Jannik Vestergaard

Former clubs: Hoffenheim, Werder Bremen, Borussia Mönchengladbach

Early Years

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Vestergaard started his career in the Brøndby youth academy, before making the switch over the border to join German club Hoffenheim in the summer of 2010.

Following impressive spells for the Under-19s and Reserves, Vestergaard made his breakthrough into Hoffenheim’s senior side during the 2011/12 season.

Vestergaard would spend three-and-a-half years in Sinsheim, making 82 appearances for Hoffenheim, as well as representing Denmark at under-18 and under-21 level before making the climb to the senior national team in 2013.

Bundesliga platform

Vestergaard joined fellow Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen midway through the 2014/15 season, where he made 54 appearances, scoring four goals along the way, before sealing a move to Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2016.

During the 2016/17 season, the 6ft 6in centre-back earned valuable European experience in both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League as Gladbach finished third in a group containing Manchester City, Barcelona and Celtic, before being eliminated by compatriots Schalke in the round of 16.

By the end of the 2017/18 campaign, Vestergaard was the top-scoring defender in the Bundesliga over the previous two seasons, with his penalty-box presence at set pieces yielding seven goals in all competitions, as the Foals collected back-to-back ninth-place finishes.

His reliability, distribution and defensive qualities earned him a spot in Denmark’s 23-man travelling party in Russia for the 2018 World Cup finals, where they were unfortunate to be denied by Croatia on penalties in the first knockout round.

St Mary’s bound!

The Danish international made 83 appearances, registering seven goals from the back, during his two seasons at Gladbach, before agreeing a deal to join Saints in the summer of 2018.

A solid debut followed for Vestergaard, as he helped protect Saints’ clean sheet in a 0-0 draw at home to Burnley, on the opening weekend of the 2018/19 season, before going on to make 26 appearances throughout the course of the campaign.

Vestergaard remained an integral part of manager Ralph Hasenhüttl's defence during the 2019/20 season making 21 appearances as he shared centre-back duties with Jack Stephens and Jan Bednarek. 

The Dane scored his first goal for the club at the end of August; a pinpoint header to earn a point against Manchester United at St Mary’s.

He made his first appearance of the 2020/21 season as a half time replacement for Jan Bednarek in the 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.