Daniel Agger
From Liverpool FC Wiki
Daniel Munthe Agger (born 12 December 1984 in Hvidovre) is a Danish professional footballer who currently plays as a central defender for English club Liverpool.
[edit] Liverpool career
Agger was long linked to a transfer to a bigger club, and in the January 2006 transfer window, Agger was looking to join English Premier League team Liverpool, the defending UEFA Champions League champions. Daniel Agger did not travel with his Brøndby teammates for their winter training camp in January and on January 12, 2006 he signed a 4½ year contract with Liverpool. The £5.8m transfer deal made him the most expensive footballer sold by a Danish club to a foreign club, as well as the most expensive defender Liverpool had ever bought.
His first half season at Liverpool was no success, as injuries limited him to four first-team appearances during spring 2006. He played ten games and scored three goals for the Danish under-21 national team, for which he was selected to play in the 2006 European Under-21 Championship tournament in May 2006.
At the start of the 2006–07 season, Agger played the full game as Liverpool won the 2006 FA Community Shield. Still adapting to the English game, he established himself in Liverpool's first team squad, competing with Liverpool vice-captain Jamie Carragher and former Finnish team captain Sami Hyypiä for the two starting places in the central defence. Agger scored his first goal for Liverpool on August 26, 2006 in a 2–1 win against West Ham United. Agger was allowed to run unchallenged toward the Kop-end goal and scored a stinging curler from 35 yards out. Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez commented he was not surprised and that Agger has frequently scored such goals in training. The goal was named Goal of the Month for August by the BBC's Match of the Day, and later Liverpool's Premiership Goal of the Season. On October 4, 2006 he was given PFA's fan award for impressive and solid displays in September.
Agger scored his second goal for the club in a Football League Cup away game against Birmingham City with a volley from close range in the seven minutes of first-half stoppage time. His third was against Arsenal scoring a header in a 4–1 victory played on March 31, 2007. In the first semi-final of the 2006–07 Champions League, Agger received some criticism as Liverpool lost to Chelsea 1–0, after Chelsea striker Didier Drogba managed to dribble past him before making the assist to win the game. In the second leg of the semi-finals, Agger answered his critics by scoring another curler from a smartly-taken Steven Gerrard free-kick from just outside the penalty area, and helping Liverpool keep a clean sheet as the team beat Chelsea 1–0 on May 1, 2007. His highly impressive performance in that important match cemented an excellent debut season, in which his clear talent had impressed Liverpool fans, leading to some comparing him to club legend Alan Hansen. He went on to participate in the 2007 Champions League final which Liverpool lost 2–1 to A.C. Milan.
Agger started the 2007 preseason in scoring fashion, scoring two goals in four games, including a left footed-finish against South China AA. However, he suffered a metatarsal injury in September, again losing his place to Hyypiä. In Janurary 2008, Agger began training and was attempting to regain match fitness, however a reoccurrance in his metatarsal has ruled him out of action for a few more weeks. He is currently being examined by several specialists in the hopes of returning for the remainder of the season.
[edit] External links
- Daniel Agger career stats at Soccerbase
| Liverpool F.C. – current squad |
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| 3 Finnan • 4 Hyypia • 5 Agger • 6 Riise • 7 Kewell • 8 Gerrard • 9 Torres • 10 Voronin • 11 Benayoun • 12 F. Aurelio • 14 Alonso • 15 Crouch • 16 Pennant • 17 Arbeloa • 18 Kuyt • 19 Babel • 20 Mascherano • 21 Lucas • 23 Carragher • 25 Reina • 30 Itandje • 33 Leto • 34 Spearing • 35 Putterill • 36 Flynn • 37 Skrtel • 39 Darby • 40 Martin • 42 El Zhar • 48 Insua • Manager: Benitez |
