He left it late to make his mind up but having spent his childhood and early adult life in Denmark young defender Thomas Kristensen decided to come to Italy and sign for Udinese on first September just before the transfer market closed. The 21-year-old was interviewed on TV12 and here are some of the highlights from the show:
“I’m delighted to join Udinese. I couldn’t wait to sign for the club. The latter stages of the transfer window were difficult but we sorted things out.
“My first impression of the club was awesome. The place oozes history - as soon as you enter the stadium you can feel it. What’s more, there are so many great players and people here.”
“I started playing football when I was six years old in Galten, my hometown. When I was ten I moved to near Aarhus, Denmark’s second city. I then came through the ranks at AGF. During this time I moved from being a midfielder to centre back. That’s the position I played when I made my first team debut.
“Playing for the club where I lived felt amazing. It was a challenge at first because I was still so young and I felt pressure. However my time playing for AGF was really special overall – I’ve got wonderful memories. I owe a lot to my coach Uwe Rostler and my team-mates, especially captain Patrick Mortensen. He played a big role in me becoming the person I am today.
“I wouldn’t have moved to Udinese had I not been ready for it. I felt that the time was right and I’m convinced that I can do a job here. I’ve watched many Serie A games on TV and I’m aware that the league has a fame for top defenders. I want to hone my skills here. I’m really keen to pit my wits against Romelu Lukaku.
“As for what I’m like as a defender, I play on the right side, I’m comfortable when making passes, both long and short ones. I’m also great in the air. However I need to add more aggression to my game and up my concentration levels.
“One of my idols when I was younger was Manchester City’s Yaya Toure but now I look up to Ruben Dias. He’s the complete defender.
“As for my objectives, I want to settle in quickly and get up to speed with things. I want to play as many minutes as possible and help the team to win. We didn’t dream of the start to the season that we’ve had but this team is capable of turning things around. We’ve got to go out and take on Fiorentina with our own game.”