Mikkel Damsgaard: Confidence is Key

From the gap a participant covers to anticipated objectives and assists, practically each facet of contemporary soccer is measured.

Information has been instrumental to Brentford’s success – however there’s extra to the sport than that.

Soccer is performed by individuals, and with that comes the unpredictability and imperfections of human nature.

Confidence – the sensation of self-assurance arising from an appreciation of 1’s personal skills – can’t be quantified however is important for any participant striving to succeed in peak efficiency.

And Mikkel Damsgaard admits that confidence was in brief provide when he joined the membership from Sampdoria in August 2022.

The midfielder starred for Denmark at Euro 2020 – a chic free-kick in a semi-final defeat to England underlining his credentials as some of the promising younger gamers on the continent – however missed six months of his remaining season in Serie A after a knee operation revealed he was struggling with a type of arthritis.

“Thomas [Frank] and Phil [Giles] knew all the things about my harm,” Damsgaard begins.

“They’d finished their analysis, spoken to my physios and knew all the things that was happening with me.

“The membership knew I used to be nonetheless a great distance from bodily with the ability to play within the Premier League, so from their facet it was a little bit little bit of an funding.

“They knew I used to be behind and had plenty of work to do, and I had thought that additionally, however this was the very best place for me to develop, get some kilos on and get into the very best form attainable.”

Damsgaard made 29 outings for the Bees throughout his maiden marketing campaign in west London as he battled to rise up to the velocity – and weight – required to compete within the Premier League.

Deployed alongside compatriots Mathias Jensen and Christian Nørgaard, his player-of-the-match show through the Bees’ 3-2 victory over Fulham in March 2023 was a notable spotlight.

25 appearances adopted final time period, with Damsgaard sidelined for nearly 4 months after present process knee surgical procedure in September.

“It wasn’t again to sq. one, as a result of the primary harm I had in Italy, I used to be actually down within the dumps,” he says.

“The primary harm was a illness that I nonetheless take medication for; the second was surgical procedure after the knee had been swelling up.

“After coaching generally, my knee would swell up like loopy and I couldn’t stroll the day after.

“I felt like I used to be getting there, after which I bought injured. So, you lose it once more and should construct again up.

“Should you’re feeling like you may’t run as shortly and also you’re not as sturdy, it’s very onerous to search out that confidence since you’re not transferring the way you need to.

“Step one is with the ability to transfer the best way you need; then you are able to do the issues you might have in your thoughts.

“It wasn’t all the time simple, however it’s a must to preserve going.”

Damsgaard’s perseverance has paid off.

He’s at present having fun with his finest spell in a Brentford shirt and is thrilled to be exhibiting the Bees followers precisely what he’s able to.

The 24-year-old has began seven Premier League video games on the spin, including a pair of player-of-the-match trophies to his mantlepiece – a reward for his excellent shows towards Southampton and Wolves.

After the 3-1 victory over the Saints, head coach Thomas Frank described his facet’s urgent as “world class” – and the industrious Damsgaard was within the thick of the motion all afternoon.

His interception on Taylor Harwood-Bellis resulted in Kevin Schade hitting the woodwork, and Bryan Mbeumo was in the proper place to present his facet a deserved lead.

Damsgaard was at it once more for Brentford’s second, this time nabbing the ball off Jan Bednarek which allowed Mathias Jensen to tee up Mbeumo for his second of the sport.

In whole, the Dane made 4 profitable tackles (a complete matched solely by Will Smallbone) with three of these coming within the attacking third.

Whereas Damsgaard is usually casted as a creator (he himself admits that no.10 is his most popular place) this was the efficiency of an all-action, all-round midfielder.

“I’ve all the time had the cleverness to faucet the ball away from an opponent, however I’ve positively constructed rather a lot on the bodily half. I’ve labored very onerous to get there,” he says.

“What I take pleasure in most in regards to the sport is having the ball and creating probabilities – I prefer to have the ball rather a lot.

“However enjoying on this league, we will’t all the time anticipate to have the ball the entire time, so having these qualities off the ball is essential.

“Doing that much more right here helps me to get higher at it.”

Damsgaard sparkled throughout Brentford’s 5-3 win over Wolves because the west Londoners made it 10 factors from their opening seven video games earlier than the October worldwide break.

It was his pinpoint supply from the byline that Nathan Collins nodded residence to present Brentford the lead, and the 24-year-old then swung within the looking nook that Ethan Pinnock headed past Sam Johnstone on the stroke of half-time. The pair mixed once more through the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at Outdated Trafford.

The assists might headline Damsgaard’s stats from the assembly with Wolves, however a deeper dig into his numbers additional illustrates how influential he was in a inventive sense.

Throughout Matchweek 7 within the prime flight, solely Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka (7) equipped extra key passes than Damsgaard (6), and the Denmark worldwide was additionally accountable for two correct by means of balls through the encounter.

The previous Sampdoria winger was excellent and his skill to float vast and supply high quality was evidenced by 5 correct crosses.

“[Damsgaard] was operating the sport in some ways,” Frank purred in his post-match press convention.

“I’m so completely happy that we’re seeing a few of these promising indicators the place he did unbelievable within the Euros in 2021 – he’s again to a stage the place we see there’s one thing on this boy.

“He’s exhibiting a little bit bit extra chew in coaching and can energy.

“Final yr he was unfortunate with harm. Then he got here into the workforce and was clearly struggling, so he by no means actually had that run of video games.

“Now I believe he’s exhibiting extra what he’s able to, however we’d like extra all the time. He must persistently ship.

“Little doubt about it, he trusts in himself, he will get belief from us and he’s performing.”

Damsgaard, reflecting on his current type, says: “You possibly can see it so clearly if somebody is enjoying with or with out confidence

“It’s the small issues: a midfielder receives a cross, and as a substitute of laying it off he turns shortly and performs ahead.

“Getting back from an extended harm, I assumed rather a lot about my errors.

“You need to be good if you come again, you need to be your self, however then you definitely realise you’re making extra errors than you usually would, and it weighs an excessive amount of in your thoughts.

“When you might have plenty of confidence you assume much less and do what feels proper.

“And if you do one thing that feels proper, you understand it’s extra more likely to succeed.

“You play with initiative. Being on the pitch feels extra pure; you’re used to the tempo of the sport, which is very necessary within the Premier League as a result of it’s so excessive.”

Damsgaard provides: “I can nonetheless construct on my confidence, however I’m in a superb house proper now.

“Typically I may nonetheless be extra aggressive across the field, creating extra probabilities and possibly being a bit extra egocentric to complete or search for a cross that’s going to create a purpose.

“However how do you stay assured? It’s a tough query.

“You’re a superb participant – you’ve made it this far since you are good – so it’s essential to play freely and never overthink it an excessive amount of.

“You might be right here since you should be right here – it’s a must to preserve that in thoughts.”

Having additionally opened his account for the Bees in a 3-1 Carabao Cup victory over Leyton Orient final month, Damsgaard’s want for the months forward is obvious.

“Objectives and assists,” he says with out hesitation.

“I’m doing fairly good in different elements of the sport – successful some balls again – however getting extra objectives and assists is one thing I need to work rather a lot on.

“To be calmer and extra medical in these necessary moments – that’s what I need to add.”