Scoring your first Premier League goal no matter what position you play is always a momentous landmark in any player’s career, and Jannik Vestergaard can now add this achievement to his personal accolades.
The Danish international scored his first-ever goal in the English top-flight last weekend against Manchester United, winning Southampton a deserved point and ensuring the Saints head into the international break with a positive mindset.
Standing close to two metres tall, it is surprising that it has taken Vestergaard this long to score his first goal in the Premier League given his size as well as his previous record of scoring in the Bundesliga, as numbers from Transfermarkt show that the defender scored an impressive 14 goals in 185 appearances in the German top-flight.
Indeed, Vestergaard himself admitted to The Daily Echo that he should be creating more chances for himself after opening his Premier League account, saying: “It was very nice (to score). It’s been a long time and I am happy to finally get a goal. It’s not only something I wish I could do, but it’s also something I need to do. It’s something I have done in my career, so it’s been very disappointing so far.
The 27-year-old defender, who is valued at £18m on Transfermarkt, added: “I should have more chances in dangerous areas. But I can take the positives from scoring against Manchester United and, hopefully, I can take the confidence from it.”
Scoring goals is, of course, not the main role for a defender, but Vestergaard’s new found mentality of wanting to find more chances inside the penalty box to score is refreshing to see from the Saints centre-back, and one that can easily be pulled off if the towering Dane uses his strengths to his advantage.
The former Borussia Monchengladbach scored two goals or more in his final three seasons in the Bundesliga as numbers from Transfermarkt show, and if Vestergaard can achieve this level of goal scoring with Southampton, he will prove to be a valuable member of the first-team.
