Why Brentford have struck gold with a new deal for Henrik Dalsgaard
According to the Evening Express, Brentford have extended the stay of veteran right-back Henrik Dalsgaard by another season, with the Dane putting pen to paper on a one-year extension at Griffin Park until 2021.
The 30-year-old, who became the first Bees player to play in a World Cup last year, was set to be out of contract at the end of the ongoing campaign next summer, but Brentford have moved quickly to tie him down for another season with fresh terms.
As per the report, Brentford’s current head-coach Thomas Frank expressed his delight in the wake of Dalsgaard’s new deal, insisting that the veteran is a big part of the club’s project moving forward.
The manager has also showered praises on his compatriot as an experienced professional with the right kind of personality and the communication skills to make a difference in the dressing room. (h/t Evening Express)
Dalsgaard has become the latest Brentford player to put pen to paper on fresh terms at the club, following in the footsteps of compatriot Luka Racic, as well as Sergi Canos and young striker Marcus Forss, who signed a new long-term deal with the Bees before going out on loan to Wimbledon.
Born in Roum, Denmark, Henrik Dalsgaard carved out a big reputation for himself at Aalborg in his homeland and a brief stint at Zulte Waregem in Belgium before earning a move to the EFL Championship with Brentford back in the summer of 2017.
The Danish international has since gone on to establish himself as one of the mainstays of the Bees’ backline in the English second-tier, accumulating 3 goals and 8 assists in 94 appearances across all competitions.
The 30-year-old has once again been a key player for Brentford in the ongoing season, having started each of the club’s eighteen Championship fixtures so far and played every minute of their league campaign.
The Dane has primarily featured in his preferred right-back position in Frank’s favoured 4-3-3 system while also illustrating the versatility to operate as a right-sided centre-half when the manager has used a back-three system with two wing-backs.
A full-fledged Danish international with 25 senior international caps to his name, Henrik Dalsgaard is currently one of the most high-profile players at Griffin Park alongside fellow centre-back Pontus Jansson and it is not difficult to see why the Bees have struck gold with a new deal for the veteran.
Brentford have often struggled for goals this term following the departure of Neal Maupay to Brighton in the summer but a strong defensive unit has been the key to their surge up the Championship standings in recent weeks, with Julian Jeanvier, Jansson and Dalsgaard all playing their roles to perfection.
Verdict
Having conceded just 14 goals in 19 games, the Bees currently boast of one of the best defensive records in the entire division and Dalsgaard has been at the centre of everything that the club has achieved this season.
As per whoscored, the towering 6ft 4in defender has averaged 1.7 tackles, 1.3 key passes, 1.5 interceptions, 2.1 clearances and 2.9 aerial duels per game in the Championship so far, figures which lie testament to his rich vein of form at the back.
Brentford have undergone a fair bit of reshuffling at the back in recent times, with Chris Mepham and Ezri Konsa completing moves to Bournemouth and Aston Villa respectively to make way for Pontus Jansson and Ethan Pinnock.
Dalsgaard, though, has been an ever-present figure to provide that much-needed stability and experience to the backline and the new deal means that Brentford can now look forward to enjoying his services until 2021.
As well as his obvious quality and versatility to play in multiple roles across the backline, the Dane offers a lot with his experience and he has always been a calming influence on the younger players around him.
Plus, the 30-year-old is a part of a strong Danish continent at the club that features manager Thomas Frank, as well as a number of first-team players like Christian Norgaard, Mathias Jensen, Racic, Emiliano Marcondes and Mads Rasmussen.
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With that in mind, a new deal for Henrik Dalsgaard should sound music to the ears of the fans at Griffin Park, who will be hoping for the veteran to propel the club to greater heights in the coming years and possibly, a much-awaited promotion to the Premier League.