Thomas Gravesen
Encyclopedia
Thomas Gravesen is a retired Danish
professional footballer who played as a midfielder
. He has played for teams such as Hamburger SV
, Everton F.C.
, Real Madrid CF and Celtic F.C.
.
For the Denmark national football team
, Gravesen was capped 66 times and scored five goals, from his debut in August 1998 until he ended his national team career in September 2006. He represented Denmark at the international Euro 2000, 2002 World Cup
and Euro 2004 tournaments.
Despite being a skillful player and good passer, Gravesen has a reputation for a bad temper and reckless tackling.
He is the older brother of footballer Peter Gravesen
.
, Gravesen, also nicknamed Gravy, career started in 1995 with hometown club Vejle Boldklub
(VB) in the Danish Superliga
, alongside a handful of youths making it through the VB youth scheme, including good friend Kaspar Dalgas
. At VB, Thomas Gravesen played both as a sweeper and defensive midfielder, and after he won silver medals in the 1996–97 Superliga season, Gravesen moved to German
team Hamburger SV
in 1997.
Gravesen made a total of 94 appearances and six goals in three years with HSV.
club Everton
where he quickly became a favourite amongst the fans.
Gravesen played a key role in Everton's rise toward the top of the 2004–05 Premier League table. With his contract due to expire in the summer of 2005, which would enable him to leave on a free transfer, Everton sold Gravesen to Real Madrid for a fee of £2.5 million on 14 January 2005.
, he looked to fill a hole in the defensive midfield, a position somewhat different from his time at Everton. He found immediate playing success at Real Madrid, scoring in one of his first games, a 4–0 win against RCD Espanyol
. However, Gravesen would eventually find himself benched. Following public outcry over his tough style of play and the sacking of Real coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo
and sporting director Arrigo Sacchi
, who were in charge of acquiring Gravesen, he looked ready to leave Real Madrid in the winter of 2005. However, new coach López Caro would revive Gravesen's career at Real, picking him regularly, using him in the holding role in the new 4–1–4–1 formation Real adopted. Towards the end of the season, Gravesen once again found himself out of the team, and in May 2006 a number of clubs were reported to be interested in him.
In August 2006, a scuffle erupted at a Real Madrid training session, following a hard tackle by Gravesen on teammate Robinho
, Fabio Capello
, the recently appointed Real Madrid manager, said about Gravesen: "The way he is, we won't have problems with him. He's just a little bit particular. I don't mess with him, he works well tactically. His behaviour is like this, and I don't like it, everything has to be done like he wants it to be done". Gravesen looked likely to leave Real Madrid before the start of the 2006–07 season, with his agent John Sivebæk
confirming that a number of clubs – including Newcastle United
in England and Scottish
club Celtic
– were interested in signing the midfielder.
in Glasgow
for a medical examination and, on 30 August, signed a three-year deal (with the option of a fourth) with the club, for a speculated fee of around £2m. There was a period of uncertainty as to whether Gravesen would sign for Celtic, after false rumours arose of a failed medical and of an eleventh-hour bid by Newcastle. On 15 September 2006, Gravesen announced his decision to end his international career for the Danish national team. He had consistently been a part of the Danish team since the appointment of Morten Olsen in 2000, but decided now to focus his efforts solely on his new club Celtic.
He scored his first goal for Celtic against arch rivals Rangers
on 23 September 2006. He then went on to score the first hat-trick
of his professional career, when Celtic won 3–1 against Paisley
side St Mirren on 12 November. After a promising start to his Celtic career, Gravesen was replaced in the Celtic starting line-up by Dutch international
midfielder Evander Sno
. In April 2007, Celtic manager Gordon Strachan
denied rumours that Gravesen would leave the club to play for English
club Sunderland
, but in May 2007 he declared his disappointment that Gravesen did not work harder to recapture his place in the starting line-up.
