West Brom handed Burnley a club legend on a plate for £0: View
Brian Jensen is a name that will be familiar to a number of football league clubs, but most notably West Bromwich Albion and Burnley.
The goalkeeper was handed on a plate to Burnley in 2003 by West Brom and spent a remarkable ten years at the club, becoming a firm fan favourite.
During that period, he helped them achieve stability in the Championship before playing a crucial role in the 2008-09 season, where the Clarets ascended to the Premier League.
Indeed, Baggies fans may look at this transfer with some frustration as he could have been a crucial player for them had he remained in the Second City.
Jensen’s rise to prominence is an interesting tale, with the Dane starting his career as a defender in the youth teams of B.93. This didn’t last long though, and in the early 1990s he changed routes, becoming a goalkeeper due to their current youth keeper lacking height.
After spells in the first-team at both his youth club and AZ Alkmaar, Jensen eventually moved on to West Brom in March 2000. After signing, he went on to feature in the majority of games for the Baggies over the next 18 months, but lost his place in early 2001, due to the arrival of Russel Hoult.
Unfortunately for Jensen, the arrival of the former Leicester City keeper meant that he was never able to regain his place and, in the summer of 2003, his contract expired at the Hawthorns.
This gave the Dane free rein over where he went next, with offers arriving from both Denmark and England. But, the ‘beast’ opted to remain in Britain and signed a two-year contract at Championship side Burnley.
Jensen’s inconsistent early years at Burnley
After another season of insecurity regarding his position in the team, the 2008-09 season would arrive. Where, finally, after five seasons, he would enforce himself as the first-choice goalkeeper, appearing in 57 games in all competitions.
After securing safe passage to the round of 16, Burnley faced the daunting task of taking on Chelsea. Entering the match with modest expectations, the Clarets fell behind in the 26th minute due to a goal from Didier Drogba. However, they fought back valiantly, with Ade Akinbiyi finding the equaliser midway through the second half. Despite both teams’ efforts, the score remained level through extra time, leading to a penalty shootout.
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