WE’RE NOT DANE ‘N’ DUSTED YET
IT COULD be Denmark’s last hurrah for this generation.
They have a squad laced with quality and experience from Christian Eriksen to Kasper Schmeichel as well as Tottenham midfield enforcer Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Brentford pair Mathias Jensen and Christian Norgaard.
Manchester United midfielder Eriksen is 30, Schmeichel 36 while skipper Simon Kjaer is 33 and has just returned from a serious knee injury.
But assistant coach Morten Wieghorst (inset), a former Celtic midfielder, believes recent experiences have given them an edge. Denmark reached the Euros semi-final last year and England only squeezed past them after extra time. They are in Group D with France, Australia and Tuesday’s opening opponents Tunisia and, with plenty of Premier League pedigree in the squad, they should be confident of reaching the knockout stage. Wieghorst said: “We’ve made a lot of progress. When you reach major finals, play in big tournaments, last year it was the Euros, it means you gain big experience.
“A lot of those players who played last year are still here and they gain knowledge, experience. We feel better placed now.”
Denmark have tried to make improvements in all areas, bringing scientific changes players enjoy at club level into the international set-up.
Wieghorst said: “We’ve looked at a lot of things to improve and work upon both on the pitch and off the pitch.”