Thomas Delaney


Thomas Joseph Delaney is a Danish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Borussia Dortmund and the Denmark national team.

Club career

Copenhagen

Delaney started playing youth football at Kjøbenhavns Boldklub, the reserve team of multiple Danish champions F.C. Copenhagen.
Delaney made his debut for Copenhagen in an unofficial friendly in August 2008. After playing the first half of the 2008–09 season in the KB youth team, he was a part of the FCK squad in the Danish Cup that campaign. He made his official debut in the first leg of the semi-finals against Nordvest FC in April, where he substituted Hjalte Nørregaard in the middle of second half. In the return leg two weeks later Delaney was among the starting eleven playing the first 60 minutes before he was substituted with Şaban Özdoğan.
In the summer break 2009, he was promoted to the first team squad together with Özdoğan. He scored on his continental debut on 22 July 2009, playing the full second leg in Copenhagen's Champions League second qualifying round victory over FK Mogren. His first Superliga match was on 9 August 2009 against SønderjyskE replacing Atiba Hutchinson near the end of the match. On 29 December 2011, signed a contract extension keeping him at Copenhagen until the end of 2014. At the time, Delaney had the distinction of being the longest serving current player at the club, despite being only 20.
On 6 July 2013, Delaney extended his contract with the club to 2015. At the same time, he got jersey number 8. In the following season, he became a regular starter in his favorite position, including UEFA Champions League matches against Juventus F.C., Real Madrid and Galatasaray. On 23 January 2014, he again extended his contract, until 2017. At the same time, he was officially named vice-captain of the team. Half a year later, Delaney was promoted to club captain.
On 14 May 2015 he was named Man of the Match as his side won the Danish Cup final 3–2 after extra-time against fellow Superliga side FC Vestsjælland.
On 27 September 2016, Delaney contributed to a comfortable 4–0 victory for his side with a left-footed half-volley from 30 yards against Belgian side Club Brugge KV in the UEFA Champions League.
The goal came third in the vote for goal of the season in the UEFA Champions League.

Werder Bremen

On 17 August 2016, Werder Bremen announced Delaney would be joining the club in January 2017. On 18 February 2017, he scored his first goal for the club, a free kick, in Werder Bremen's 2–0 win away to Mainz 05 before being stretchered off the pitch with a suspected concussion. It was the club's first win of the new year following four straight defeats.
On 1 April 2017, Delaney scored a hat-trick, the first of his career, in Werder Bremen’s 5–2 win away against SC Freiburg.

Borussia Dortmund

On 7 June 2018, Delaney signed for Borussia Dortmund on a four-year contract. The transfer fee paid to Werder Bremen was reported as €20 million.

International career

Delaney made his debut for the Denmark under-18 team in October 2008, and went on to play three matches in total. He played 11 games for the Denmark U-19 team.
On 11 August 2010, he made his debut for the Denmark U-21 team in a friendly against the Italy U-21 team.
Delaney made his debut for the senior national team on 15 October 2013 in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Malta.
In May 2018 he was named in Denmark’s preliminary 35-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Career statistics

Club

International

International goals

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.1 September 2017Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark1–04–02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.4 September 2017Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia1–14–12018 FIFA World Cup qualification
3.4 September 2017Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia3–14–12018 FIFA World Cup qualification
4.4 September 2017Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia4–14–12018 FIFA World Cup qualification
5.5 September 2019Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar4–06–0UEFA Euro 2020 qualification

Personal life

Delaney was born in Denmark and spent his youth there. His father was also born in Denmark but has American citizenship due to his father being born in the United States. Delaney also has Irish roots through his paternal great grandfather who moved from Ireland to America in the 1840s during the Great Famine.
Delaney is red-green colour blind.

Honours

;Copenhagen
;Borussia Dortmund
;Individual