Jannik Vestergaard

Jannik Vestergaard
Vestergaard with Leicester City in 2024
Personal information
Full name Jannik Vestergaard
Date of birth (1992-08-03) 3 August 1992 (age 34)
Place of birth Hvidovre, Denmark
Height 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in)
Position Centre-back
Youth career
Vestia
Frem
Copenhagen
Brøndby
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2011 TSG Hoffenheim II 22 (4)
2011–2015 TSG Hoffenheim 71 (4)
2015–2016 Werder Bremen 48 (3)
2016–2018 Borussia Mönchengladbach 66 (7)
2018–2021 Southampton 72 (4)
2021–2026 Leicester City 101 (5)
Total 380 (27)
International career
2010 Denmark U18 4 (1)
2010–2011 Denmark U19 7 (0)
2011 Denmark U20 2 (0)
2011–2015 Denmark U21 28 (4)
2013–2025 Denmark 59 (3)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jannik Vestergaard (born 3 August 1992) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.

Vestergaard played for various Danish and German clubs, before joining Southampton in 2018. After moving to fellow English side Leicester City in 2021, he won promotion to the Premier League with the club in the 2023–24 season. After spending five seasons with the club, he left the club in July 2026, later retiring from professional football in October aged 34.

At international level, Vestergaard represented Denmark at various youth levels, before debuting for the senior side in 2013. He was included in the Danish squads for two UEFA European Championships (2020 and 2024) and one FIFA World Cup (2018), earning 59 appearances before retiring from the national team in 2026.

Early and personal life

Vestergaard was born to a Danish father and a German mother in the Copenhagen suburb of Hvidovre and grew up in Copenhagen.

His German grandfather Hannes Schröers and uncle Jan Schröers were also footballers for Fortuna Düsseldorf and Bayer 05 Uerdingen respectively. His cousin Mika Schröers played for Borussia Mönchengladbach's youth teams in 2016.

He has a girlfriend, Pernille, and a dog, Brady.

Club career

Youth career

Vestergaard played youth football with Vestia, Boldklubben Frem, Kjøbenhavns Boldklub and Brøndby.

TSG Hoffenheim

In 2010, Vestergaard left Denmark to sign for German Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim. He would make his professional debut as a substitute for Ryan Babel in a Bundesliga fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt on 16 April 2011.

Vestergaard became an established starter for Hoffenheim during the 2011–12 season, scoring his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw with Werder Bremen on 11 February 2012.

Werder Bremen

Vestergaard training with Werder Bremen in 2015.

After four seasons at Hoffenheim, he moved to Werder Bremen in January 2015. He made his debut for Bremen in a 2–0 win over Hertha BSC on 1 February.

Borussia Mönchengladbach

On 11 June 2016, Vestergaard joined Borussia Mönchengladbach for a reported transfer of €12 million plus bonuses. During his first season at Borussia, Vestergaard made his UEFA Champions League debut.

Southampton

Vestergaard moved to English club Southampton on 13 July 2018, signing a four-year contract. On 12 August, he made his debut in a 0–0 draw against Burnley in the Premier League. He scored his first goal for the club on 31 August 2019, the equaliser in a 1–1 draw against Manchester United.

Leicester City

On 12 August 2021, it was announced that Southampton had accepted a transfer offer from Leicester City for Vestergaard. On 13 August, he officially signed for Leicester on a three-year contract, for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut for the club the following day in the opening weekend of the Premier League as a 62nd-minute substitute in a 1–0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

After making 19 appearances during his first season at Leicester, Vestergaard did not appear at all during the 2022–23 season, as the club was relegated from the Premier League. He was demoted to the reserves in March 2023 after giving an interview critical of manager Brendan Rodgers; Rodgers was sacked by the club a month later after a poor run of results left Leicester in the relegation zone, and Vestergaard would be reconsidered as a member of the team.

Following their first season back in the EFL Championship, Vestergaard established himself as a starting central defender for Leicester in their 2023–24 season under new manager Enzo Maresca. On 6 August 2023, he started Leicester's opening match of the Championship, a 2–1 home win over Coventry City. On 21 October, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 away win at Swansea City. On 7 June 2024, he extended his contract with the club until 2027.

On 16 July 2026, it was announced that Leicester had terminated Vestergaard's contract by mutual agreement.

