1. Early Life and Background
Peter Løvenkrands was born on 29 January 1980, in Hørsholm, Denmark. He is the younger brother of Tommy Løvenkrands, who was also a professional footballer. Peter began his youth football career in 1985 at Lillerød IF, where he played until 1997, laying the foundation for his professional journey.
2. Playing Career
Peter Løvenkrands' playing career spanned over 16 years, during which he played for several prominent clubs across Denmark, Scotland, Germany, and England, earning a reputation as a dynamic forward.
2.1. Akademisk Boldklub
Løvenkrands signed his first professional contract with Danish Superliga club Akademisk Boldklub (AB) in February 1998. He made his Superliga debut in July 1998, quickly drawing attention from his manager, Christian Andersen, who touted him as a future Danish national team player. During his time at AB, he was part of the squad that won the 1999 Danish Cup, although he did not feature in the final match against Aalborg BK. He made 32 league appearances for AB, scoring 7 goals. His promising early career was recognized with the 1998 Danish Under-19 Player of the Year award.
2.2. Rangers F.C.
In June 2000, Løvenkrands moved to Scottish club Rangers for a transfer fee of 1.40 M GBP. He spent six successful years at Ibrox, making 129 league appearances and scoring 37 goals, with a total of 182 appearances and 54 goals across all competitions. He was instrumental in Rangers winning two Scottish Premier League championships, the 2001-02 and 2002-03 Scottish Cups, and three Scottish League Cups (2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05). A memorable moment came in the 2002 Scottish Cup Final when he scored a last-minute winner against fierce rivals Celtic.
During his tenure at Rangers, Løvenkrands often played as a left winger, despite his natural position being a centre forward. The 2005-06 season was his most prolific at the club, as he scored 14 goals in the Scottish Premier League. He also played a crucial role in Rangers' journey to the last 16 of the 2005-06 UEFA Champions League, netting four goals in the campaign. He opened the scoring in a 3-2 victory against Porto in the group stage and secured Rangers' progression to the knockout round with a goal in a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan. In the round of 16, he scored in both legs against Villarreal, though Rangers were ultimately eliminated on the away goals rule.
2.3. Schalke 04
After his contract with Rangers expired in the summer of 2006, Løvenkrands departed on a free transfer. He was reportedly in discussions with several clubs, including Spanish side Osasuna, Italian club Roma, and English club Newcastle United. Ultimately, he signed with German club Schalke 04 on 23 May 2006, joining fellow Danish international Søren Larsen.
Løvenkrands had a successful first season at Schalke, playing as a left winger and contributing six goals and four assists in 24 league appearances. However, an injury in the decisive part of the season sidelined him as Schalke narrowly missed out on the Bundesliga title. His second season proved less fruitful, as a series of unfortunate performances and injuries led to him losing his place in the starting lineup. Despite regaining fitness in February 2008, he did not start under interim coaches Mike Büskens and Youri Mulder, nor under new coach Fred Rutten. In January 2009, having played only nine minutes for the first team in the 2008-09 season, Løvenkrands was released by the club after being moved to the reserve team. He made a total of 44 league appearances for Schalke, scoring 6 goals.
2.4. Newcastle United F.C.
Løvenkrands joined Newcastle United on a two-week trial and subsequently signed a contract until the end of the 2008-09 season on 23 January 2009. He made his debut as a substitute in a 2-1 loss to Manchester City. His first start came on 7 February against West Bromwich Albion, where he scored Newcastle's second goal in a 3-2 victory. On 4 March, he scored the opening goal against Manchester United, ending goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar's clean sheet streak of 1,311 minutes. Despite scoring Newcastle's third goal in a 3-1 victory over Middlesbrough on 11 May, Newcastle were relegated to the Championship at the end of the season. He left the club on 1 July 2009 after his contract expired, having scored 3 goals in 12 league appearances.
