56 Facts About Brian Laudrup

Brian Laudrup is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a winger, forward or as a midfielder, and was regarded as one of the most talented players of his generation.

Brian Laudrup was a vital part of the Rangers team which dominated the Scottish Premier Division in the 1990s, winning three championships, among others.

Brian Laudrup won the 1998 UEFA Super Cup in his brief stint with English club Chelsea, and had a brief spell with Copenhagen in Denmark, before ending his career with Ajax in 2000.

Brian Laudrup played 82 matches and scored 21 goals for the Denmark national team, and was a vital part of the Danish teams which won UEFA Euro 1992 and the 1995 Confederations Cup.

Brian Laudrup won the Danish Football Player of the Year award a record four times.

Brian Laudrup was named by FIFA as the fifth-best player in the world in 1992 and was named by Pele as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers at the FIFA 100 ceremony in March 2004, alongside his older brother Michael Laudrup.

Brian Laudrup was born in Vienna when his father was playing for Wiener SC.

Brian Laudrup won the 1987 and 1988 Danish First Division with the club.

At kicker's biannual ranking of Bundesliga players, Brian Laudrup was rated the league's second-best forward in the second highest category, international class, after Werder Bremen's New Zealander, Wynton Rufer.

Brian Laudrup was highly rated among the experts, but he was very popular in large parts of the German population.

Brian Laudrup watched from the stands as the team collapsed in a disastrous season.

In December 1991, Brian Laudrup said new Bayern executives Franz Beckenbauer and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge were creating chaos in the team through their public criticism of the younger Bayern players.

Brian Laudrup returned to the team in February 1992 and played the last 15 matches of the season as Bayern finished in tenth position.

Brian Laudrup's reputation began to grow and he fulfilled his lifelong ambition when he moved to Serie A to sign for Fiorentina.

In June 1994, Brian Laudrup was offered an escape route from Italy when he was approached by Walter Smith of Rangers.

Brian Laudrup scored his first goal for the club later that same month, in a Scottish League Cup tie against Falkirk.

Brian Laudrup turned down an offer from Barcelona five months after signing for Rangers.

Brian Laudrup finished the season with 10 goals in 33 League games, in addition to a number of assists, as Rangers won their seventh consecutive Championship.

Brian Laudrup was now playing alongside Paul Gascoigne, and the pair were instrumental in Rangers winning their eighth league championship.

Brian Laudrup made a big impact in the latter stages of the Scottish Cup that season.

Brian Laudrup scored the winning goal in the semi-final against Celtic, playing a one-two with Gordon Durie, before taking control of the ball on his chest and chipping it over the Celtic keeper.

Durie scored a hat-trick, the first-ever Rangers player to do so in the final, but it was Brian Laudrup who won the Man of the Match award, having provided assists for all three of Durie's goals, and scoring the other two himself.

Brian Laudrup's performances saw him win the Scottish Football Writers' award .

However, despite a bright start, the season ended up an anti-climax, with Brian Laudrup failing to match the form of previous seasons.

Brian Laudrup later described his time at Rangers as "the four best years of my career".

Brian Laudrup said: "I had to tell him that he called a day late, because I had just signed with Chelsea".

Brian Laudrup relented and become a Chelsea player, but was very open that he was unhappy in London and with the squad rotation system policy.

Brian Laudrup made his debut as Chelsea won the 1998 UEFA Super Cup.

Brian Laudrup did not play many matches due to a combination of injury, the squad rotation system that Chelsea had where no player was guaranteed to be in the starting line up, and because of his fall-out with the club.

Brian Laudrup moved back to Denmark in the spring of 1999 for a brief spell with Copenhagen.

Brian Laudrup's registration had reverted to Chelsea after leaving Copenhagen, therefore Ajax and Chelsea had to negotiate a transfer fee.

Brian Laudrup was forced to retire from top-level football at age 31 after one of the most successful careers in Danish football.

Brian Laudrup made his international debut for the Denmark under-17 team in July 1984, and played six matches for the team until October that year.

Brian Laudrup represented the under-21s in five games from June 1987 to November 1988.

Brian Laudrup was called up for the senior Denmark national team by coach Sepp Piontek in April 1987 as a replacement for his brother Michael, but did not receive his debut.

Brian Laudrup was then included as a part of coach Piontek's selection ahead of the UEFA Euro 1988.

Brian Laudrup came on as a substitute in a friendly match against Austria in April 1988, but broke his collarbone just before the final Euro 1988 squad was named.

Brian Laudrup scored three goals in four matches as Denmark narrowly missed qualification for the 1990 FIFA World Cup.

Brian Laudrup returned to the national team under coach Nielsen in April 1992.

In 1992, Brian Laudrup travelled with the Danish national team to Euro 1992 in Sweden, and in a strictly defensive strategy, Brian Laudrup was one of the few attacking players.

Brian Laudrup scored 2 goals in 12 matches as Denmark were edged out of participation at the 1994 World Cup by Spain and the Republic of Ireland.

Brian Laudrup was a vital part of the Danish team that won the Confederations Cup in 1995.

Brian Laudrup won the Golden Ball award naming him the best player of the tournament.

Brian Laudrup helped Denmark qualify for Euro 1996, though the tournament was a disappointment for the defending champions.

Brian Laudrup was a highlight for the Danes scoring three goals in as many matches, including two against Turkey, but the team was eliminated in the preliminary group stage.

Brian Laudrup shone at the tournament, scoring two goals and gathering three assists.

Until the Brazil match, when Brian Laudrup had scored for Denmark, they had never lost.

The quarter-final was the best ever Danish result at a World Cup, and Brian Laudrup later ranked the 1998 Denmark team higher than the Euro 1992-winning side.

Brian Laudrup was named as one of the 16 players selected by FIFA as the "All Star Team" of the World Cup, alongside his brother Michael.

Brian Laudrup was an elegant, technical and creative player who was gifted with incredible pace and ball control.

Brian Laudrup used this talent, offensive capabilities and acceleration to dribble at speed and beat players with relative ease to create openings for teammates.

Brian Laudrup was deployed as a midfielder, as a deep-lying forward, or even as a striker on occasion throughout his career.

Brian Laudrup has been praised by several players, managers, pundits, and footballing figures for his footballing ability, including Charlie Nicholas, Roland Wohlfarth, Charlie Nicholas, Ally McCoist, and Andy Goram.

Brian Laudrup had the capability of being up there with the greatest players of all time.

Brian Laudrup formerly covered the UEFA Champions League in the same role for Danish TV3+.

Brian Laudrup is married to Mette and has a son, Nicolai, and a daughter, Rasmine.