Retirement

On 2 October 2026, Vestergaard announced his retirement from professional football, citing a lack of motivation to continue playing.

International career

Youth level

Besides Denmark, Vestergaard was also eligible to represent Germany through his German mother.

Vestergaard represented the Denmark national youth teams at under-18, under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels. He received his first call-up to the Denmark senior team in August 2013, describing it as his "dream" to play for the country, and he made his debut later that month in a match against Poland. His first goal for Denmark came in his first competitive game, against Sweden in the European Championship play-off return leg on 17 November 2015.

He represented the Denmark U21 team at the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in the Czech Republic, and scored in a 2–1 defeat of the host nation in the opening match at the Eden Arena in Prague.

Senior level

Vestergaard was a member of Denmark's squad at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, but did not make any appearances in the tournament.

In June 2021, Vestergaard was included in the 26-man Denmark squad for UEFA Euro 2020, where the team reached the semi-finals.

Following Denmark's failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Vestergaard announced his retirement from international football on 17 April 2026.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
TSG Hoffenheim 2010–11 Bundesliga 10———10
2011–12 Bundesliga 23230——262
2012–13 Bundesliga 16010—20190
2013–14 Bundesliga 25140——291
2014–15 Bundesliga 6111——72
Total 714910020825
Werder Bremen 2014–15 Bundesliga 15110——161
2015–16 Bundesliga 33251——383
Total 483610000544
Borussia Mönchengladbach 2016–17 Bundesliga 34450—100494
2017–18 Bundesliga 32320—00343
Total 6677000100837
Southampton 2018–19 Premier League 2302010—260
2019–20 Premier League 1912000—211
2020–21 Premier League 3032000—323
Total 724601000794
Leicester City 2021–22 Premier League 100103060200
2022–23 Premier League 001020—30
2023–24 Championship 4222000—442
2024–25 Premier League 1800010—190
2025–26 Championship 3131000—323
Total 10155060601185
Career total 358233327018041625
  1. ↑ Includes DFB-Pokal, FA Cup
  2. ↑ Includes EFL Cup
  3. ↑ Six appearances in UEFA Champions League, four appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. ↑ Three appearances in UEFA Europa League, three appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Denmark 201310
201410
201531
201670
201730
201820
201900
202030
2021110
202241
202320
2024141
202580
Total593
Scores and results list Denmark's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Vestergaard goal.
List of international goals scored by Jannik Vestergaard
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
117 November 2015Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark Sweden2–22–2UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
226 March 2022Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands Netherlands1–12–4Friendly
38 June 2024Brøndby Stadium, Brøndbyvester, Denmark Norway2–03–1Friendly

