pre-season "in incredible shape".[22][24] He was challenged by head coach Thomas Frank to be the replacement for the departed Christian Eriksen.[22] Jensen began the regular season in a starting role and as a regular set piece taker.[1][24] Coaching from specialist throw-in coach Thomas Gronnemark helped length his throws.[24] Jensen's performance and first Premier League goal in a 4–0 win over Manchester United on 13 August 2022 was recognised with the man of the match award.[25][26]
On 18 January 2022, Jensen signed a new 3+1⁄2-year contract, with the option of a further year.[23] Head coach Thomas Frank commended Jensen's "pressing abilities", "his defensive mindset" and stated that "he has been one of our best players so far this season".[23] In the process of winning his 23rd cap for Denmark in a Euro 2024 qualifier versus Finland on 23 March 2023, Jensen became Brentford's most-capped international player.[27] Until missing the final match of the season,[28] Jensen had been an ever-present starter in league matches and had improved his goal tally to five.[1]
2023–2025
Awarded the vice-captaincy and a starter when fit,[1][29][30][31] Jensen made 36 appearances and scored four goals during a lower mid-table 2023–24 season.[32][33] Injury and illness affected Jensen's 2024–25 season and he lost his starting place to Mikkel Damsgaard.[34] He ended the season with 27 appearances, predominantly as a substitute.[1]
International career
Jensen made 30 appearances and scored 3 goals for Denmark between U18 and U21 level.[35] He was a part of Denmark's squads at the 2017 and 2019 European U21 Championships and captained the team in the latter tournament.[12][35] Jensen was named in the senior team's preliminary 35-man squad for the 2018 World Cup,[36] but he was not included in the final squad.[12] In October 2020, Jensen won a late call-up to the full Denmark squad for a series of three matches, as a replacement for injured Brentford teammate Christian Nørgaard.[37] He made his full international debut with a start in a 4–0 friendly win over the Faroe Islands on 7 October and scored his first full international goal on his fifth cap, in a 8–0 2022 World Cup qualifying win over Moldova on 28 March 2021.[35]
Jensen was named in the Denmark squad for Euro 2020 and he appeared as a substitute in each of the six matches during the Danes' run to the semi-final.[38][39] Jensen was named in Denmark's 2022 World Cup squad and made two appearances prior to the team's group stage exit.[35][40] Jensen was named in Denmark's Euro 2024 squad,[41] but was an unused substitute in each match prior to the team's round-of-16 exit.[1][42]
Style of play
Jensen has been described as a "player who can dictate the game", "has a great passing ability" and "a great football brain".[12] Midway through the 2022–23 season, he remarked that while he has "always been a technical player who doesn't really enjoy the big tackles", he had developed his "aggression" and "adapted to the tempo of the Premier League".[23]
