1. Overview
Theresa Eslund (born 20 July 1986), formerly known by her maiden name Theresa Nielsen, is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a defender, primarily as a right back, for Brøndby IF in the Danish Elitedivisionen and the Danish national team. Throughout her career, Eslund has achieved significant success, including multiple league and cup victories with Brøndby IF, recognition as the Danish Women's Footballer of the Year in 2012, and a silver medal with the Danish national team at UEFA Women's Euro 2017. She has played for clubs in Norway and the United States, marking a career that spans domestic and international football across several top leagues.
2. Early life
Theresa Eslund was born on 20 July 1986. She was raised in Valby, a district in Copenhagen, Denmark. Eslund began her football journey at the age of six, joining a local team known as Rikken. Her youth football career also included spells with Hvidovre IF until 2002 and Ballerup-Skovlunde from 2003 to 2008, where she honed her skills before turning professional.
3. Club career
Eslund's club career has seen her play for several prominent teams across Denmark, Norway, the United States, and Australia, accumulating numerous titles and individual accolades.
3.1. Brøndby IF
Eslund had two significant tenures with Brøndby IF, one of Denmark's most successful women's football clubs. Her first period with the club lasted from 2009 to 2017. During this time, she made 87 appearances, scoring 13 goals. She was instrumental in Brøndby IF's dominance in Danish women's football, contributing to five Elitedivisionen league titles in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2017. She also helped the team secure seven Danish Women's Cup victories in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017. In 2012, her contributions were particularly recognized when she was named the Danish Women's Footballer of the Year, a season in which Brøndby IF achieved a league and cup double.
Eslund returned to Brøndby IF in 2020, signing a two-year contract. In this second spell, as of November 2019, she has made 22 appearances and scored 2 goals for the club. In the season of her return, the team finished in second place in the league.
3.2. Vålerenga
In January 2017, Eslund embarked on her first international club experience by signing with the Norwegian club Vålerenga, based in Oslo. During the 2017 season, she made 22 appearances for the club, scoring two goals. Her first goal for Vålerenga came in the 47th minute of a match against Kolbotn, securing a 2-0 victory. Vålerenga finished the season in seventh place with a record of 10 wins, 4 draws, and 8 losses. Eslund's performance in 2017 earned her significant recognition, as she was named one of the top 200 players in the world by The Offside Rule, a podcast affiliated with The Guardian. She was also awarded the Toppserien Defender of the Year title for her outstanding defensive contributions in the Norwegian league.
3.3. Reign FC
Ahead of the 2018 National Women's Soccer League season, Eslund signed with American club Reign FC in January 2018. She made her debut for the team as a starting defender in the home opener on March 24, which resulted in a 2-1 victory against the Washington Spirit. During her tenure with Reign FC from 2018 to 2019, she accumulated 41 appearances and scored one goal.
3.4. Melbourne City (loan)
During the 2018-2019 season, Eslund had a loan spell with Australian W-League club Melbourne City. She made 12 appearances for the club during this period.
4. International career
Theresa Eslund has represented Denmark at various levels of international football, from youth teams to the senior national squad, contributing to notable achievements for her country.
4.1. Youth National Team
Eslund's international career began with the Denmark U-17 national team, for which she made 15 appearances and scored 3 goals between 2002 and 2003. A highlight of her youth career was her participation in the 2003 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival. In the final of the tournament, held at Stade Sébastien Charléty in Paris, she scored for Denmark in a match against Switzerland. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with Denmark ultimately winning in a penalty shootout. She also played for the Denmark U-21 team in 2006, making 4 appearances, and for the Denmark U-23 team in 2009, with 2 appearances and 1 goal.
4.2. Senior National Team
Eslund made her senior international debut for the Danish national team in March 2008. Her first appearance was in a 1-0 victory against Germany at the 2008 Algarve Cup. She reached a significant milestone in her career on October 22, 2016, when she earned her 100th international cap in a friendly match against Norway.
She was selected for Kenneth Heiner-Møller's squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2013, where Denmark advanced to the semi-finals. Eslund was also a crucial part of the Danish squad that achieved a silver medal at UEFA Women's Euro 2017 in the Netherlands, where they were runners-up after being defeated by the host nation in the final. As of March 2020, Eslund had accumulated 133 caps for the senior national team, scoring 5 goals.
5. Honours
Theresa Eslund has earned numerous honours throughout her distinguished club and international career, along with individual accolades recognizing her performance.
5.1. Club
Brøndby IF
- Elitedivisionen:
- Winner: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017
- Danish Women's Cup:
- Winner: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017
5.2. International
Denmark
- UEFA Women's Euro 2017:
- Runners-up
5.3. Individual
- Danish Women's Footballer of the Year: 2012
- UEFA Women's Euro 2017 Best XI
- Toppserien Defender of the Year: 2017
6. Personal life
Formerly known as Theresa Nielsen, she adopted her married name, Eslund, in 2020. This change was publicly noted as she began using the name Theresa Eslund professionally.