Yussuf Poulsen

Yussuf Yurary Poulsen (Danish pronunciation: [ˈjusuf ˈpʰʌwlsn̩]; born 15 June 1994) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig and the Denmark national team. He sometimes uses Yurary as his shirt name.

Yussuf Poulsen
Poulsen celebrating promotion to the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig in 2016
Personal information
Full name Yussuf Yurary Poulsen[1]
Date of birth (1994-06-15) 15 June 1994
Place of birth Copenhagen, Denmark
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[2]
Position(s) Striker
Club information
Current team
 RB Leipzig
Number 9
Youth career
BK Skjold
0000–2011 Lyngby BK
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2013 Lyngby BK 35 (11)
2013– RB Leipzig 246 (66)
National team‡
2010 Denmark U16 1 (0)
2010–2011 Denmark U17 19 (2)
2011–2012 Denmark U18 7 (10)
2012–2013 Denmark U19 12 (8)
2012 Denmark U20 3 (0)
2013–2015 Denmark U21 15 (4)
2013 Denmark League XI 1 (0)
2014– Denmark 64 (11)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:15, 16 October 2021 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:45, 12 October 2021 (UTC)

After starting his professional career with Lyngby, he transferred to RB Leipzig in 2013, helping them to consecutive promotions from the 3. Liga to the Bundesliga. He holds the RB Leipzig record for most appearances with over 250, and has scored over seventy goals for the club.

Poulsen made his international debut for Denmark in 2014 and has earned over sixty caps. He was part of their squad at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2020.

Early life

Poulsen was born to a Tanzanian father and a Danish mother.[3] His father worked on a container ship, oscillating between Tanga and Denmark before he settled in Copenhagen.[4] He died of cancer when Poulsen was six years old.

Club career

Early career

Poulsen began playing football at BK Skjold. At first he was a defensive player and in Kenneth Zohore he had a teammate, with whom he was to play later in the Danish youth national teams. After Zohoré joined FC Copenhagen, Poulsen was moved to a position as a striker.[4]

Lyngby BK

At the age of 14 he joined the youth ranks of Lyngby BK. He played his first match as a senior on 4 December 2011, when he came on the pitch against AC Horsens after 84 minutes, as a substitute for Mathias Tauber. Poulsen did not immediately establish himself in the starting eleven, and he was at the end of the season only on five appearances. His club, Lyngby were also relegated from Superligaen. 5 August 2012 he scored his first goal at senior level, as well as for his club, when he in the second match in the 1. Division (second Danish league) scored the 1-0 winning goal against AB Gladsaxe. He was a regular player in the starting 11, and played 32 matches, scoring eleven goals.[5]

RB Leipzig
Poulsen in action for Leipzig against Zenit in October 2019

His achievements attracted the interest of foreign and domestic clubs, and on 3 July 2013, he signed a contract with the newly promoted 3. Liga German side RB Leipzig.[4][6] He finished the 2013–14 season with 10 goals in 27 appearances.[7] Poulsen earned promotion with Leipzig to the 2. Bundesliga in 2014 and the German top-flight Bundesliga in 2016. He had scored 12 goals in 32 appearances during the 2014–15 season[8] and seven goals in 32 appearances during the 2015–16 season.[9] In the sixth match of the 2016–17 season, he scored his first Bundesliga goal in a 2–1 victory at home against FC Augsburg.[10][11] He finished the 2016–17 season with five goals in 30 appearances.[11] He finished the 2017–18 season five goals in 41 appearances.[12]

On 30 March 2019, during a 5–0 win over Hertha BSC, he became the first-ever Leipzig player to score a hat-trick in the Bundesliga and in the process helped the club record its 50th ever win in the competition. His treble also took him to 15 league goals for the campaign which meant he became only the third Danish player, after Ebbe Sand and Allan Simonsen to score more than 14 Bundesliga goals in a single season.[13]

Poulsen became the first Leipzig player to 250 appearances on 24 May 2020, when he scored in a 5–0 win at 1. FSV Mainz 05.[14]

International career

Poulsen was eligible to play for Tanzania but did not receive any offers from the Tanzanian federation; as a result, he chose to represent his native Denmark.[15][16]

He made his debut for the Danish national team on 30 January 2013 against Mexico.[17] On 13 June 2015, he scored his first goal for his country, against Serbia in a 2–0 win. Poulsen was selected in Denmark's squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics, however he rejected the call-up in order to cement his place at Leipzig.[18]

In May 2018, he was named in Denmark's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[19] On 16 June, he scored the lone goal in Denmark's opening game against Peru, and was named man of the match. Earlier in the game he conceded a penalty with a foul on Christian Cueva, which the Peruvian missed.[20]

