Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
LUCKY NICKLAS ESCAPES FALL FROM GRACE
NICKLAS BENDTNER’S heart was in his mouth yesterday when he took a nasty fall – on the way to the breakfast buffet!
Injury problems have dogged the former Arsenal striker throughout his career and he almost quit because of it after leaving Nottingham Forest.
But for a brief moment yesterday morning, he must have feared another setback as Denmark’s big World Cup play-off with Ireland looms large.
At the team’s luxurious Hotel Marienlyst in Helsingor, the in-form Rosenborg attacker took a tumble after leaving his room on the way to breakfast.
But he quickly dusted himself down and remains on track to play his part – most likely off the bench – in Copenhagen on
Saturday.
Bendtner played for Martin O’neill while on loan at Sunderland and six of his eight Black Cats goals came under the Irish manager’s watch.
O’neill does not feel the 29-year-old has fulfilled his potential but warned that he is capable of inflicting serious damage on Ireland.
This weekend Bendtner will be attempting to do to Ireland what he failed to do to Dundalk during their Champions League duels in the summer – score.
Bendtner, who only recently return to the Danish squad having been frozen out after a lack of form, said: “I want to play for this team like I had done for so many years.
“I’ve been back for three games and I’m getting to know the manager but the overriding goal for me is to qualify for the World Cup.
“Whether it’s me who scores or Kasper Schmeichel or Jannik Vestergaard is completely irrelevant.
“We just want to get to the World Cup and if we can keep going the way we have been, there is no reason not to believe.”