Kvistgaarden confident despite tough first year
Mathias Kvistgaarden has endured a challenging debut season at Norwich City but remains convinced he can succeed. The Dane joined last summer after the Canaries activated a £6.9m release clause, beating off interest from Ligue 1 side Lens, who reportedly agreed an £11m deal with Brøndby.
Kvistgaarden’s start was limited, mainly coming off the bench due to Josh Sargent’s strong form. His first start came against Blackburn in August, followed by a goal-scoring appearance at Coventry before a knee injury sidelined him for six weeks. He returned to score in the final two games under Liam Manning and netted again in Philippe Clement’s first match in charge.
Speaking to The Pink'un, Kvistgaarden said: “Well, the good thing is that I’ve experienced adversity, so I know what to do when I face adversity. I’ve noticed that it has helped me with that.” He added that adapting to a new environment has made him focus more on his own game.
Kvistgaarden on pressure and adapting to English football
The transfer fee brought added pressure, with mixed reactions in Denmark about the valuation. Kvistgaarden addressed this directly: “There were people saying you can’t get that much money for a player who is injured all the time. I don’t know where their information or knowledge comes from because I think I played 30 of the 32 games in that Superliga season before I moved to Norwich.”
He has yet to secure a consistent role under Clement, with questions over how his style fits the system. Off the pitch, Kvistgaarden has found comfort in the company of fellow Danes Oscar Schwartau and Pelle Mattsson, bonding over golf to unwind after training.
Life off the pitch
“We all live close to each other; we all love playing golf, and we enjoy going to the driving range in the evening,” Kvistgaarden explained. “We do it because we like golf, but also because we enjoy the company and it’s a shared hobby.” He emphasised the importance of balancing football with other activities, especially given the physical demands of a long season.
Kvistgaarden’s future ambitions and Brøndby connection
Kvistgaarden remains closely connected to Brøndby, where he scored 47 goals and became a fan favourite. He watches their games regularly but avoids overloading on football outside work. “Football is such a big part of my everyday life already that I think it becomes a bit annoying to go home and spend all my time on it as well,” he said.
Looking ahead, Kvistgaarden hopes to return to Brøndby before his career declines. “I want to go home properly. I want to go home before I become a grumpy old idiot who can’t keep up with the level anymore. I want to go home while I’m still at the same level.” He also wants to reach 50 goals for the club, narrowly missing out before his move.
His City teammate Oscar Schwartau shares similar ambitions. The 20-year-old told The Pink'un: “Yes, at least that’s the plan. I’d like to have a great career abroad and then hopefully be able to finish it at Brøndby, so that’s a dream as well.”