Thomas Sorensen

What was life as a Solent student?

I coached the Solent University BUCS team, but I probably came more for the football and coaching, then I did for the social activities. Life at uni was amazing though. I feel like there was something for everyone. If you wanted to go out and be social, there were loads of opportunities to do so through sports teams or societies. If you just wanted to get your head down and work, that was also possible. And you could be sure to find like-minded people who would always encourage you to become better at everything you wanted to achieve.

Sometimes I really miss it. I made some friends for life here and I still see them on a regular basis, even though we’re spread across the world.

Did you have any opportunities to get practical experience during your studies?

During my second and third year I did an internship with the Danish FA, where I was Analyst for the U21s national team. I later worked full-time with them. This was a great way to get practical experience on a high-level, while still having time in between training camps to focus on my studies.

At the same, I coached an U14s team at the Southampton Regional Talent Centre with other students from my course. That was very rewarding to coach a group of great players and being able to share your training session plans with other fellow students and get their feedback.

Tell us a little about your career so far.

After I graduated, I worked full-time as a Performance Analyst with the Danish U21s national team. In May 2021, I moved up to the men’s national team, where I’m now the Lead Performance Analyst.

What’s a typical working day?

Leading up to a training camp, I create opposition analysis that I share with the staff. We sit together and discuss how we can approach upcoming matches. This includes making decisions on what players should be selected to play for the national team, how do we need to train and what plan(s) we’ll execute on the pitch. There’s often a game in the evening that I always try to catch, so I can stay up to date on players’ performances within their respective clubs. This can help us making decisions on players’ selection.

What were the challenges starting out?

All of a sudden, I found myself working with people who have been coaching for 30+ years. Even though we might think we know it all while at uni, there are people out there who have spent more than our own lifetime paying attention to every detail in the sport. That’s something you might not realise until you experience it, and for some people, it can be a bit of an eye opener. But it’s just about acknowledging it and learning from them.

What’s your career highlight so far?

I had the honour of representing my country at the Euro 2020 and the FIFA World Cup 2022. Being at a sold-out Wembley for the Euro 2020 semi-final doesn’t happen every day. The result wasn’t as we hoped for but not only we performed very well in the competition, it also really showed how football can unite and inspire the Danish people. Scenes we saw from Copenhagen that summer were just unreal.

Are there any projects you’re excited about?

Qualifying for the Euro 2024!