Damsgaard: It’s taken longer than expected to reach my top level – now I want to keep going | OneFootball

When Mikkel Damsgaard arrived at Brentford in August 2022 following an injury-hit campaign with Sampdoria, both player and club knew it would take time for him to rediscover the form that had previously made him one of the most in-demand midfielders in Europe.

Damsgaard had starred for Denmark at Euro 2020, scoring a sublime free-kick in a semi-final defeat to England at Wembley, but missed six months of his final season in Serie A after a knee operation revealed he was suffering with a form of arthritis.

“The club knew I was still a long way from physically being able to play in the Premier League,” he said in April 2023.

“I’d lost a lot of kilos, so I was very, very skinny. I had confidence issues, and I didn’t have the same speed and power in my legs.

“They knew I was behind and had a lot of work to do, and I had thought that also, but this was the best place for me to develop, get some kilos on and get into the best shape possible. I could do that the fastest here, and the best here.”

The Denmark international made 29 outings for the Bees during his maiden campaign in west London as he battled to get up to the speed - and weight - required to compete in the Premier League.

25 appearances followed last term, with Damsgaard sidelined for almost four months after further knee surgery in September.

“It wasn’t back to square one, because the first injury I had in Italy, I was really down in the dumps,” he said in a recent interview for an upcoming Long Read.

“This was just a pure injury; it wasn’t anything to do with the sickness.

“I felt like I was getting there, and then I got injured. So, you lose it again and then have to build back up.

“It wasn’t always easy, but you have to keep going.”

Damsgaard had shown glimpses of what he is capable of during his first two seasons with the Bees - but now he is enjoying a period of sustained success.

He has started seven games on the spin, was named Player of the Match after the Bees’ Premier League victories over Southampton and Wolves - registering two assists in the latter - and netted his first goal for the club in a 3-1 Carabao Cup win against Leyton Orient.

“It’s taken longer than I thought it would to get to this point,” Damsgaard admitted, “but hopefully I can keep going now and keep proving to Thomas [Frank] why I should play.

“When you’ve had a long-term injury, you don’t have your confidence. Your body doesn’t move the way you want it to, but you don’t understand why it doesn’t.

“The first step is being able to move the way you want; then you can do the things you have in your mind.”

Damsgaard added: “You can see it so clearly if someone is playing with or without confidence.

“It’s the small things: a midfielder receives a pass, and instead of laying it off he turns quickly and plays forward.

“When you have a lot of confidence you think less and do what feels right.

“I definitely think I can still build on my confidence, but I’m in a good space right now.

“Sometimes I could still be more aggressive around the box, creating more chances and maybe being a bit more selfish to finish or look for a pass that’s going to create a goal.

“I need to play freely and not overthink it too much.”