Honours

Leicester City

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "2018/19 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  2. ↑ "FIFA World Cup Russia 2018: List of Players: Denmark" (PDF). FIFA. 15 July 2018. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2019.
  3. ↑ "Jannik Vestergaard". Leicester City F.C. 7 August 2022.
  4. 1 2 TSG 1899 Hoffenheim Fußball-Spielbetriebs GmbH (Hrsg.) (30 March 2011). "JANNIK VESTERGAARD: DER LANGE". Achtzehn99 (in German). Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. 1 2 Borussia VfL 1900 Mönchengladbach GmbH (publisher) (11 June 2016). "Borussia verpflichtet Jannik Vestergaard". Borussia Mönchengladbach (in German). Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. 1 2 Borussia VfL 1900 Mönchengladbach GmbH (publisher) (11 June 2016). "Borussia sign Jannik Vestergaard". Borussia Mönchengladbach. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ "Jannik Vestergaard: 10 things on the Borussia Mönchengladbach and Denmark star". Bundesliga. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  8. ↑ "Jeg har aldrig kunne lide at tabe". Tipsbladet.dk. 18 March 2011.
  9. 1 2 "Profile" (in Danish). DBU. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  10. 1 2 "Borussia Mönchengladbach holt Jannik Vestergaard". Bundesliga (in German). 10 June 2016. Archived from the original on 24 December 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "Jannik Vestergaard". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  12. ↑ Jannik Vestergaard at fussballdaten.de (in German)
  13. ↑ "Firmino kommt und bringt die Entscheidung". kicker (in German). Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "EIN GRÜN-WEISSES SCHWARZES SCHAF". SV Werder Bremen (in German). 27 January 2015. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  15. ↑ "Vestergaard joins Bremen from Hoffenheim". Bundesliga. 27 January 2015. Archived from the original on 31 January 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  16. ↑ "Bremen land Vestergaard". Soccerway. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  17. ↑ "Vestergaard debuterer for Werder Bremen med sejr". DR (in Danish). 1 February 2015.
  18. ↑ ""Gute Lösung" mit Vestergaard". Kreiszeitung (in German). 10 June 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  19. 1 2 3 "Jannik Vestergaard: Southampton sign centre-back from Borussia Monchengladbach". BBC Sport. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  20. 1 2 "23. Jannik Vestergaard". Leicester City F.C. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  21. ↑ "Saints seal Vestergaard deal". Southampton FC. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  22. ↑ "Southampton 0–0 Burnley: Alex McCarthy and Joe Hart shine in stalemate". Sky Sports. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  23. ↑ "Southampton 1–1 Man Utd: Jannik Vestergaard header earns 10-man Saints a point". BBC Sport. 31 August 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  24. ↑ "Jannik Vestergaard: Southampton accept Leicester bid for defender". Sky Sports.
  25. ↑ "Leicester City Sign Defender Jannik Vestergaard". Leicester City F.C. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  26. ↑ "Vestergaard joins Leicester from Saints". BBC Sport. 13 August 2021.
  27. ↑ "Leicester 1–0 Wolves: Jamie Vardy hands Bruno Lage defeat in first match". BBC Sport. 14 August 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  28. 1 2 3 "Jannik Vestergaard: Leicester City defender thankful for fresh start under Enzo Maresca". BBC Sport. 28 November 2023.
  29. ↑ Tanner, Rob (9 March 2023). "Vestergaard exiled from Leicester training after interview". The Athletic.
  30. ↑ "Brendan Rodgers: Leicester City sack manager after four years in charge". BBC Sport. 2 April 2023.
  31. ↑ "Record-Breaking Foxes Seal Swans Win". Leicester City F.C. 21 October 2023.
  32. ↑ "Jannik Vestergaard Signs New Leicester City Deal". Leicester City F.C. 7 June 2024.
  33. ↑ "Jannik Vestergaard: Leicester City terminate defender's contract by mutual agreement". BBC Sport. 16 July 2026.
  34. ↑ Brock, Jeppe Laursen (2 October 2026). "Jannik Vestergaard indstiller karrieren: Der var ting, der vejede højere" [Jannik Vestergaard retires from football: "There were things that mattered more"]. Politiken - Den levende avis (in Danish). Retrieved 2 October 2026.
  35. ↑ Lars Bruun-Mortensen (28 May 2013). "Dansk stortalent føler sig mere og mere tysk" (in Danish). TV2. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  36. ↑ "Jannik V: Drømmen har altid været Danmark" (in Danish). Bold. 12 August 2013. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  37. ↑ Jan Vinberg Eliassen (14 August 2013). "Målrigt opgør endte med dansk nederlag" (in Danish). DBU. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  38. ↑ "Borussia sign Jannik Vestergaard – Borussia Mönchengladbach". Borussia.de. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  39. ↑ "Czech Republic 1–2 Denmark". UEFA. 17 June 2015.
  40. ↑ "2018 FIFA World Cup: List of players" (PDF). FIFA. 18 June 2018. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 December 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  41. ↑ "26 spillere klar til EM for Danmark" [26 players ready for the European Championship for Denmark]. Danish Football Association (in Danish). 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  42. ↑ "Jannik Vestergaard stopper på fodboldlandsholdet". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). Ritzau. 17 April 2026. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  43. ↑ Jannik Vestergaard at Soccerway. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  44. ↑ "Games played by Jannik Vestergaard in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  45. ↑ "Games played by Jannik Vestergaard in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  46. ↑ "Games played by Jannik Vestergaard in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  47. ↑ "Games played by Jannik Vestergaard in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  48. ↑ "Games played by Jannik Vestergaard in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  49. ↑ "Games played by Jannik Vestergaard in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  50. ↑ "Games played by Jannik Vestergaard in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  51. ↑ "Games played by Jannik Vestergaard in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  52. ↑ "Jannik Vestergaard". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  53. ↑ "Jannik Vestergaard". Danish FA. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  54. ↑ "Championship: 2023/24: Current table". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
    "Leicester: Squad details: 2023/24". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  55. ↑ "PFA Championship Team of the Year". PFA. 20 August 2024.