Euro 2020 breakout star battles back from arthritis to become Premier League star

Mikkel Damsgaard has had to bide his time. But after finally scoring a goal, 11 games into his third season, Brentford’s craftsman at last looks ready to live up to the hype.

Damsgaard, 24, arrived in West London to much fanfare after dazzling for Denmark at the delayed Euro 2020.

Except Bees boss Thomas Frank knew that the attacking midfielder, costing £12.5m from Sampdoria in the summer of 2022, would be a long-term project.

A knee injury and subsequent diagnosis of meant it took even longer than expected. But now he is starting regularly, creating plenty and even finding the net, Damsgaard declares he is “100% more confident” and “ready to have a lot more good performances.”

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Frank recently said Damsgaard is now at a “level where we see there is something in this boy.” And the slender creator is, well, frank about his own windy road to this point.

“I had some work to do coming back from a long injury and sickness,” he said. “I knew that but it took a lot longer than I wanted it to. Then it was also proving to the coach that I deserve to play. I’ve done that now. My mindset is to keep going and hopefully have a lot more good performances.”

The results are beginning to show and he has not lost any of the subtlety that made him the breakout star on the international stage three summers ago.

Beyond equalising for a second time in Saturday’s thrilling win, there was one sublime pass for Vitaly Janelt and, to Frank’s pleasure, endless running in an end-to-end encounter.

The technical ability was never questioned during his difficult months but he needed to put in a lot of work to toughen up and boost his endurance.

And Damsgaard, by his own admission, was just not up to it when he arrived.

He added: “You need to be in amazing shape to play at this intensity. It’s not so much more tactical as the Italian league but it’s forward and back and you need to have the lungs in you for that.

“You can’t relax because people are so good they will just run over you. You need to have that physical performance, then you can bring in the other stuff.

“Strength wise, I need to run those metres. I’m not the biggest guy but I have to make up for what I can in duels and running. I have to match that.”

No one can match Brentford for goals per match at the moment. Saturday’s five meant their games now average four.

They are leaking too many chances and Sepp van den Berg’s misjudged backpass to gift Evanilson the opener was inexcusable. Brentford also looked like mannequins during ’s latest clever set-piece routine for Justin Kluivert to make it 2-1.

Still, Frank’s team are getting away with moments of sloppiness because of some ruthless, direct attacking - and the division’s best home record.

Yoane Wissa, firmly established as Ivan Toney’s replacement at centre-forward, headed in Brentford’s initial equaliser before finishing off a sublime move for winner.

Wissa’s chip over unconvincing Kepa Arrizabalaga was brilliantly taken after Vitaly Janelt threaded through a magnificent assist. “It was very well done,” Damsgaard added. “Vita setting it up for Wissa was amazing. And it was a cold finish from him. Pure happiness.”

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