Peter Løvenkrands

Lore & Background

Løvenkrands began his career in his native Denmark, winning the 1999 Danish Cup with Akademisk Boldklub. He then moved to Scottish club Rangers where he played for six years and won seven major honours, including two Scottish Premier League titles. He signed for German team Schalke 04 in 2006, but eventually fell out of favour during his last season there, and transferred to Premier League side Newcastle United in the winter of 2008. After three and a half seasons he moved to Birmingham City, who released him at the end of the 2013–14 season and he subsequently retired.

In Their Own Story

At Ibrox, watching Løvenkrands meant bracing for an explosion of speed. He would receive the ball on his right foot and sprint past defenders with such acceleration that they often turned to watch him run away. The left touchline became a highway as he drove forward, cutting inside when the angle was right. Whether curling a shot toward the far post or threading a pass through the defense, his movement created chaos. It was these bursts of pace and precision on Scottish soil that defined his time at Rangers—moments of Danish magic that had the stadium erupting.

Reader's Guide

Løvenkrands joined Rangers for £1.4 million in June 2000. He made 182 appearances for Rangers, scoring 54 goals, including a last-minute winner against Celtic in the 2002 Scottish Cup Final. He played often as a left winger rather than his natural centre forward position. His highest-scoring season at Rangers was 2005–06, with 14 SPL goals. He left Rangers on a free transfer in summer 2006 and signed for Schalke 04 on 23 May 2006. After a successful first season, he lost his place in the starting line-up and was released in January 2009. He then joined Newcastle United on 23 January 2009 on a contract until the end of the season, and later rejoined on 1 September 2009 on a three-year contract.

Did You Know?

• He won the 1998 Danish Under-19 Player of the Year award.
• He played 21 times and scored a single goal for the Danish national team, representing them at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2004.
• He scored a hat-trick for Newcastle in a 3–0 FA Cup victory against Plymouth Argyle on 13 January 2010.