On the 18 August 2008, Celtic and Thomas Gravesen parted company.
on a season-long loan from Celtic on 29 August 2007. On his first game back for Everton, as a substitute in the 2–1 win over Bolton
at the Reebok Stadium
, it was his first European appearance of the season in Everton's 3–1 victory over Larissa
at Goodison Park
in the UEFA Cup group stage,scored and set up Everton's third goal, scored by Victor Anichebe
. After the last game of the 2007–08 season, Everton
manager David Moyes
confirmed that Gravesen's contract would not be renewed and he would be returning to Celtic.
magazine that he has been approached by a number of clubs about a possible return to football.
|1995–96||rowspan="2"|Vejle Boldklub
||rowspan="2"|Superliga
||28||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|1996–97||30||8||||||||||||||||
|-
|1997–98||rowspan="3"|Hamburger SV
||rowspan="3"|Bundesliga
||26||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|1998–99||22||3||||||||||||||||
|-
|1999–00||26||1||||||||||||||||
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="5"|Everton
||rowspan="5"|Premier League||32||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|2001–02||25||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|2002–03||33||1||||||||||||||||
|-
|2003–04||30||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|2004–05||21||4||||||||||||||||
|-
|2004–05
||rowspan="2"|Real Madrid
||rowspan="2"|La Liga
||17||1||||||||||2||0||||
|-
|2005–06
||17||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2006–07||Celtic
||Premier League
||22||6||||||||||||||||
|-
|2007–08||Everton
||Premier League||8||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2008–09||Celtic
||Premier League
||0||0||||||||||||||||
58||10||||||||||||||||
74||6||||||||||||||||
149||11||||||||||||||||
34||1||||||||||||||||
22||6||||||||||||||||
337||34||||||||||||||||
|-
|1998||3||0
|-
|1999||2||0
|-
|2000||8||0
|-
|2001||6||2
|-
|2002||12||0
|-
|2003||10||3
|-
|2004||11||0
|-
|2005||8||0
|-
|2006||6||0
|-
!Total||66||5
|}
on 19 August 1998. Gravesen was selected to play for Denmark at the 2000 European Championship (Euro 2000) by coach Bo Johansson, despite concern from Johansson that he was not "psychologically stable" enough.
While at Everton, new Danish national team coach Morten Olsen
fully supported Gravesen and made him one of his pivotal players in the 2002 World Cup
and Euro 2004
campaigns. His display in the 2002 World Cup qualifying game with Iceland
, where Gravesen scored two goals in a 6–0 win, was so impressive that American
boxer Mike Tyson
asked for his shirt and wore it throughout his stay in Denmark. He played all four of Denmark's matches at the 2002 World Cup, though Gravesen and his partner in the Danish midfield duo, Stig Tøfting
, justified their pit bull
reputations when they ganged up to play a prank on teammate Jesper Grønkjær
at a World Cup training session.
He missed the first group match at Euro 2004, as he was suspended due to a sending off
in the last qualifying match before the tournament but he played the remaining three games before Denmark were eliminated.
In September 2006, he ended his career with the Danish national team, so he could concentrate on his club career with his club side Celtic
.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
professional footballer who played as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
. He has played for teams such as Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
, Everton F.C.
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, Real Madrid CF and Celtic F.C.
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
.
For the Denmark national football team
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
, Gravesen was capped 66 times and scored five goals, from his debut in August 1998 until he ended his national team career in September 2006. He represented Denmark at the international Euro 2000, 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
and Euro 2004 tournaments.
Despite being a skillful player and good passer, Gravesen has a reputation for a bad temper and reckless tackling.
He is the older brother of footballer Peter Gravesen
Peter Gravesen
Peter Gravesen is a Danish footballer currently under contract for Cypriot side APEP Pitsilia. He started his career with Danish Superliga clubs Vejle Boldklub and Herfølge Boldklub, and has played for Fylkir in Iceland....
.
Early career
Born in VejleVejle
Vejle is a town in Denmark, in the southeast of the Jutland Peninsula at the head of Vejle Fjord, where the Vejle and Grejs Rivers and their valleys converge. It is the site of the councils of Vejle Municipality and the Region of Southern Denmark...
, Gravesen, also nicknamed Gravy, career started in 1995 with hometown club Vejle Boldklub
Vejle Boldklub
Vejle Boldklub is a Danish football club with proud traditions from the town of Vejle. The club has won the Danish championship five times and the Danish cup title six times....
