Martin Laursen played for Aston Villa from 2004-2009. Despite the centre-half only featuring 84 times in a Villa shirt – he has gone down as a bit of a legend.
The Early Days
Aston Villa signed Laursen from AC Milan for £3-million in 2004. Laursen’s career at Villa started with frustration due to injury. The Dane only made 13 appearances in his first season at Villa Park. It was frustration in the next season for Laursen with a reoccurrence of his knee injury.
It was devastating for the Danish international, and at that time, it looked like his career was on the verge of ending. After his dismal second season with Aston Villa, he underwent a full rehabilitation in Bologna and finally returned to the side with Martin O’Neill at the helm – for the start of the 2006/07 season.
You could say, O’Neill had given the defender another chance to shine in England. The Villa manager even allowed Laursen to train when he wanted, so then he had less chance of picking up another injury. In that season, he made 15 appearances for Villa.
In the 2007/08 campaign, he made more appearances than he had ever done in the previous three seasons put together, playing 39 games. There was no surprise when he was named Supporters Player of the Year at the end of the season.
Captaincy
The courageous defender didn’t quite pull off as many games in the following season but was once again a huge player in the defence. Laursen was also part of Villa’s UEFA Cup team that season – scoring twice in three appearances. The Villa hero was given club captaincy for that season also, after the departure of Gareth Barry.
Laursen made up the seasons he was injured for Villa, with some gleaming and heroic performances in the last two seasons he went on to play for the Villans. It seemed like it was going too well at this point for Laursen, but it wasn’t too long before he was back on the sidelines. It was another devastating blow for the Danish star in the 2008/09 season, as it was going so well for him. At the start of the New Year, the victory against West Brom was the final game he walked out to play at Villa Park. His decision was to either undergo major surgery again or retire from football, it resulted in him not playing again. Laursen’s courage and resilience playing for the Villans is often compared to some of the greats to put on an Aston Villa Shirt.
A Great Dane
Martin Laursen was a legend in Villa’s fans eyes, for his courageous defending, and will be well respected by many fans for his comeback to the Premier League, after his devastating injuries and surgery he had to undergo, it was unbelievable really that he returned and played so well for Villa, and that’s why Villa fans today still dream of a Martin Laursen in their side.
