Morten Frendrup

Morten Frendrup
Frendrup with Brøndby in 2021
Personal information
Full name Morten Wetche Frendrup[1]
Date of birth (2001-04-07) 7 April 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Tuse, Denmark
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder, full-back
Team information
Current team
 Genoa
Number 32
Youth career
Tuse IF
2013–2014 Holbæk B&I
2013–2018 Brøndby
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2021 Brøndby 78 (2)
2022– Genoa 86 (4)
International career‡
2017 Denmark U16 3 (1)
2017–2018 Denmark U17 15 (0)
2018–2019 Denmark U18 5 (0)
2018–2020 Denmark U19 13 (0)
2021–2022 Denmark U21 11 (1)
2024– Denmark 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:34, 31 August 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 September 2024

Morten Wetche Frendrup (Danish pronunciation: [ˈfʁɑnˀtʁɔp]; born 7 April 2001) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or full-back for Serie A club Genoa and the Denmark national team.

Frendrup was born in Tuse and played youth football with Tuse IF and Holbæk B&I before starting his professional career with Brøndby IF, where he became the youngest player to debut for the club. He became an established player under manager Niels Frederiksen, and was part of the title-winning team of 2020–21. His performances earned him a move to Serie A club Genoa in February 2022.

Early life

[edit]

Morten Wetche Frendrup was born on 7 April 2001 in Tuse, Holbæk Municipality, where he also grew up.[3] He is the third and youngest child of Marianne Wetche, a teacher, and Jan Frendrup, a real estate agent and part-time board member of the local sports club Tuse IF.[4][5] He has one older brother, Lasse, and an older sister, Kristine.[4]

Club career

[edit]

Brøndby

[edit]

Early career

[edit]

Frendrup started playing for local team Tuse IF, before moving to Holbæk B&I.[3] He was only at Holbæk for one year, because he had joined the Brøndby IF academy at under-14 level, which meant that he played for two clubs for a short period.[6][7] During this time, he commuted several times a week between his home in Tuse and Brøndby, a distance of approximately 60 kilometres. When Frendrup finished primary education, he began attending Brøndby Idrætsefterskole, a five minute walk from the Brøndby IF training ground.[6]

He won the Danish under-15 Cup on 11 May 2016 in a 1–0 win over FC Nordsjælland.[8][7] At under-17 level, he captained the team to a second-place finish in the league behind winners AGF.[9]

2017–20: Breakthrough

[edit]

In the summer of 2017, aged 16, Frendrup was included in the first-team training camp in Austria together with fellow academy players Christian Enemark and Andreas Bruus.[10] In December 2017, he signed a new deal with Brøndby, keeping him in the club until the summer of 2020.[11][12]

On 11 February 2018, Frendrup made his senior debut, aged 16, in a 3–1 win over Lyngby Boldklub in the Danish Superliga. He was brought on as a substitute in the 85th minute,[13] becoming the youngest player to appear for Brøndby, 37 days younger than second on the list, Magnus Warming.[14] On 15 March 2018, Frendrup signed his first professional contract, keeping him at the club until 2021.[15]

During the 2019–20 season, Frendrup started playing more regularly in the fall due to long-term injuries to starters Lasse Vigen, Simon Tibbling and Josip Radošević.[16] His performances during these games were praised, and he subsequently won the Brøndby Player of the Month award for November.[17] On 12 January 2020, Frendrup signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract with Brøndby, running until 2023.[18] He continued his strong performances in the second half of the season and was named Superliga Talent of the Month for June 2020,[19] as well as Brøndby Player of the Month for June and July.[20]

At the end of the season, head coach Niels Frederiksen praised Frendrup as being one of the key players of the Brøndby team during the last half of the season.[21]

2020–21: Danish champions

[edit]

Frendrup continued as a starter in midfield in Brøndby's 2020–21 campaign. He marked his 50th appearance in all competitions 20 December 2020 as Brøndby beat Horsens 2–1 to go on winter break in first place of the league table.[22]