(VB) in the Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
, alongside a handful of youths making it through the VB youth scheme, including good friend Kaspar Dalgas
Kaspar Dalgas
Kaspar Buhl Dalgas is a former Danish footballer who was the joint top scorer of the Danish Superliga 2001-02 season with 22 goals in 31 games. He represented the Danish U21 team once, in 1997.-Biography:...
. At VB, Thomas Gravesen played both as a sweeper and defensive midfielder, and after he won silver medals in the 1996–97 Superliga season, Gravesen moved to German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
team Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
in 1997.
Gravesen made a total of 94 appearances and six goals in three years with HSV.
Everton
Following the Euro 2000 tournament, Gravesen went to EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
club Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
where he quickly became a favourite amongst the fans.
Gravesen played a key role in Everton's rise toward the top of the 2004–05 Premier League table. With his contract due to expire in the summer of 2005, which would enable him to leave on a free transfer, Everton sold Gravesen to Real Madrid for a fee of £2.5 million on 14 January 2005.
Real Madrid
At Real MadridReal Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, he looked to fill a hole in the defensive midfield, a position somewhat different from his time at Everton. He found immediate playing success at Real Madrid, scoring in one of his first games, a 4–0 win against RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
. However, Gravesen would eventually find himself benched. Following public outcry over his tough style of play and the sacking of Real coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo
Vanderlei Luxemburgo
Vanderlei Luxemburgo da Silva , better known as Vanderlei Luxemburgo, is a Brazilian football manager and former football player. He holds the distinction of being the most successful manager in the history of Brazil's Série A, with 5 league titles...
and sporting director Arrigo Sacchi
Arrigo Sacchi
Arrigo Sacchi is an Italian football coach. He is best known for his success coaching Italian teams, particularly with Milan where he won back to back European Cups as coach in the late eighties where he was head coach of the Italy national football team . He was twice manager of A.C...
, who were in charge of acquiring Gravesen, he looked ready to leave Real Madrid in the winter of 2005. However, new coach López Caro would revive Gravesen's career at Real, picking him regularly, using him in the holding role in the new 4–1–4–1 formation Real adopted. Towards the end of the season, Gravesen once again found himself out of the team, and in May 2006 a number of clubs were reported to be interested in him.
In August 2006, a scuffle erupted at a Real Madrid training session, following a hard tackle by Gravesen on teammate Robinho
Robinho
Robson de Souza , more commonly known as Robinho, is a Brazilian professional footballer who currently plays as second striker and winger for Serie A club AC Milan...
, Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the manager of the England national football team.Capello has the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every club he has coached throughout his career...
, the recently appointed Real Madrid manager, said about Gravesen: "The way he is, we won't have problems with him. He's just a little bit particular. I don't mess with him, he works well tactically. His behaviour is like this, and I don't like it, everything has to be done like he wants it to be done". Gravesen looked likely to leave Real Madrid before the start of the 2006–07 season, with his agent John Sivebæk
John Sivebæk
John Sivebæk is a Danish former football defender, who most notably won the 1984 Danish championship with Vejle Boldklub and played for English club Manchester United...
confirming that a number of clubs – including Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
in England and Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
club Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
– were interested in signing the midfielder.
Celtic
On 28 August 2006, Gravesen attended Celtic ParkCeltic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
for a medical examination and, on 30 August, signed a three-year deal (with the option of a fourth) with the club, for a speculated fee of around £2m. There was a period of uncertainty as to whether Gravesen would sign for Celtic, after false rumours arose of a failed medical and of an eleventh-hour bid by Newcastle. On 15 September 2006, Gravesen announced his decision to end his international career for the Danish national team. He had consistently been a part of the Danish team since the appointment of Morten Olsen in 2000, but decided now to focus his efforts solely on his new club Celtic.
He scored his first goal for Celtic against arch rivals Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
on 23 September 2006. He then went on to score the first hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
of his professional career, when Celtic won 3–1 against Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
side St Mirren on 12 November. After a promising start to his Celtic career, Gravesen was replaced in the Celtic starting line-up by Dutch international
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
midfielder Evander Sno
Evander Sno
Evander Sno is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Eredivisie club RKC Waalwijk. He has also featured for the Dutch under-21 and under-23 international teams. Sno typically plays in a defensive midfield role, but was utilised in nine different field positions...
