Joachim Andersen

It takes a lot of headroom to fit in someone who stands at 6 ft 4 in, and the team bus is the perfect vehicle. Photographed while on duty with his national team Denmark, the centre-back rode around with his teammates during the 2020 UEFA European Championships.

Jo is a ball-playing defender who is equally adept with both feet. His abilities allow him to play a number of defensive positions including midfield, this along with his physical attributes make him an imposing proposition. Born in Solrød, Denmark in 1996, his youth career spanned over a number of clubs including F.C. Copenhagen, FC Midtjylland and FC Twente. He would start his professional career with the later in 2013. His first-team debut came two years later in 2015 against Willem II. In the summer of 2017 the defender signed for Italian Seria A club UC Sampdoria. After a difficult start he managed to secure a starting-eleven berth during his second season, making 32 appearances in the league. July 2019 saw a €30 million bid arrive from Ligue 1 outfit Olympique Lyonnais which Sampdoria found impossible to turn down. The transfer would be unsuccessful as the Dane couldn’t establish himself with Les Gones. In 2020 he switched to English side Fulham. He was one of the bright spots in an otherwise miserable season for the Cottagers, who were relegated at the end of the season. Before the start of the following campaign Jo moved to Crystal Palace for a fee of €20 million.