Brian Jensen is a name that will be familiar to a number of football league clubs, but most notably West Bromwich Albion and Burnley.
The goalkeeper was handed on a plate to Burnley in 2003 by West Brom and spent a remarkable ten years at the club, becoming a firm fan favourite.
During that period, he helped them achieve stability in the Championship before playing a crucial role in the 2008-09 season, where the Clarets ascended to the Premier League.
Indeed, Baggies fans may look at this transfer with some frustration as he could have been a crucial player for them had he remained in the Second City.
Brian Jensen’s early years
Jensen’s rise to prominence is an interesting tale, with the Dane starting his career as a defender in the youth teams of B.93. This didn’t last long though, and in the early 1990s he changed routes, becoming a goalkeeper due to their current youth keeper lacking height.
After spells in the first-team at both his youth club and AZ Alkmaar, Jensen eventually moved on to West Brom in March 2000. After signing, he went on to feature in the majority of games for the Baggies over the next 18 months, but lost his place in early 2001, due to the arrival of Russel Hoult.
Unfortunately for Jensen, the arrival of the former Leicester City keeper meant that he was never able to regain his place and, in the summer of 2003, his contract expired at the Hawthorns.
This gave the Dane free rein over where he went next, with offers arriving from both Denmark and England. But, the ‘beast’ opted to remain in Britain and signed a two-year contract at Championship side Burnley.
Jensen’s inconsistent early years at Burnley
Having secured his deal at Turf Moor, Jensen’s first year saw him as the only contracted keeper at the club.
Luckily for the Clarets, the goalkeeper didn’t suffer any injuries and featured in all 46 Championship games that season as he helped his side secure safety by two points.
That season did have its ups and downs for Jensen though, and the signing of Danny Coyne in the summer of 2004, saw him placed as second-choice keeper. However, he quickly re-established himself, with an injury to Coyne, seeing him feature in 27 games that campaign.
The inconsistencies were far from over for the at-the-time 31-year-old, as he faced significant struggles during the early stages of the 2006-07 season. His performance issues led then-manager Steve Cotterill to exclude him from the squad for one match day. In response, Jensen requested to be placed on the transfer list.
Over the following months, he was entirely sidelined. However, Cotterill and Jensen eventually managed to mend their relationship. As a result, the keeper was reintegrated into the team for the final nine games of the season, where he made a strong comeback by keeping five clean sheets.
Jensen stamps his authority on the squad
After another season of insecurity regarding his position in the team, the 2008-09 season would arrive. Where, finally, after five seasons, he would enforce himself as the first-choice goalkeeper, appearing in 57 games in all competitions.
During this season, the Clarets not only secured promotion to the Premier League but went on a remarkable League Cup run, beating some of the top sides in England.
After securing safe passage to the round of 16, Burnley faced the daunting task of taking on Chelsea. Entering the match with modest expectations, the Clarets fell behind in the 26th minute due to a goal from Didier Drogba. However, they fought back valiantly, with Ade Akinbiyi finding the equaliser midway through the second half. Despite both teams’ efforts, the score remained level through extra time, leading to a penalty shootout.
This is where Jensen stepped up and produced two magnificent saves to deny Wayne Bridge and John Obi-Mikel as Burnley won on penalties.
A momentous occasion for the club and Jensen, who followed that result up with a Kevin McDonald double against Arsenal to send them into the semi-finals. The journey would be devastatingly ended in extra time by the Gunners’ bitter rivals Tottenham in the semis, but it was a cup run to cherish.
Having fallen just short in the League Cup, Jensen and his side had their eyes set on promotion from the play-offs. These dreams would, fortunately, come to fruition, as he kept a duo of clean sheets against Reading before adding a third to the tally as he saved all nine of Sheffield United’s attempts on target in a 1-0 win at Wembley.
This would become the defining moment of Jensen’s career. After years of battling to secure his place as Burnley’s number one goalkeeper, he demonstrated that he was indeed the key figure who could lead the team back to the top flight.
Having secured a historic promotion to the top tier, Owen Coyle would continue to reward Jensen with opportunities as he played all 38 matches of their Premier League campaign.
Despite a high sense of optimism, it was too early for Burnley in the top flight, and they would be relegated, finishing in 18th place, five points off safety. The Dane would at least get some personal highlights, as he saved Michael Carrick’s penalty in a 1-0 win against Manchester United early on in the season.
The club’s relegation saw Jensen’s playing time diminish, as he made just 29 appearances during his final three seasons at the club.
Eventually, in May 2013, he called time on his ten-year spell at Burnley, leaving the club to sign for Bury in League Two. Leaving Turf Moor with his head held high, the Dane had accumulated over 300 appearances for Burnley, keeping 91 clean sheets in the process.
His story with the Clarets ended as one of perseverance and determination. Having initially struggled to prove his worth with the Lancashire-based club, when it mattered most, he stepped up to the plate and that famous season of 2008-09 will live long in the memory.
