{"id":2086,"date":"2023-08-04T01:21:38","date_gmt":"2023-08-04T01:21:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spursforlife.com\/?p=2086"},"modified":"2023-08-04T08:06:15","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T08:06:15","slug":"allan-neilsen-cup-final-hero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spursforlife.com\/allan-neilsen-cup-final-hero\/","title":{"rendered":"Allan Neilsen: Cup Final Hero"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Allan Neilsen is a true cult hero at Spurs; that’s what scoring the winning goal in a cup final will do for you. Let’s take a look back at this Tottenham legends career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Early Career<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Born on August 9, 1971, in Herning, Denmark, Nielsen began his journey in football at a young age, showcasing his talents in local youth clubs. In 1989, at the age of 18, he made a massive decision (especially for such a young lad) to relocate overseas and join the German Bundesliga outfit Bayern Munich. Over three years with the club, his playing time was limited, and he featured for just six minutes during a solitary match in May 1991. In that particular game, he briefly appeared as a substitute during a notable 7-3 victory against Hertha BSC. After Bayern, he moved to F.C Sion, but in his three-year stint at the club, he never played a game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Neilsen then transferred to Odense Boldklub (1991-1993), where he made make 55 appearances and scored nine goals. At Odense, he was a part of the team that won the 1993 Danish Cup. After his spell at Odense, he moved to F.C Copenhagen, making 26 appearances and bagging three goals for the club. He then moved to Brondby IF for a season; Nielsen was named Brondby’s player of the year in 1995. He was called up for the Danish national team. Nielsen made his debut against Armenia on August 16 1995. He came on as a substitute, and following 45 seconds on the pitch, he scored the second goal in Denmark’s 2\u20130 win. His success at these two clubs and on the international stage gained him recognition across Europe, eventually leading to a big move for him. Can we guess where he went next?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tottenham Hotspur<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In 1996 Allan came to Spurs (not Sugar, although we will do a piece about him in the future, I’m sure). At Tottenham, Nielsen continued to impress with his versatility, capable of playing midfield and forward. While there, he became an integral part of the squad, contributing significantly to the team’s successes in domestic competitions. His crowning moment at Spurs came in 1999. Everyone remembers that last-minute winner at Wembley against Leicester City. Steffan Iveson’s shot was blocked by the on-rushing goalkeeper, only for Nielsen to tap the rebound home and send the Tottenham faithful into hysteria (and Colin Calderwood in tears).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He made 97 appearances for the Lillywhites, scoring 12 goals. In the summer of 2000, it was time for Neilsen to move on. Due to conflicts with Tottenham manager George Graham, Nielsen opted for a change in March 2000 and moved in the summer before the season started. He made a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan, joining the English First Division on a three-month deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wolverhampton Wanderers <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
He completed a loan move to Wolverhampton Wanderers that summer. Wolves even had the cheek to put him on the front of a pre-season match day programme when the two sides met in a friendly before the season started. Nielsen only made seven appearances for the Wolves, scoring two goals in the process; after his short time there, Tottenham Sold him to Watford, where he would enjoy much more playing time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n