As the season reached its conclusion, and Brøndby pushed for its first league title in 16 years, Frendrup was sent off in a crucial game against AGF on 20 May 2021.[23] Leaving the pitch in tearful fashion, he eventually saw his team win 2–1.[24] When returning to Brøndby Stadion after the match, Frendrup and the other players were cheered on by fans.[25] Frendrup was sidelined with a suspension for the last game of the season against Nordsjælland, but could see his team win the Danish Superliga title after a 2–0 win.[26]

Frendrup made his European debut on 17 August 2021 in the UEFA Champions League play-off first leg against Red Bull Salzburg, which ended in a 2–1 loss.[27][28] On 24 October, he scored his first goal in the domestic league, helping the club to a win in the Copenhagen Derby against FC Copenhagen.[29][30]

Genoa

[edit]

Frendrup signed for Serie A club Genoa on 30 January 2022, penning a four-and-a-half-year deal.[31][32] The fee was officially undisclosed, but widely reported as being €3.5 million.[33]

He made his debut for Genoa more than a month later, on 13 March, in a 0–0 away draw against Atalanta, during which he went into the starting eleven at right-back, an unusual position for him, which he covered for the injured Silvan Hefti.[34][35] He made an appearance in the remainder of the games that season, as Genoa suffered relegation, finishing 19th in the league table; three points from safety.[36][37][38]

Frendrup was an undisputed starter for Genoa in their first campaign back in Serie B since the 2006–07 season, covering a variety of positions under head coach Alexander Blessin. However, he mainly contributed as a box-to-box midfielder, and was praised for his hard work and his ability to read the game.[39] On 3 September 2022, Frendrup scored his first goal for Genoa, opening the score in the team's 3–3 home draw against Parma.[40] Following Blessin's sacking in December 2022, Frendrup continued to play a key role in midfield under new head coach Alberto Gilardino,[41][42] as Genoa earned promotion back to the Serie A with two games remaining.[43]

Frendrup scored his first goal in the Italian top flight on 17 February 2024, in a 1–1 home draw against Napoli.[44] On 29 February, he extended his contract with Genoa until 2028.[45] He completed his first full Serie A season with two goals and five assists in 37 appearances. He also led the league in balls won (122) and successful tackles (131), receiving only six yellow cards, as Genoa finished 11th in the table, 14 points clear of the relegation zone.[46] His performances attracted interest from top European clubs during the summer of 2024, with media reports linking him to Liverpool.[47][48][49] However, he ultimately remained at Genoa

International career

[edit]

Frendrup was included in the squad for the 2018 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He played all three of his team's matches as a starter but the Danes failed to advance from the group stage.[50] He gained 13 caps for Denmark under-19, obtained between 2018 and 2020. He wore the captain's armband twice.[51]

On 3 September 2021, Frendrup gained his first cap for the Denmark under-21 team in a 1–1 friendly draw against Greece.[52][53]

Frendrup was called up to the senior Denmark national team for the first time for the Nations League games against Switzerland and Serbia in September 2024.[54] He debuted against Serbia on 8 September 2024 at Parken Stadium. He substituted Victor Kristiansen in the 82nd minute of Denmark's 2–0 victory.[55]

Style of play

[edit]

A right-footed midfielder, Frendrup has been described as an all-rounder with relentless energy.[56] He has excellent ball-winning abilities, and has been noted to fill in at different positions, including left-back and right-back.[57] He has been likened to former Brøndby midfielder Christian Nørgaard.[58]

During his time at Genoa, Frendrup solidified his reputation as a versatile and tireless player, leading the league in both balls won (122) and successful tackles (131) while receiving only six yellow cards during the 2023–24 Serie A season. He also ranked sixth in Serie A for duels won (215) and was among the top eight players for interceptions (50).[46] Additionally, he was in the top four for distance covered during matches. His ability to play multiple midfield roles, including defensive midfielder, mezzala, and even as a wing-back, underscores his adaptability and importance to the team. Frendrup's low-profile, high-impact style of play, characterised by his exceptional timing and work rate, made him a key figure in Genoa's midfield.[46]

