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WC Best: Quarter-Final 1998

After stints at the helm of 1FC Koln and Ajax, this Danish pseudo-brother of Peter Pan found himself in his country’s managerial hotseat in the summer of 2000. Olsen signed a four-year extension to his contract after just a year in charge, after an impressive debut season that yielded eight wins, four draws and just one defeat in his first thirteen games.

AC Milan’s Thomas Helveg provides most of the experience in defence, alongside Panathinaikos stopper Rene Henriksen, while PSV youngster Kasper Bogelund and Norway-based Steven Lustu have also been picked.

Manchester City wing-back Niclas Jensen has recently made the left-sided berth his own, taking over from 38-year-old Jan Heintze.

But it’s in midfield where the Danish squad will look particularly familiar, because Everton’s all-action Grant Mitchell-alike Thomas Gravesen is one of the first names on Olsen’s teamsheet. He has been joined by a couple of familiar faces - Charlton's Claus Jensen and Bolton's Stig Tofting, but Wanderers collegaue Per Frandsen, Watford’s Allan Nielsen and Fulham’s Bjarne Goldbaek miss out.

Olsen can call upon some dazzlingly fast out-and-out wingers to supply ammunition from wide positions. FC Copenhagen’s Morten Bisgaard and Chelsea’s injury-hit Jesper Gronkjaer were the first choice widemen in Euro 2000, but more of the creative onus could now fall on the shoulders PSV Eindhoven’s exciting Dennis Rommedahl and the emerging talent of Rangers’ Peter Lovenkrands. The Glasgow-based youngster made the graduation from the Under-21’s earlier this year, after shaking off 18 months of injury, while Rommedahl has been linked with a big-money move to Newcastle United in the past.

Up front, Ebbe Sand (see below) will lead the line, and he is usually partnered by former Newcastle misfit Jon Dahl Tomasson. It’s a whole four years since the under-confident Magpie struggled to find his feet in the Premiership – scoring three times in 23 appearances – but it’s a different story at international level, and he boasts the best scoring average in the squad.

Udinese striker Martin Jorgensen - a scorer against Brazil in the quarter-finals four years ago - and Brondby's Peter Madsen complete his attacking optins.

After a belated start in professional football, the Schalke striker became an instant hit in the Bundesliga, where, last season, his 22 goals in 33 games made him the joint top scorer. He also finished runner-up to Oliver Kahn in the German Footballer of the Year awards – for the second year running.

He moved to Denmark’s top club, Brondby, in 1992, but didn’t sign professional terms until 1997, when he’d finished his engineering degree. But he quickly made up for lost time - winning the double, being voted Danish Footballer of the Year and finishing as the league’s top scorer – earning a call-up for France’ 98.

And the good first impressions didn’t stop there – as the six-footer scored against Nigeria just 24 seconds after coming on as a substitute.

He then overcame testicular cancer to reclaim his place in the Denmark squad before the end of the year, and by April 1999 FC Schalke 04 had splashed out a club record 10DM fee to bring him to the Bundesliga.

He’s quick, composed, strong in the air and at the age of 29, is in his prime. It’s Ebbe Sand’s big chance to make his mark on the world stage.