Jesper Olsen (born 20 March 1961) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a left winger. He is best remembered for representing Ajax of the Netherlands and Manchester United of England. He was a regular player for the Danish national team, scoring five goals in 43 matches. He represented Denmark at the Euro 1984 and 1986 World Cup tournaments.
Career
He started his senior career for Næstved IF, and made his debut for the Danish national team in a July 1980 friendly match against the Soviet Union. He had a trial with Arsenal FC in 1978–79, scoring a goal in a reserve team game. Ajax initially tried to sign Olsen in May 1980, but it was only in July 1981 that he moved to play professionally for Ajax in the Netherlands.
Ajax
While playing for Ajax, Olsen became well known for his part in the infamous "passed penalty" routine he performed with Johan Cruyff. When Cruyff was awarded a penalty kick in a Dutch Eredivisie league match against Helmond Sport on 5 December 1982, with Ajax leading 1–0, Cruyff passed the ball sideways to Olsen, who returned it to Cruyff, with the Dutchman then slotting the ball past the bemused goalkeeper to make the score 2–0. It was allowed by the referee because the penalty is a direct free kick, so it can also be taken indirectly.
During his stay with Ajax, Olsen earned the nickname De Vlo (The Flea) due to his posture and his ability to twist, turn and jump to avoid tackles. He was also called "The Untouchable". The Ajax coach in the 1981–82 season, Kurt Linder, regarded him the most surprisingly talented player in the young Ajax squad, both technically and tactically phenomenal. Frank Rijkaard, Gerald Vanenburg, Wim Kieft and captain Soren Lerby also played for Ajax then.
Olsen won the 1981–82 Eredivisie championship in his first season at the club (117 goals for and 42 goals against). The next season, 1982–83, Ajax successfully defended the Eredivisie title, and also won the Dutch Cup to complete The Double, with also young players Jan Molby and Marco van Basten in the squad. In the 1983–84 season, Olsen was the best player in the match Ajax-Feyenoord (8-2!). Olsen scored twice in the qualification tournament for Euro 1984, including a last-minute equaliser in the 2–2 draw against England. He was selected to represent Denmark at the finals tournament, and played two games, including Denmark's semi-final against Spain. The game ended a draw, but even though Olsen scored in the penalty shootout, Denmark were eliminated when Preben Elkjær missed his shot.
Manchester United
Olsen moved from Ajax to England in July 1984, joining Manchester United for a fee of £350,000, signed by manager Ron Atkinson. He scored a total of 24 goals for the Reds in more than four years at Old Trafford, including a hat-trick against West Bromwich Albion in a 3–0 Football League First Division home win on 22 February 1986. He succeeded Dutchman Arnold Muhren as United's regular left winger, at a time when foreign players still relatively rare in the English game.
He collected an FA Cup winner's medal in 1985, when United beat Everton 1–0 in the final at Wembley, having ousted veteran Dutch midfielder Arnold Mühren on the left wing that season. He also helped them establish a runaway lead at the top of the First Division in the first half of the 1985–86 season, where they won their first 10 league games and remained top of the table until well into the new year before floundering and finishing fourth in the table.
Atkinson signed winger Peter Barnes for United at the start of the 1985–86 season, who provided cover on the left wing when Olsen was out of action with injury, but after Olsen regained his fitness and form, Barnes was sold to Manchester City in January 1987.
Already an established member of the Danish national team, he was called up to the Danish squad for the 1986 World Cup, and scored two goals in the three preliminary group stage matches, but he will always be remembered for making a grave mistake in the round of 16 match against Spain. He gave Denmark the lead on a penalty kick, but just before half-time he collected a ball from goalkeeper Lars Høgh. When he tried to return the ball to Høgh, his pass ended up straight in front of Emilio Butragueño instead. The Spanish striker levelled the game, and eventually went on to score four goals in the game that Denmark lost 5–1. Consequently, the term en rigtig Jesper Olsen (a real Jesper Olsen) entered the Danish lexicon.