Lucas Andersen

Lucas Andersen

Personal information
Full name	Lucas Qvistorff Andersen
Date of birth	(1994-09-13) 13 September 1994 (age 29)
Place of birth	Aalborg, Denmark
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder, winger
Team information
Current team	Queens Park Rangers
Number	25
Youth career
	Aalborg Freja
	AaB
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2012	AaB	40	(3)
2012–2016	Ajax	37	(2)
2013–2016	Jong Ajax	23	(7)
2015–2016	→ Willem II (loan)	34	(9)
2016–2019	Grasshoppers	69	(10)
2018–2019	→ AaB (loan)	23	(10)
2019–2024	AaB	97	(14)
2024–	Queens Park Rangers	1	(0)
International career‡
2009–2010	Denmark U16	7	(1)
2010–2011	Denmark U17	21	(2)
2011	Denmark U18	1	(0)
2011–2012	Denmark U19	14	(0)
2012–2017	Denmark U21	29	(6)
2014–2020	Denmark	7	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 December 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 November 2020

Lucas Qvistorff Andersen (born 13 September 1994) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a winger for Queens Park Rangers.

Club career

AaB

Andersen started playing youth football with Aalborg Freja, before moving to Aalborg BK (AaB) at the age of 10. ^[1] In September 2008, Andersen went on a one week trial at Liverpool at the age of only 14, without getting offered a contract. ^[2] He penned his first professional contract with AaB in September 2009. ^[3]

Andersen made his debut for AaB on 5 March 2011 at the age of 16 years and 174 days, making him the youngest player ever to play for AaB in the top-flight Danish Superliga championship ^[4] and the second youngest player ever to play in the Danish Superliga. One month later, he extended his contract until 2013. ^[5] He slowly became a regular part of, as he played 22 league matches for AaB in the 2011/12 season. He broke his toe in November 2011 and was out for the rest of the fall. ^[6] According to a Danish source, Andersen was followed by Liverpool and Ajax in the January 2012 market. ^[7] This was later confirmed by his agent.

Andersen was usually employed as a right winger, but was capable of playing on the left, as well as an attacking midfielder/playmaker behind the forwards. He was touted as the most promising player to come through the AaB youth ranks since Jesper Grønkjær, by AaB director of football Lynge Jakobsen ^[8] A number of foreign clubs wanted to sign him by 2012, but Lynge Jakobsen did not want to sell Andersen at too young an age. ^[1]

Ajax

On 31 August 2012, Andersen signed with Ajax for an undisclosed fee, with a view to join the squad of Jong Ajax at first. AaB's good relationship with Ajax, having sold Jesper Grønkjær to Ajax as well, was emphasized by Lynge Jakobsen as a reason for the deal materializing. ^[1] Andersen made his debut 8 December, coming on as a substitute against FC Groningen.

Grasshopper

On 4 July 2016, Ajax announced that Andersen had been sold to Grasshopper Club Zürich. ^[9]

Return to AaB

After a less successful 2017–18 season at Grasshoppers with limited playing time, Andersen was loaned out to his former club, AaB, for the 2018–19 season. ^[10] Andersen had strong performances for the club which made AaB buy him out of his contract with Grasshoppers, making the deal permanent from 1 July 2019. ^[11] Andersen signed a five-year contract. Andersen was named the new captain of AaB after long time veteran Rasmus Würtz ended his playing career. ^[12]

On 2 February 2024 AaB confirmed that they had terminated Andersen's contract by mutual agreement. ^[13] Three days later, he signed for Championship club Queens Park Rangers, reuniting with former boss Martí Cifuentes. ^[14]

International career

He was a part of the Denmark under-17 squad at the 2011 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship and the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

On 8 January 2012, he was called up for the Denmark League XI national football team for their matches in the 2011 King's Cup. With his age of only 17 years and 4 months, he is the youngest player ever to have been a part of the Danish League XI squad. ^[15]

Career statistics

As of match played on 28 February 2018 ^[16]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
AaB	2010–11	Danish Superliga	11	0	0	0	0	0	11	0
	2011–12		22	1	0	0	0	0	22	1
	2012–13		7	2	0	0	0	0	7	2
	Total		40	3	0	0	0	0	40	3
Ajax	2012–13	Eredivisie	1	0	2	1	0	0	3	1
	2013–14		9	0	0	0	5 [lower-alpha 1]	0	14	0
	2014–15		27	2	2	1	8 [lower-alpha 2]	1	37	4
	Total		37	2	4	2	13	1	54	5
Jong Ajax	2013–14	Eerste Divisie	18	6	—				18	6
	2014–15		2	1	—				2	1
	2015–16		3	0	—				3	0
	Total		23	7	—				23	7
Willem II (loan)	2015–16	Eredivisie	30	6	3	1	4 [lower-alpha 3]	3	37	10
Grasshopper	2016–17	Swiss Super League	33	6	2	0	6 [lower-alpha 4]	1	41	7
	2017–18		20	4	3	0	0	0	23	4
	Total		53	10	5	0	6	1	64	11
Career totals			183	28	12	3	23	5	218	36

1. Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, Two appearances in UEFA Europa League, One appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield
2. Six appearances in UEFA Champions League, One appearance in UEFA Europa League, One appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield
3. Appearances in Promotion/relegation play-offs
4. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

Club

Ajax ^[17]

• Eredivisie: 2012–13, 2013–14
• Johan Cruijff Shield: 2013

References

1. AaB sælger Lucas Andersen til Ajax - AaB A/S
2. AaB-talenter til prøvetræning i Liverpool, bold.dk, 21 September 2008
3. AaB skriver med stortalent | Tipsbladet
4. AaB A/S Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
5. AaB forlænger med teenagekomet‚ bold.dk, 7 April 2011
6. Lucas A. ude med brækket tå‚ bold.dk, 22 November 2011
7. Avis: Ajax og Liverpool jagter Lucas A., bold.dk, 12 January 2012
8. Lynge: Lucas størst siden Grønkjær - Superligaen - danske og udenlandske fodboldnyheder fra Onside.dk
9. Andersen naar Grasshopper Club Zürich (Dutch). Ajax. 4 July 2016.
10. AaB henter Lucas Andersen hjem, bold.dk, 30 August 2018
11. AaB sikrer sig Lucas Andersen på femårig aftale, aabsport.dk, 10 March 2019
12. , bold.dk 29 Juni 2019
13. Afskedstid for AaB og Lucas Andersen, aabsport.dk, 2 February 2024
14. "Lucas Andersen: QPR sign Denmark midfielder on free transfer". BBC. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
15. Lars Berendt (8 January 2012). "Lucas Andersen med Ligalandsholdet" [Lucas Andersen join the League XI] (in Danish). Dansk Boldspil Union. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
16. Lucas Andersen at Soccerway. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
17. "Lucas Andersen - Career Honours". Soccerway.

External links

• Voetbal International profile (in Dutch)
• Official Danish Superliga player statistics at danskfodbold.com (in Danish)
• Stats on 7msport