Løvenkrands returned to Newcastle for a second spell on 1 September 2009, signing a three-year contract and being assigned the number 11 shirt. His second stint initially saw fewer starts, often playing on the left wing, a position he found less comfortable. He later admitted to having "personal problems" that affected his performance but stated they were resolved, allowing him to focus fully on football. Shortly thereafter, he scored his first goal of the season in a 3-0 victory over Swansea City. On 13 January 2010, Løvenkrands scored his first Newcastle hat-trick in a 3-0 FA Cup victory against Plymouth Argyle. He notably made himself available for the 18 January match against West Bromwich Albion despite having just returned from Denmark following his father's death, scoring a goal that he dedicated to his late father. From January onwards, his form improved, and he formed a strong forward partnership with Andy Carroll.
He continued to make significant contributions, scoring crucial goals, including the fourth and fifth goals in a 5-1 win against Cardiff City and the winning goal against Queens Park Rangers in the final game of the successful Championship season, which saw Newcastle promoted back to the Premier League. In the 2010-11 Premier League season, he scored his first goal in a 3-2 away win against Accrington Stanley in the League Cup. He also scored against Chelsea in the League Cup and against West Bromwich Albion in the league. After the sale of Andy Carroll in January, Løvenkrands gained more opportunities upfront, rekindling a partnership with Leon Best. He scored in a 2-0 victory over Birmingham City on 15 February and remained a regular striker until the end of the season.
In the 2011-12 season, Løvenkrands scored twice in a League Cup victory over Nottingham Forest and added another in the next fixture against Blackburn Rovers. He was sidelined for much of the season due to a knee injury. He was released by Newcastle on 1 June 2012, having scored 19 goals in 63 league appearances during his second spell, bringing his total for Newcastle to 22 goals in 74 league appearances.
2.5. Birmingham City F.C.
On 9 July 2012, Løvenkrands signed a two-year deal with Championship club Birmingham City, with an option for a further year, and was given squad number 11. He scored his first goal for the club on his competitive debut on 14 August, contributing to a 5-1 victory over Barnet in the League Cup. He retained his place for the opening match of the 2012-13 Football League season, a 1-1 draw at home to Charlton Athletic.
Birmingham City confirmed his release when his contract expired at the end of the 2013-14 season. He concluded his career at Birmingham having scored 8 goals from 42 appearances across all competitions. Løvenkrands officially confirmed his retirement from professional football on 19 November 2014.
3. International Career
Peter Løvenkrands represented Denmark at various levels, from youth teams to the senior national squad, participating in major international tournaments.
3.1. Youth International Career
Løvenkrands made his debut for the Denmark under-19 national team in September 1997, alongside his Akademisk Boldklub teammate Martin Albrechtsen. He scored five goals in eight matches for the U-19 team and was subsequently named the 1998 Danish Under-19 Player of the Year. In March 1999, he was called up to the under-21 side, for which he played 12 games and scored 7 goals until October 2001.
3.2. Senior International Career
While playing for Rangers, Løvenkrands earned his senior international debut under national team coach Morten Olsen on 13 February 2002, in a 1-0 friendly match victory against Saudi Arabia. After playing four international games, he was included in the Danish squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where he made a brief appearance, playing one minute in a 1-1 group stage draw with Senegal. He also participated in UEFA Euro 2004, featuring for five minutes in the 0-3 quarter-final defeat against the Czech Republic.
On 15 November 2006, in his 17th national team game, he scored his first international goal in a 1-1 friendly match draw, also against the Czech Republic. His 21st national team appearance came on 10 September 2008, in a 3-2 2010 World Cup qualification win against Portugal, after which his international career went on hiatus. Despite praise from Morten Olsen for his effort in the Portugal game, turmoil in his club career at Schalke led to him falling out of contention for the national team by September 2009. Although there were talks of a recall in 2010 following his impressive form at Newcastle, Løvenkrands prioritized helping his club return to the Premier League. After Newcastle's promotion, Løvenkrands played his first game for Denmark in over two years, coincidentally against Portugal, in a 3-1 defeat. He earned a total of 22 caps for Denmark, scoring 1 goal.
