Niko Hansen

Niko Hansen

Hansen with Columbus in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Nikolaj Hansen
Date of birth	(1994-09-14) 14 September 1994
Place of birth	Randers, Denmark
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Winger
Club information
Current team	Columbus Crew SC
Number	28
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2013–2016	New Mexico Lobos	79	(28)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2014	Seattle Sounders FC U-23	9	(2)
2017–	Columbus Crew SC	34	(4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 October 2018

Nikolaj "Niko" Hansen (born 14 September 1994) is a Danish professional footballer who plays for MLS club Columbus Crew SC as a winger.

Youth and college

Born in Randers, Denmark, Hansen moved to the United States as a child and attended Jesuit High School. As a senior, Hansen tallied 35 goals for the Marauders and was named as an NSCAA High School All-American.^[1] He also was selected to the NSCAA High School All-American Game.^[2]

Hansen played college soccer for the Lobos of the University of New Mexico. As a freshman in 2013, Hansen started 12 of the 22 games he appeared in. He started the season opener, his first collegiate match, against Villanova, marking the occasion with two goals and an assist in the second half as part of a 7–2 victory for New Mexico.^[3] Hansen also tallied multiple points in the Conference USA debut for the Lobos, bagging a goal and two assists in a 3–1 victory over Marshall.^[4] On his NCAA Tournament debut, Hansen notched an assist in a 1–0 victory against George Mason in the Second Round, as part of a run to the Final Four for the Lobos. Hansen was named to the C-USA All-Freshmen Team^[5] after tallying seven goals and five assists, the most goals by a C-USA freshman and tied for the most on the team. As a sophomore, Hansen would lead the team with 54 shots, even though he started just 14 of the 18 games he appeared in. Hansen was named as the conference Offensive Player of the Week on 6 October 2014 after scoring game-winning goals in consecutive matches against West Virginia^[6] and FIU.^[7] He finished the season with five goals and three assists, both good for second on the team, and was named Third Team All-CUSA.^[8] As a junior, Hansen started all 18 games for New Mexico. Although his goal-scoring form dipped, he still scored in back-to-back games in September, against Missouri State^[9] and American,^[10] that helped earn him a nod as C-USA Offensive Player of the Week.^[11] He finished the season with three goals and three assists, and was named Second Team All-CUSA.^[12] As a senior, Hansen started all 21 games, while leading the Lobos to their first C-USA championship in program history^[13] and the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.^[14] He scored his first career hat trick as part of a 3–1 victory over UC Irvine on 17 September 2016.^[15] He finished the season with a career-high 13 goals, three assists, and a spot on the C-USA All-Tournament Team.^[16] Hansen finished his college career with 28 goals and 14 assists in 79 games played.

Club career

Columbus Crew SC

Hansen in 2017

Hansen was one of 53 collegiate players selected to take part in the 2017 MLS Combine, and one of five C-USA players chosen to participate.^[18] He was joined at the Combine by his New Mexico teammate Chris Wehan.^[19] On 13 January 2017, Hansen was drafted by Columbus Crew SC in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft.^[20] Because he had already signed a league-guaranteed contract before the draft, Hansen was automatically added to the Columbus roster without having to negotiate a contract with the club.^[21] He was the second player from the Lobos to have been drafted by Columbus, following Brandon Moss in 2006.

Hansen made his club and MLS debut on 25 March 2017 against Portland Timbers, replacing Justin Meram in the 60th minute. He provided a 3–2 victory for Crew SC, putting home a rebound in the 84th minute after Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson had saved the original shot from Ola Kamara.^[22] Hansen won a spot in the Columbus rotation after his goal, and earned his first professional start on 15 April, a home match against rivals Toronto FC. Although Hansen would be replaced in the 60th minute by Ethan Finlay, he provided an assist to Kamara in the 37th minute, helping Columbus to a 2–1 victory in the first leg of the Trillium Cup.^[23] He missed multiple matches during summer after undergoing surgery to repair an inguinal hernia,^[24] then suffered a thigh strain upon his return to training.^[25] Hansen returned in time for Crew SC's playoff run, and appeared in the knockout round against Atlanta United. He replaced Pedro Santos in the 105th minute, and scored in the penalty shootout as Columbus advanced 0–0, 3–1 on penalties. Hansen finished the season with one goal in 16 appearances across all competitions. On 1 December, Columbus picked up Hansen's contract option,^[26] ensuring his return to the club for the 2018 season.

International career

Although he has yet to be called up by either nation, Hansen is eligible to play for either the Denmark or United States national teams.^[27] He is a citizen of both Denmark and the United States. Hansen was invited to a training camp for the United States U23 national team in 2015,^[28] but was never called into the team for a match.

Career statistics

As of 6 October 2018^[29]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Niko Hansen.

• New Mexico profile
• Columbus profile
• Niko Hansen at Major League Soccer
• Niko Hansen at Soccerway