There’s scouting, and then there’s having one of your country’s all-time legends living in your World Cup opponents’ backyard, immersed in their football scene and even part of the national broadcast of the match.
That’s the situation former Denmark captain Thomas Sorensen finds himself in – like he did in 2018 – with his homeland taking on his adopted home; except this time, the stakes are even higher.
Sorensen, who previewed Group D for KEEPUP ahead of the tournament, is a former Denmark star who has made Australia home since signing for Melbourne City in 2015 and is still heavily affiliated with the club. Prior to the Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final last season, he brought the trophy onto the park as a club legend.
“I have got my affiliations here,” he told KEEPUP. “My heart is Danish…it’s going to be tight … may the best team win!”
Sorensen’s tenure in goals bridged the generation between current Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, and his dad, Peter.
So, has Denmark’s custodian gleaned any intel from one of his mentors?
“No, he hasn’t given us any intel – yet,” he said, before his coach intervened.
“As far as you know,” Kasper Hjulmand quipped, to laughs in the press pack.
Schmeichel added: “There’s time yet!”
I have a great relationship with Thomas, he is a personal friend, we were next door neighbours for a while in England and he came to visit me not long ago in France.
Schmeichel said Sorensen, who has been working as a pundit in Australia and will be part of SBS’s coverage of the match, had a big influence on his career.
“I was lucky enough to work with him a few times as a youngster; a guy with 101 caps for Denmark, that is remarkable,” he said.
“He has been a great model to me in many ways. The relationship we have off the pitch is something I value very highly (with) the advice he can give (having lived) many of the same situations I have faced in my career as well.”
Prior to moving to Australia, Sorensen had a distinguished Premier League career and was part of Denmark’s 2002 and 2010 World Cup campaigns.
“Playing at a World Cup is the best thing you can achieve and experience,” he reflected.
“I was fortunate to go to Japan and South Korea in 2002 and South Africa in 2010, and be part of a World Cup where the sole focus of the world is on that tournament.
“We played France in 2002; it was probably the best game we ever played, beating them, knocking them out of the World Cup 2-0.”
