Theresa Eslund

Theresa Eslund
Eslund in 2017
Personal information
Full name Theresa Eslund
Birth name Theresa Nielsen[1]
Date of birth (1986-07-20) 20 July 1986
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Right back
Youth career
Rikken
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
–2002 Hvidovre IF
2003–2008 Ballerup-Skovlunde
2009–2017 Brøndby IF 87 (13)
2017 Vålerenga 22 (2)
2018–2019 Reign FC 41 (1)
2018–2019 → Melbourne City (loan) 12 (0)
2020–2021 Brøndby IF 22 (2)
International career
2002–2003 Denmark U-17 15 (3)
2006 Denmark U-21 4 (0)
2009 Denmark U-23 2 (1)
2008–2020 Denmark 133 (5)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing  Denmark
UEFA Women's Championship
Silver medal – second place 2017 Netherlands Team
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Theresa Eslund (née Nielsen; born 20 July 1986) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a defender for Brøndby IF in the Danish A-Liga and the Danish national team. She is currently the Brøndby IF Head of Player Development.[2]

Eslund previously played for Reign FC of the American National Women's Soccer League, Melbourne City of the Australian W-League, and Vålerenga in Norway's Toppserien. She was named Danish Women's Footballer of the Year in 2012. Eslund announced her player retirement in 2021, after more than 20 years as a footballer.[3]

Early life

Raised in Valby, Eslund began playing football at age six on a team known as Rikken.[4][5]

Club career

Brøndby IF, 2009–2016

In 2012, Eslund was named Danish Women's Footballer of the Year after helping Brøndby IF to a league and cup double.[6]

Vålerenga, 2017

In January 2017, Eslund signed with Norwegian club, Vålerenga in Oslo, marking her first time playing for a foreign club.[7] Eslund made 22 appearances for Vålerenga and scored two goals during the 2017 season.[8] She scored her first goal for Vålerenga in the 47th minute of a match against Kolbotn resulting in a 2–0 win.[9] The club finished in seventh place with a 10–8–4 record.[10] Eslund was named one of the top 200 players in the world for 2017 by The Offside Rule, a podcast by The Guardian.[11]

Reign FC, 2018–2019

Eslund signed with American side Reign FC ahead of the 2018 National Women's Soccer League season in January 2018.[12][13] She made her debut for Seattle as a starting defender during the home opener — a 2–1 win over the Washington Spirit on 24 March.[14]

Return to Brøndby IF

Eslund returned to Brøndby IF on a two-year contract in 2020, were the team ended up at second place in the league.[15]

International career

Nielsen during the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 semi-final against Austria.
Nielsen during the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 semi-final against Austria.

At age 17, Eslund competed with the Denmark's under-17 national team at the 2003 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival. She scored in the final as Denmark beat Switzerland on penalties after a 1–1 draw at Stade Sébastien Charléty in Paris.[16]

Eslund made her senior international debut for Denmark in March 2008, during the team's 1–0 win over Germany at the 2008 Algarve Cup.[17]

She was called up to Kenneth Heiner-Møller's squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2013[18] and she was also part of Danish squad, who received silver at the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 in Netherlands.[19]

Honours

Brøndby IF
Denmark
Individual

Personal

Formerly known as Theresa Nielsen, Eslund began using her married name in 2020.[22]

References

  1. ^ Theresa Eslund at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)
  2. ^ "Theresa Eslund fortsætter som Head of Player Development". brondby.com (in Danish). Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  3. ^ "Dansk landsholdslegende stopper karrieren - TV 2". sport.tv2.dk (in Danish). 23 May 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  4. ^ "Den danske sportselite: Theresa Nielsen - ChriChri". Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  5. ^ "Rikken-pige årets fodboldspiller" (in Danish). Valby Bladet. 13 November 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  6. ^ Weber, Lennart (3 May 2013). "Theresa har stamplads på landsholdet" (in Danish). Fagligt Fælles Forbund. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  7. ^ "Theresa Nielsen: "Det er ikke et farvel - men et på gensyn" - Fodbold for piger". Fodbold for piger (in Danish). 24 January 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  8. ^ a b c "T. Nielsen". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  9. ^ bold.dk (17 May 2017). "Theresa Nielsen på tavlen i Vålerenga-sejr". bold.dk. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  10. ^ "2017 Toppserien". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  11. ^ "Theresa Nielsen blant 2017s beste spillere". Vålerenga (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  12. ^ "Reign send Mathias to Courage, sign Danish defender Nielsen". The Equalizer. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  13. ^ "Seattle Reign sign Danish defender Theresa Nielsen". Sounder At Heart. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 14 February 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  14. ^ "Reign FC Open 2018 NWSL Season With A Win Against Washington Spirit". TheBold: Seattle Reign FC. Medium. 25 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  15. ^ "Inden topbrag: Theresa Nielsen tilbage i Brøndby-trøjen". Brøndby IF. 16 November 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  16. ^ Garin, Erik (9 October 2005). "European Youth Olympic Days (EYOD)". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  17. ^ "Danmark – Tyskland 1 – 0" (in Danish). Danish Football Association. 5 March 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  18. ^ Bruun, Peter (21 June 2013). "Upbeat Heiner-Møller confirms Denmark squad". UEFA. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  19. ^ "Denmark defeated by Dutch in Euro 2017 final". The Local. 6 August 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  20. ^ UEFA.com (7 August 2017). "Official UEFA Women's EURO 2017 Best Eleven". UEFA. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  21. ^ "EM-heltinde vinder fornem pris i norsk fodbold". DR (in Danish). Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  22. ^ "NYE OG VELKENDTE ANSIGTER KÆMPER FOR KVINDELANDSHOLDET I PORTUGAL". DBU. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
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