. In April 2007, Celtic manager Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
denied rumours that Gravesen would leave the club to play for English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
club Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, but in May 2007 he declared his disappointment that Gravesen did not work harder to recapture his place in the starting line-up.
On the 18 August 2008, Celtic and Thomas Gravesen parted company.
Everton (on loan)
Gravesen re-signed for EvertonEverton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
on a season-long loan from Celtic on 29 August 2007. On his first game back for Everton, as a substitute in the 2–1 win over Bolton
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
at the Reebok Stadium
Reebok Stadium
The Reebok Stadium is the home stadium of English Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is commonly known as 'The Reebok'...
, it was his first European appearance of the season in Everton's 3–1 victory over Larissa
AEL 1964
AEL 1964 F.C., fully the Athletic Union of Larissa 1964 , is a Greek association football club based in the city of Larissa, capital of Greece's Thessaly region. The club is also known, unofficially, as Larissa. It is the only FC outside the two big Greek cities, Athens and Thessaloniki, to have...
at Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
in the UEFA Cup group stage,scored and set up Everton's third goal, scored by Victor Anichebe
Victor Anichebe
Victor Chinedu Anichebe is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Everton. He has been described as a fast and powerful player, in the mould of a "traditional" centre forward, although has played on the right of midfield.-Early life:Anichebe was born in Nigeria but moved to Liverpool aged one, his...
. After the last game of the 2007–08 season, Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
manager David Moyes
David Moyes
David William Moyes is an association football manager and former player, currently managing English Premier League club Everton. He was the 2003, 2005 and 2009 League Managers Association Manager of the Year...
confirmed that Gravesen's contract would not be renewed and he would be returning to Celtic.
Retirement
On 27 January 2009, Thomas Gravesen announced his retirement from professional football after he failed to find a new club after being released from Celtic FC. However, on 12 September 2009, he stated in an interview with FourFourTwoFourFourTwo
FourFourTwo is a football magazine published by Haymarket. Published monthly, costing £4.50, and at about 164 pages long, it published its 200th edition in February 2011...
magazine that he has been approached by a number of clubs about a possible return to football.
Career statistics
|-|1995–96||rowspan="2"|Vejle Boldklub
Vejle Boldklub
Vejle Boldklub is a Danish football club with proud traditions from the town of Vejle. The club has won the Danish championship five times and the Danish cup title six times....
||rowspan="2"|Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
||28||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|1996–97||30||8||||||||||||||||
|-
|1997–98||rowspan="3"|Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
||rowspan="3"|Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||26||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|1998–99||22||3||||||||||||||||
|-
|1999–00||26||1||||||||||||||||
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="5"|Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
||rowspan="5"|Premier League||32||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|2001–02||25||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|2002–03||33||1||||||||||||||||
|-
|2003–04||30||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|2004–05||21||4||||||||||||||||
|-
|2004–05
2004–05 La Liga
2004–05 season was composed of the following clubs:* Albacete Balompié* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Real Betis* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Levante UD* Málaga CF* Real Mallorca* CD Numancia* CA Osasuna...
||rowspan="2"|Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
||rowspan="2"|La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
||17||1||||||||||2||0||||
|-
|2005–06
2005–06 La Liga
* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Betis* Cádiz CF* Celta de Vigo* Deportivo Alaves* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Málaga CF* RCD Mallorca* CA Osasuna* Racing de Santander* Real Madrid* Real Sociedad* Sevilla FC...
||17||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2006–07||Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
||Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
||22||6||||||||||||||||
|-
|2007–08||Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
||Premier League||8||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2008–09||Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
||Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
||0||0||||||||||||||||
58||10||||||||||||||||
74||6||||||||||||||||
149||11||||||||||||||||
34||1||||||||||||||||
22||6||||||||||||||||
337||34||||||||||||||||
|-
|1998||3||0
|-
|1999||2||0
|-
|2000||8||0
|-
|2001||6||2
|-
|2002||12||0
|-
|2003||10||3
|-
|2004||11||0
|-
|2005||8||0
|-
|2006||6||0
|-
!Total||66||5
|}
International career
Gravesen debuted for the Danish national team in a 0–1 friendly match loss to the Czech RepublicCzech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
on 19 August 1998. Gravesen was selected to play for Denmark at the 2000 European Championship (Euro 2000) by coach Bo Johansson, despite concern from Johansson that he was not "psychologically stable" enough.