Career statistics

[edit]
As of match played 24 August 2024[1]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brøndby IF 2017–18 Superliga 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
2018–19 Superliga 3 0 1 1 0 0 4 1
2019–20 Superliga 26 0 2 0 0 0 28 0
2020–21 Superliga 31 0 2 0 — 33 0
2021–22 Superliga 15 2 2 0 8[b] 0 25 2
Total 78 2 7 1 8 0 93 3
Genoa 2021–22 Serie A 10 0 0 0 — 10 0
2022–23 Serie B 37 2 3 0 — 40 2
2023–24 Serie A 37 2 2 0 — 39 2
2024–25 Serie A 2 0 1 0 — 3 0
Total 86 4 6 0 — 92 4
Career total 164 6 13 1 8 0 185 7
  1. ^ Includes Danish Cup, Coppa Italia
  2. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, six appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

[edit]

Brøndby

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Morten Frendrup at Soccerway
  2. ^ "Morten Frendrup". Genoa C.F.C. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  3. ^ a b Vestergaard, Anders (19 May 2017). "Morten fra Tuse udtaget til landsholdet" (in Danish). sn.dk. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Jan Frendrup fejrer 20 år i den home-røde trøje". home.dk (in Danish). 10 February 2022. Archived from the original on 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  5. ^ Dahl, Christian (30 January 2022). "Tuse-dreng solgt til Italien". Sjællandske Nyheder (in Danish). Archived from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Fra Tuse til Brøndby IF's startopstilling – Podcast med Morten Frendrup". 3point.dk. 3point. 29 April 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  7. ^ a b Steen Sørensen (13 October 2017). "Frendrup: Største oplevelse at være med Superliga-truppen i Østrig". 3point.dk.
  8. ^ "Brøndbyernes IF (øst 1) 1-0 Farum BK (øst 1)". DBU.
  9. ^ "U17 DRENGE LIGAEN 2016/17 (2017)". DBU.
  10. ^ Nanna Møller Karlsen (1 July 2017). "Superliga-truppen, tre Masterclass-talenter og Kliment drager til Østrig". 3point.dk.
  11. ^ Nanna Møller Karlsen (21 December 2017). "Morten Frendrup forlænger med Brøndby IF". 3point.dk.
  12. ^ Anders Degn (21 December 2017). "U-landsholdsspiller i Brøndby: Stolt over at forlænge med klubben over alle". Tipsbladet.
  13. ^ Gohr, Simon (11 February 2018). "Fantastic Images: Watch Brøndby's Fans Pay Homage to the 16-Year Old Debutant, Morten Frendrup" (in Danish). TV3 Sport. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
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  22. ^ Karlsen, Nanna Møller (21 December 2020). "Frendrup: Når den skal kriges hjem, kan vi også det | 3point.dk". 3point.dk (in Danish).
  23. ^ Blüdnikow, Philip (20 May 2021). "Rørt Niels F: Frendrup er mit ansvar". bold.dk (in Danish).
  24. ^ Karlsen, Nanna Møller (21 May 2021). "Uhre: Frendrup var i tårer - dejligt at kunne give ham en sejr | 3point.dk". 3point.dk (in Danish).
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  27. ^ "Salzburg vs. Brøndby – 17 August 2021". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  28. ^ Karlsen, Nanna Møller (17 August 2021). "Bravt kæmpende Brøndby slap fra Salzburg med snævert nederlag | 3point.dk". 3point.dk (in Danish).
  29. ^ "Frendrup om første Superliga-mål: Kæmpe forløsning". brondby.com (in Danish). 24 October 2021.
  30. ^ "Brøndby vinder derby og forværrer FCK-problemer". TV2 Sport (in Danish). 24 October 2021.
  31. ^ "Farvel til Frendrup". Brøndby IF (Press release) (in Danish). 30 January 2022.
  32. ^ "MORTEN FRENDRUP HA FIRMATO PER IL GRIFONE". Genoa C.F.C. (Press release) (in Italian). 30 January 2022.
  33. ^ "Transferts : l'espoir danois Morten Frendrup (Bröndby) signe au Genoa". L'Équipe (in French). 30 January 2022. Archived from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
