AB captain, Daniel A. Pedersen, has had a remarkable football journey, going from kicking bowling balls as a child in Galten to representing clubs such as Silkeborg IF, AGF, SK Brann, Lillestrøm SK and Orange County SC on the football field. This summer brought a new challenge, as Daniel chose to swap the Californian sunshine for the cool Danish autumn weather, where he also stepped into a completely new role as captain of AB.
The love of football
Pedersen began his journey with football in his childhood in Galten.
“My dad has a funny story from when we were very little, where I chose to kick a bowling ball instead of throwing it,” says Daniel. That was the start of Daniel’s football journey, which began in 0th grade on a team in Galten.
The first months in AB
After a short adventure in Orange County SC, Daniel has now returned to Denmark.
“I think it has been an exciting start. Obviously, there is a whole lot that needs to get under the skin of all of us. You have to remember that we are a completely new team, but I think it has been good to get started.
“It has been a tough start, but I also think it has been educational. In terms of play, I think we show good things at times, but it is clear that we have to be a little more consistent in the things we do. The times we’ve lost points, we’ve deviated from what we were supposed to.”
Despite the relative newness of the squad in AB, the team has already built strong ties. Pedersen reveals, among other things, that the funniest player on the team in his opinion is Killian.
“He is in many ways a really fun person, and he helps to create a good atmosphere in the locker room. He’s wild, and you also feel that every day.”
From sunshine in California to Denmark
The upheaval from California’s eternal sunshine to the cold Danish autumn weather was also a process of getting used to. Pedersen himself admits that he sometimes misses the sunshine, but enjoys being at home.
“Now that it’s a little cold, you can miss the sunshine. It’s kind of funny, because in the summer it’s always hot over there (ed. California), you could use a day when it was a little cold, and now, when you’re home, you can miss a few more sunny days. But it was a cool experience, and now I lived in Bergen before that, where it rained on average 200 days a year, so I really needed to get some sun. Now it’s nice to be home again.”
A meeting with Carlos Vela
During his career, Daniel has faced some really good players, and here he mentioned a cup match in the USA against LAFC, where Carlos Vela showed his class.
“He can’t really run anymore, but we just couldn’t get the ball off him. He was just so good when he had the ball at his feet. It was perhaps also a little surprising, because when you look at him, he’s not choppy or anything, and it seems like he’s enjoying life in LA. But he really knew something with the ball, and I was a little surprised by that.”
Finally, Pedersen was asked what he would have done if he hadn’t become a football player.
“I think I would have worked with something where I didn’t have to sit still. I’ve actually thought that I might have ended up in the military or as a policeman, so that’s probably one of the two I would have gone with.”
On Wednesday, Daniel and the rest and the team will meet Vejle BK in the eighth final at Gladsaxe Stadium. Remember that the match is a free one for all Gladsaxe citizens.
