Leading the way for Denmark

Marco Gebhardt (REAR) of Eintracht Frankfurt and Dane Ebbe Sand of 1. FC Schalke 04 vie in a Bundesliga match in Frankfurt/Main 10 March 2001.

When the Laudrup brothers, Brian and Michael, announced their retirement from international football after the World Cup in France in 1998, the gloom in Danish football was lightened by the emergence of Ebbe Sand as a possible successor.

As a youngster with his hometown club Hadsund BK, where he spent five years after joining them at the age of 15, the forward was hailed as one of the brightest prospects in Danish football.

Brondby, Denmark's biggest club, were at the head of a long queue of clubs interested in his signature which they secured in 1992.

Sand led the league in scoring (28 goals) in 1998 as Brondby won the league and cup double earning him the award of Danish footballer of the year.

He had soon established himself as one of the most dangerous forwards in the Danish league, but had to wait until 1998 to make his international debut - against Norway - before booking his place in the squad for the 1998 World Cup in France.

He made a splash when he scored against Nigeria in the 4-1 second round win just seconds after coming on as a substitute.

Scare

But when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer shortly after the tournament Sand's career, and his life, were suddenly in the balance.

Thankfully he recovered and has had no major health problems since then.

Danish forward Ebbe Sand (R) jubilates after scoring the third goal for his team, 28 June at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, during their 1998 Soccer World Cup second round match. Denmark beat nigeria 4-1. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO

Schalke's Danish striker Ebbe Sand (C) is challenged by Fabian Ernst (L) and Torsten Frings of Werder Bremen, during the German Bundesliga match in Bremen, 17 February 2001.

German club Schalke 04 snapped him up in 1999, paying a club record 4.7 million dollars (5.2 million euros) to bring him to the Bundesliga and so far things have gone relatively well.

He played an key role in Denmark's qualification for Euro 2000 although the team were disappointing at the tournament and slumped out without a point from three games.

Fierce competition

Danish forward Ebbe Sand (C) head the ball in front of English defender Sol Campbell during the second round match Denmark/England of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan, 15 June 2002 at Niigata Big Swan Stadium. England defeated Denmark 3-0 to advance to the quarterfinal. AFP PHOTO ODD ANDERSEN

A German Cup winner in 2001 with Schalke, Sand and his team narrowly missed out on their first championship title since 1958 when they lost on the last day of the season and handed the title to Bayern Munich.

He also finished runner-up in both 2000 and 2001 German Player of the Year award behind Bayern's star goalkeeper Oliver Kahn and was even linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Although he failed to score at the 2002 World Cup where Denmark reached the second round, Danish coach Morten Olsen continues to call on the Schalke star who was influential in the qualification for Euro 2004.