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  35. ^ Nielsen, Mikkel Fuhr (13 March 2022). "Morten Frendrup debuterede på uvant position". Tipsbladet (in Danish). Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  36. ^ Garvina, Carl (15 April 2023). "Genoa, il jolly Frendrup per la fascia destra. Criscito arretra nella difesa a tre". Il Secolo XIX (in Italian). Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  37. ^ "Morten Frendrup » Serie A 2021/2022". WorldFootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  38. ^ Digby, Adam (31 May 2022). "Cagliari And Genoa Are Relegated As Serie A's Middle Ground Suddenly Gets Tougher". Forbes. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  39. ^ "Frendrup è un elemento essenziale per l'equilibrio del Genoa". Lega B (in Italian). 19 November 2022. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  40. ^ Amodeo, Federico (3 September 2022). "Genoa-Parma 3-3: rossoblù generosi ma spreconi raggiunti nel finale". Telenord (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  41. ^ Nielsen, Mikkel Fuhr (9 May 2023). "Avis: Forhandler med Morten Frendrup". Tipsbladet.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  42. ^ Quattrone, Francesco (9 May 2023). "Genoa, al lavoro per il futuro: pronto a blindare Gudmundsson e non solo". Pianeta Serie B (in Italian). Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  43. ^ "Genoa promoted to Serie A TIM". Lega Serie A. 6 May 2023. Archived from the original on 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  44. ^ Adamoli, Gessi (17 February 2024). "Genoa, figurone e rimpianti. Con Frendrup spaventa il Napoli". la Repubblica (in Italian). Archived from the original on 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  45. ^ Gravina, Carlo (29 February 2024). "Genoa, Frendrup rinnova il contratto fino al 2028". Il Secolo XIX (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  46. ^ a b c "Morten Frendrup, il collezionista di vette ". Genoa Cricket and Football Club - Official Website (in Italian). 31 May 2024. Archived from the original on 31 May 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  47. ^ Wakefield, Mark (30 July 2024). "Liverpool 'submit £21m bid' for first Arne Slot signing". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  48. ^ Losapio, Andrea (28 July 2024). "Napoli, Cajuste verso l'uscita. Non c'è solo la Fiorentina, sondaggio da parte del Genoa - TUTTO mercato WEB". TUTTOmercatoWEB.com (in Italian). Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  49. ^ Doyle, Mark (23 January 2024). "Liverpool's next No.6? Meet Morten Frendrup, the Danish defensive midfielder shining in Serie A". GOAL. Archived from the original on 24 January 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  50. ^ Maajen, Anton Græsdal (8 May 2018). "Danmark tabte igen ved U17-EM". bold.dk (in Danish).
  51. ^ Dahl, Christian (30 November 2019). "Frendrup blev månedens spiller". Sjællandske Nyheder (in Danish).
  52. ^ "Landsholdsdatabasen". DBU (in Danish). Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  53. ^ Sørensen, Steen (4 September 2021). "U/21-landshold: En halvleg til Frendrup og Skipper i dansk remis | 3point.dk". 3point.dk (in Danish).
  54. ^ "Truppen er udtaget til Herrelandsholdets to kampe i Nations League" (in Danish). Danish Football Association. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  55. ^ "Denmark v Serbia game report". ESPN. 8 September 2024.
  56. ^ Margren, Sara (1 December 2020). "Lindstrøm: Frendrup er meget undervurderet". bold.dk (in Danish).
  57. ^ Karlsen, Nanna Møller (9 November 2020). "Frendrup spillede wingback: Fint bare at blive kastet ud i det". 3point.dk (in Danish).
  58. ^ Jensen, Kenneth (13 December 2020). "BIF-stjernens store drøm: At vinde mesterskabet med Brøndby". Tipsbladet.dk (in Danish).
  59. ^ "Soccer-Brondby beat Nordsjaelland to clinch Danish league title". Reuters. 24 May 2021. Archived from the original on 22 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  60. ^ Henriksen, Troels (10 May 2018). "Triumf i Parken - Brøndby er pokalvinder for første gang i 10 år". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
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