4. Coaching Career
Following his retirement as a player, Peter Løvenkrands transitioned into football management and coaching. In May 2017, he returned to his former club, Rangers, as a part-time coach within their Academy. On 13 June 2018, he announced he would be taking on a full-time role as the Reserve Team Coach at Rangers. He departed Rangers in June 2020 with the intention of pursuing a coaching position in Japan, but travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic prevented this move as of December 2020.
On 18 June 2021, Løvenkrands was appointed manager of Danish 1st Division side Fremad Amager. After a season where Fremad Amager finished in 10th place, it was confirmed in June 2022 that he would not continue at the club. On 16 October 2023, he was announced as the head coach of the under-19 team at AaB Fodbold, where he also served as a second assistant to the first team squad. However, on 31 May 2024, AaB confirmed that Løvenkrands would leave the club that summer for personal reasons.
5. Personal Life
Peter Løvenkrands is the younger brother of fellow professional footballer Tommy Løvenkrands. His father died on 15 January 2010, at the age of 61, after a prolonged illness. Just three days later, Løvenkrands dedicated a goal he scored against West Bromwich Albion to his late father, demonstrating his deep personal connection to his family.
Following his father's passing, Løvenkrands initiated a charity appeal to fund research into a cure for Alzheimer's disease, a condition from which his father suffered during the final five years of his life. This philanthropic effort highlights his commitment to social causes and community engagement beyond football. Løvenkrands is also a fluent speaker of English, and during his time with Rangers, he notably developed a Glaswegian accent.
6. Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||||||
| Akademisk Boldklub | 1998-99 | Danish Superliga | 18 | 2 | 18 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 1999-2000 | Danish Superliga | 14 | 5 | 14 | 5 | |||||||||||||
| Total | 32 | 7 | 32 | 7 | ||||||||||||||
| Rangers | 2000-01 | Scottish Premier League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||||||
| 2001-02 | Scottish Premier League | 19 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 32 | 7 | |||||||
| 2002-03 | Scottish Premier League | 27 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 12 | |||||||
| 2003-04 | Scottish Premier League | 25 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 36 | 13 | |||||||
| 2004-05 | Scottish Premier League | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 24 | 4 | |||||||
| 2005-06 | Scottish Premier League | 33 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 47 | 18 | |||||||
| Total | 129 | 37 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 4 | 32 | 8 | 182 | 54 | ||||||||
| Schalke 04 | 2006-07 | Bundesliga | 24 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 7 | ||||||
| 2007-08 | Bundesliga | 20 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 27 | 1 | |||||||
| 2008-09 | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
| Total | 44 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 56 | 8 | ||||||||
| Newcastle United | 2008-09 | Premier League | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 12 | 3 | |||||||
| 2009-10 | Championship | 29 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | 32 | 16 | ||||||||
| 2010-11 | Premier League | 25 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | - | 29 | 7 | ||||||||
| 2011-12 | Premier League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | - | 11 | 3 | ||||||||
| Total | 74 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 4 | - | 84 | 29 | |||||||||
| Birmingham City | 2012-13 | Championship | 22 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | - | 25 | 5 | |||||||
| 2013-14 | Championship | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | - | 17 | 3 | ||||||||
| Total | 37 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | - | 42 | 8 | |||||||||
| Career total | 313 | 76 | 18 | 10 | 22 | 12 | 40 | 8 | 401 | 106 | ||||||||
7. Honours
Akademisk Boldklub
- Danish Cup: 1998-99
Rangers
- Scottish Premier League: 2002-03, 2004-05
- Scottish Cup: 2001-02, 2002-03
- Scottish League Cup: 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05
Newcastle United
- Football League Championship: 2009-10
Individual
- Danish U-19 Player of the Year: 1998