On 17 June 2021, Poulsen scored his first goal in the European Championship in a 2–1 defeat against Belgium in the UEFA Euro 2020.[21]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 19 October 2021[5]
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Lyngby 2011–12 Danish Superliga 5000—50
2012–13 Danish 1st Division 301120—3211
Total 351120—3711
RB Leipzig 2013–14[7] 3. Liga 361010—3710
2014–15[8] 2. Bundesliga 291131—3212
2015–16[9] 2. Bundesliga 32720—347
2016–17[11] Bundesliga 29510—305
2017–18[12] Bundesliga 304219[lower-alpha 1]0415
2018–19 Bundesliga 3115628[lower-alpha 2]24519
2019–20 Bundesliga 225308[lower-alpha 3]0335
2020–21 Bundesliga 275658[lower-alpha 3]14111
2021–22 Bundesliga 104104[lower-alpha 3]0154
Total 2466625937330878
Career total 2817627937334589
  1. Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. Appearances in UEFA Champions League

International
As of match played 12 October 2021[22]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Denmark 201430
201582
201671
201760
2018122
201972
202070
2021144
Total6411
As of match played 7 September 2021. Denmark score listed first, score column indicates score after each Poulsen goal.[23]
International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 13 June 2015Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark5 Serbia1–02–0UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
2 17 November 201511 Sweden1–22–2
3 8 October 2016National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland16 Poland2–32–32018 FIFA World Cup qualification
4 9 June 2018Brøndby Stadium, Brøndby, Denmark28 Mexico1–02–0Friendly
5 16 June 2018Mordovia Arena, Saransk, Russia29 Peru1–01–02018 FIFA World Cup
6 10 June 2019Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark39 Georgia4–15–1UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
7 12 October 201942  Switzerland1–01–0
8 2 June 2021Tivoli Stadion Tirol, Innsbruck, Austria53 Germany1–11–1Friendly
9 17 June 2021Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark56 Belgium1–01–2UEFA Euro 2020
10 21 June 2021Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark57 Russia2–04–1
11 7 September 2021Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark62 Israel1–05–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Club

RB Leipzig

Individual

References
  1. "European Championship 2020: Booking List before Qualifying Round Matchday 10" (PDF). UEFA. 17 November 2019. p. 4. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  2. "Bundesliga profile". bundesliga.com.
  3. Unterschrieben: Yussuf Poulsen verstärkt RB Leipzig – erste Einsätze am Wochenende, www.lvz-online.de vom 4. Juli 2013
  4. RasenBallsport Leipzig GmbH (publisher) (2013). "AUS DEM KLUBMAGAZIN: Yussuf Yurary Poulsen UND SEIN WEG ZU RB LEIPZIG!". DIE ROTEN BULLEN (Vereinswebsite von RB Leipzig) (in German). Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  5. "Y. Poulsen". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  6. Olympia Verlag GmbH (publisher) (4 July 2013). "Poulsen wird ein roter Bulle". kicker online (in German). Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  7. "Yussuf Poulsen". kicker.de (in German). kicker. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  8. "Yussuf Poulsen". kicker.de (in German). kicker. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  9. "Yussuf Poulsen". kicker.de (in German). kicker. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  10. "Record-setting Leipzig up to third after beating Augsburg". DW.COM. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  11. "Yussuf Poulsen". kicker.de (in German). kicker. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  12. "Yussuf Poulsen". kicker.de (in German). kicker. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  13. "Yussuf Poulsen hits hat-trick as five-star RB Leipzig rout Hertha Berlin". Bundesliga. 30 March 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  14. "Timo Werner nets hat-trick as RB Leipzig hammer Mainz". Bundesliga. 24 May 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  15. Venner fra barnsben: Yussuf Yurary Poulsen hjælper Højbjerg igennem sorgen, http://www.bt.dk 10 October 2015
  16. Derfor brød Pierre-Emile sammen i gråd: Poulsen og Højbjerg har en fælles fortid, http://www.bt.dk 14 June 2015
  17. "Mexico vs. Denmark - 31 January 2013". Soccerway.
  18. "Olympics: Dane turns down Rio to prepare for Bundesliga". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  19. "Revealed: Every World Cup 2018 squad - Final 23-man lists". Goal.com.
  20. "Relieved 'bad guy' Poulsen ruins Peru's World Cup return". Channel News Asia. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  21. "Denmark 1–2 Belgium". UEFA. 17 June 2021.
  22. "Yussuf Poulsen". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  23. "Yussuf Yurary Poulsen". DBU. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  24. "Bayern Munich win German Cup after Lewandowski cuts down RB Leipzig". Guardian. 25 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  25. "RB Leipzig 0 Bayern Munich 3". BBC Sport. 25 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  26. "4:1 gegen Leipzig: Dortmund feiert fünften Pokalsieg" [4–1 against Leipzig: Dortmund celebrates fifth cup win]. DFB.de (in German). German Football Association. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  27. "Bundesliga Goal of the Month". Bundesliga. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
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