Allan Nielsen on Højbjerg’s arrival: “I think it’s just perfect”

A midfielder from Denmark who left home as a teenager to start his footballing journey with Bayern Munich and eventually found his way to Spurs?

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg’s career path sounds familiar to Allan Nielsen – and our legendary former League Cup-winner believes his compatriot comes to us with valuable knowledge and experience from his early years in Germany that will only benefit the team in the long run.

The similarities are certainly there. Much like Pierre did as a youngster in 2012, Allan moved to Bayern back in 1989 for what he describes as his ‘footballing education’. He only played once for the German giants, but what he learned set him up nicely for a fantastic career that included four happy years here at Spurs in the late-1990s, where he wrote his name into club history with the winning goal in our 1999 League Cup Final success over Leicester at Wembley.

So how is it that two of only three Danish players to represent us – Christian Eriksen being the other, of course – both started out at the same club in Germany?

“Of course, we are connected to Germany – it’s easy, it’s not that far away. The south of Germany can be far away but it’s an easy place for us to go and for a young player, you learn the discipline that they have,” Allan told us. “My education, I had at Bayern Munich under Jupp Heynckes, but then again I was playing at a time where you were only allowed three foreigners in the team, which of course was a little bit tough for me as a young talent coming through because Bayern, in every season, bought the best foreign player in the Bundesliga and they brought in new foreign players. So it was tough for me and I knew that I had to move on so I could play every weekend, but the discipline and my education was second to none and I’m pretty sure that’s what brought me through the 18 years that I had in professional football. So for Danish players to go to Germany, it’s a good step, I would say.”

Pierre enjoyed greater opportunities at Bayern, playing bit-part roles in back-to-back Bundesliga title wins and starting their German Cup Final victory in 2014, and now, after loan spells at FC Augsburg and FC Schalke 04, plus a useful four-year stint in the Premier League with Southampton, he arrives at Spurs at what Allan believes is an ideal time in his career.

“I think he has got through many challenges football-wise to grow,” explained the 49-year-old, who made 115 appearances in our colours, scoring 18 goals, before moving on to Watford in 2000. “He was of course a huge talent as a youngster and he was very mature as a player with big confidence but sometimes that can also play against you because it is hard to join big clubs at an early age and the expectation they have towards you… sometimes that can be a little bit tricky.

“He started well in the Danish national team, he came in and you could see – ‘wow, what a player, what a posture’ – and then he came into a few challenges personally, in the team, around himself, which then cost his position in the national team. After that I think he has been growing immensely and also what I’ve seen from Southampton – you’re not a captain in a Premier League side just like that. He was, and he earned it. I think the timing for him to come to a big club like Tottenham and the expectation… I think it’s just perfect.”

Having seen Pierre’s progress through the years with his national team and at club level, does Allan believe his fellow countryman can make an impact under Jose Mourinho?

“I’m so confident in that,” he smiled. “I have huge expectations for him to fit into the team and as I said, I think he’s just perfect for Tottenham. Under the coaching staff the club has right now, he can really grow into a mature, top Premier League player. He has been outside Denmark and away from home from a young age, he’s been in and out of the national team, he’s been at Southampton, so I think right now he has so many things he can build on as a player and I believe it’s really the right time for him to come to Tottenham. I think it’s a very good signing that the Club has made.”