While at Everton, new Danish national team coach Morten Olsen
Morten Olsen
Morten Per Olsen is a Danish football manager and former football player. He has been the head coach of the Danish national team since 2000, guiding Denmark to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 European Championship and 2010 FIFA World Cup...
fully supported Gravesen and made him one of his pivotal players in the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
and Euro 2004
2004 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in...
campaigns. His display in the 2002 World Cup qualifying game with Iceland
Iceland national football team
The Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
, where Gravesen scored two goals in a 6–0 win, was so impressive that American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
boxer Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
asked for his shirt and wore it throughout his stay in Denmark. He played all four of Denmark's matches at the 2002 World Cup, though Gravesen and his partner in the Danish midfield duo, Stig Tøfting
Stig Tøfting
Stig Tøfting , nicknamed Tøffe, and The Lawn Mower, is a former Danish professional footballer and assistant coach, who most recently was the assistant of Erik Rasmussen at AGF....
, justified their pit bull
Pit bull
A Pit bull is any of several breeds of dog in the molosser breed group.Many jurisdictions that restrict pit bulls, including Ontario, Canada,, Miami, Florida, U.S...
reputations when they ganged up to play a prank on teammate Jesper Grønkjær
Jesper Grønkjær
Jesper Grønkjær is a former Danish professional football player. A pacey winger, he was able to play on the right or left wing and as a second striker. Grønkjær played a total 400 league games for a number of European clubs, most notably winning the 1999 Dutch Cup with Ajax Amsterdam and playing...
at a World Cup training session.
He missed the first group match at Euro 2004, as he was suspended due to a sending off
Misconduct (football)
Misconduct in association football is any conduct by a player that is deemed by the referee to warrant a disciplinary sanction in accordance with Law 12 of the Laws of the Game. Misconduct may occur at any time, including when the ball is out of play, during half-time and before and after the...
in the last qualifying match before the tournament but he played the remaining three games before Denmark were eliminated.
In September 2006, he ended his career with the Danish national team, so he could concentrate on his club career with his club side Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
.
International goals
- Scores and results list Denmark's goal tally first.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 October 2001 | Copenhagen Copenhagen Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region... , Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
3–0 | 6–0 | 2002 World Cup qualifier | |
| 2 | 6 October 2001 | Copenhagen Copenhagen Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region... , Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
4–0 | 6–0 | 2002 World Cup qualifier | |
| 3 | 29 March 2003 | Bucharest Bucharest Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River.... , Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
2–2 | 5–2 | Euro 2004 qualifier 2004 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying Qualification for the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship took place between September 2002 and November 2003.Fifty teams were divided into ten groups, with each team playing the others in their group twice, once at home and once away... |
|
| 4 | 30 April 2003 | Copenhagen Copenhagen Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region... , Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly match | |
| 5 | 11 June 2003 | Luxembourg Luxembourg Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south... , Luxembourg Luxembourg Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south... |
2–0 | 2–0 | Euro 2004 qualifier 2004 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying Qualification for the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship took place between September 2002 and November 2003.Fifty teams were divided into ten groups, with each team playing the others in their group twice, once at home and once away... |
Honours
- Danish SuperligaDanish SuperligaThe Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
: 1996–97 runner-up, with Vejle BK - Spanish La LigaLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
: 2004–052004–05 La Liga2004–05 season was composed of the following clubs:* Albacete Balompié* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Real Betis* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Levante UD* Málaga CF* Real Mallorca* CD Numancia* CA Osasuna...
and 2005–062005–06 La Liga* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Betis* Cádiz CF* Celta de Vigo* Deportivo Alaves* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Málaga CF* RCD Mallorca* CA Osasuna* Racing de Santander* Real Madrid* Real Sociedad* Sevilla FC...
runner-up, with Real MadridReal MadridReal Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la... - 2006–07 Scottish Premier League Championship with Celtic FC
Further reading
- Thomas Gravesen, told to Kurt Lassen, "Min version" (My version), Denmark, 2005, ISBN 87-91693-51-9