Nicklas Bendtner Bio Send To Friend  

He was spotted playing for the Danish Under-19 side in an international tournament and it again showed Arsenal's policy of looking to sign-up the cream of young talent across Europe.

The Denmark youth international was a deadly finisher for the FC Copenhagen youth teams, although has failed to cement his place in the first-team squad at the Emirates.

In May 2006, the youngster was called up to the Danish U-21 squad and then got his first call-up to the full national side in August 2006, scoring in a win over Poland aged just 18.

Bendtner was also loaned to Birmingham City in the same month, until January 2007. Manager Steve Bruce has already iterated his desire to keep the striker at the club for a full season, after his spree of goalscoring in the first few games.

He scored four goals in eight games for the club and stayed for the rest of the 2006-07 season. Returning to Arsenal for 2007-08, Bendtner was given the chance to fight for a first-team place and signed a new five-year contract in May 2007.

Showing good aerial prowess, the young Dane got on the scoresheet a few times - most notably saving the game against against arch-rivals Tottenham with a headed goal, but his on-pitch scuffle with strike partner Emmanuel Adebayor against Spurs in the Carling Cup will forever live in the memory.

Entrusted with replacing Adebayor in 2009-10, he was given much more of a chance to impress and also covered the cost to fans when he changed his shirt number to 52.