Thomas Sorensen Bio Send To Friend  

Stoke City signed Danish international Sorenson on a free transfer in July 2008, following a successful trail at the club.

The goalkeeper had left his previous club, Aston Villa, under a cloud after falling out with manager Martin O'Neill. At the start of the 2007/08 Villa signed Scott Carson on loan from Liverpool, and Sorensen stated that he wanted to leave the club.

The Dane was linked with a £500,000 transfer to Derby County, but nothing came of the deal as he was required as cover at Aston Villa. He failed to make a single appearance for the club in his final season.

It was a notable fall from grace for the former Villa No.1, who joined the club in the summer of 2003 for a fee of £2.25million.

The Dane began his career in English football when he replaced Lionel Perez as the Sunderland goalkeeper after a £500,000 summer deal with Odense in 1998.

He broke the club record for the most clean sheets in a season in his first season as the Rokerites, as they were then known, stormed to the First Division championship.

Sorensen impressed during 1999/2000 Premiership season with some commanding displays.

He replaced Peter Schmeichel as Denmark's number one goalkeeper and had a brilliant World Cup in Japan and Korea... until he spilled Rio Ferdinand's header into the back of his own net in the second round clash with England.

The goalkeeper was strongly linked with a move away from the Stadium of Light following relegation and it was Aston Villa that signed him for £2.25million.

Sorensen played 197 games for Sunderland.

The stopper had a solid first season at Villa Park after making his debut in a 2-1 defeat at Portsmouth. Villa finished sixth, just missing out on Europe, and only those above them in the table had a better defensive record.

He was selected by Denmark for Euro 2004.

A permanent fixture during David O'Leary's time at Villa Park he remained first-choice keeper under Martin O'Neill until August 2007 when the pair had a falling out.