Pedersen Profile

By Mark Heys
May 21 2006

Henrik Pedersen

Born:Jutland, Denmark, 10th June 1975

International Honours: Denmark Full

Position: Striker

Squad Number: 9

Former Clubs:Silkeborg (Denmark)

Now one of the longest serving members of the Bolton Wanderers squad, Henrik has improved immensly since making the move to England just over four years ago.

The bustling striker joined the club following six years with Danish team Silkeborg and is now a regular member of the first team squad on matchday, where he can chip in with some important goals.

He was in and out of the team through injury during his first season with the club, and managed just two goals all season, in cup games against Walsall and Stockport County.

A loan spell back in Denmark with his former club in the spring of 2002 improved his fitness ten fold and in turn saved Silkeborg from what seemed like definate relegation.

This spell away from the club undoubtedly improved him as a player and he came back to Bolton for the start of the 2002-2003 season feeling ready and refreshed for the challenge ahead.

He found his form in the winter of that campaign, with two goals against Leeds United at Elland Road proving to be a particular highlight for the Scandanavian. Perhaps his favourite goal that season will have been his goal against Manchester City at the Reebok Stadium, although a boyhood City fan, he helped the Wanderers to an all important victory which went a long way towards staving off relegation.

The following season he helped the club to the final of the Carling Cup against Middlesbrough, where he came on as a second half substitute at the Millennium Stadium. Sadly Bolton lost the game but it was a good experience for Pedersen and his Wanderers team mates none the less.

His form in the winter and spring of 2003-2004 saw a number of vital goals. Like the previous season, his form was patchy and sometimes inconsistent, but none the less the goals where important when they came, most notably his best goal to date in a Bolton shirt was a late volley in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal in December 2003.

Two seasons ago he had an excellent start to the campaign, and showed much more confidence than in previous years, he scored a double in the opening day rout against Charlton and followed this up with goals against Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton to name but a few.

A hardworking player who always puts in maximum effort, Pedersen lost some of his new found confidence in Christmas 2004 when he was told that he would be one of seven players put up for sale by the club, this coming just three weeks after he had signed a well deserved new deal.

No offers where forthcoming so to his credit the Dane stuck it out at the Reebok and a return to first team action followed in the unfamiliar position of left wing back due to the absence of regular defender Ricardo Gardner.

He performed admirably in this role until an achillies injury in the autumn of 2005 disrupted his new lease of life, but despite reported interest from Wigan Athletic he returned to the squad for the final few months of the campaign with his only goal coming in the 4-1 win over West Ham United.

BOLTON RECORD: 125 appearances, 21 goals