The expectations were huge when Jesper Lindstrøm was presented at Napoli a year ago. He was praised as a great addition, a player that could make the recently-crowned Italian champions even better by head coach Luciano Spalletti. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way. 

Soon after "Jobbe", as he is fondly known by friends and family in Denmark, found himself in an Italian hell as Napoli fell into chaos, with Spalletti leaving the club due to disagreements with the owner of the club soon after Lindstrøm arrived. 

Now, Lindstrøm’s year of misery is finally over, and he has arrived in Everton on a season-long loan with an option to buy, the aim of restarting his career and recapturing his spot on the Danish national team. But what does the midfielder bring to the Blue part of Merseyside, and what can Evertonians expect of their new signing?

Schmeichel, the Laudrups… and Lindstrøm

Growing up in the western outskirts of Copenhagen, locally known as Vestegnen, Lindstrøm comes from a family of passionate fans of the local powerhouse, Brøndby IF. At the age of 12, he joined Brøndby himself, a club he supported his whole life, and he quickly emerged as one of the most talented players of his age group. 

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Although Lindstrøm excelled tactically and technically, he was struggling with the physical part of the game due to his lack of size and strength. 

Nevertheless, he continued to emerge through the ranks of the club, and in November 2018, he received his official debut for the first team at the age of 18, as he played 10 minutes in a cup match away against minors Marienlyst. Then, the following season, he earned his first appearance on home field as he received the last seven minutes on the pitch in a Europa League qualifier against Inter Turku from Finland. 

“From my room in Brøndby Strand, I can see the floodlights from Brøndby Stadion light in the dark,” he wrote on Twitter following his home debut. “For many years, I’ve dreamt of stepping onto the pitch in that stadium and play for Brøndby. Today that dream became reality, and I will never forget this day.”

That season, Lindstrøm went to appear in 28 league matches for Brøndby, starting 14 of them. At the time, Brøndby was rebuilding the squad after years of heavy spending but no championships to show for it, and expensive players were sold and replaced with homegrown youngsters such as Jobbe, current Leicester City goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, Sheffield United’s Anis Ben Slimane and Genoa ace Morten Frendrup. 

The 2019-20 season saw the club finish fourth in the Superliga, but along the way there were signs that the young guns had something special to them. Lindstrøm himself busted into the scene by scoring an overtime brace against Lechia Gdansk in the Europa League qualification, securing Brøndby a 4-1 victory at home after coming on shortly before the end of regular time.  In the league, he added another three goals, all of them crucial in one-goal victories. 

However, it wasn’t until the following 2020-21 season that Lindstrøm really made a name for himself. He went from being a talented youngster to an established star. He became the offensive focal point and playmaker on Brøndby’s team on the central midfield, and thanked for the trust with ten goals and ten assists in 29 matches. With Jobbe on the midfield, Brøndby went to win the Danish championship for the first time since 2005, earning him a spot in the history books and instant legend status at the club. 

That season also saw him debut on the Danish national team in a friendly against Sweden at Brøndby Stadion. By getting capped on the national team while still at Brøndby, he earned a spot on the Brøndby Wall of Honour of the club’s national team players, where he appears alongside all time greats such as Michael and Brian Laudrup, Peter Schmeichel and Daniel Agger. 

During the season, Lindstrøm showcased all of his gifts and despite his young age he contributed in both the biggest matches and never seemed to be limited by the expectations and responsibility put on his shoulders. 

Lindstrøm had, however, also outgrown the Superliga, and following the championship he left Denmark. Eintracht Frankfurt made him Brøndby’s most expensive sale since Liverpool bought Daniel Agger, following the club’s previous championship, and he took the Bundesliga by storm. 

In his first season, he won the Rookie of the Year award in the Bundesliga while Frankfurt also won the Europa League with Lindstrøm an instrumental player along the way. 

The following season, Lindstrøm scored Frankfurt’s first ever Champions League goal, and once again he had outgrown his club and was ready to take the next step. He left Germany for Napoli with 12 Bundesliga goals and six assists in two seasons. 

Dynamic And Versatile

The move to Napoli was obviously no success for Lindstrøm, and he now arrives in Everton hungry to get back to his old form.

As I explained while speaking about Lindstrøm on BBC Merseyside earlier in the week, Everton are getting a skilled offensive midfielder with a quality mindset and mentality. 

He is best when playing centrally on the midfield. At both Brøndby and Frankfurt, he was playing in a free role on the offensive midfield, and he has a fantastic ability to find open space – either by drifting wide or going deep to receive the ball. 

When on the ball, he has an extra level of speed, and he can move it forward with great pace and also take on defenders 1v1, which makes him lethal on teams that press aggressively and on counter attacks. 

He has a great eye for goal and is a skilled finisher. He has a powerful shot from the distance, and has scored some screamers over the years, but also has the technique to finish from difficult positions. His ability to find space also goes in the penalty area, where he knows how to time his runs and make it difficult for defenders to mark him as he attacks the goal. 

However, he also has eye for his teammates and can set them up. When Brøndby won the league in 2021, he had the most assists of all players in the league, and he proved these abilities at Frankfurt as well. 

Despite being an offense-minded player, there is no drama with Lindstrøm. He is all about the team, and has always been popular among both teammates and fans. 

He is hard-working and contributes greatly in the defensive part of the game as well. Playing under German coaches at both Brøndby and Frankfurt, he has mastered the art of gegenpress and his positioning is also strong defensively. 

Lastly, Jobbe is a versatile player that is capable of playing multiple roles. He can be deployed as a number ten, but can also easily play deeper in a number eight role. He can also play as a second striker, which he did at times at Frankfurt, and on the wing. 

He is best centrally though. This is where he has been incredibly successful at both Brøndby and Frankfurt, while Napoli and the Danish national team has deployed him mostly as a winger without the same degree of success. 

All in all, Everton are signing a player with an immense amount of talent and a track record that shows he can perform at the highest level when trusted and used correctly. 

Toke Møller Theilade is a Danish football writer, editor-in-chief at VilfortPark.dk and Brøndby supporter


Reader Comments (24)

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Danny O’Neill
1 Posted 28/07/2024 at 07:56:30
I wouldn't read too much into his experience in Italy. They play very defensive and tactically, so it can be difficult for attacking players.

Also, being Danish, a huge cultural difference. He should fit in well to Everton and the Premier League. Let's see him in a blue shirt.

Steve Hogan
2 Posted 28/07/2024 at 08:06:00
What a great write-up, Toke, thankyou. It seems we have finally signed a young player with great technical ability and, more importantly, an eye for goals, which our current midfielders sadly lack.

It will be interesting to see where Dyche decides to deploy him, hopefully not as an out-and-out winger where he certainly seems less effective.

Welcome to Goodison, Jobbe!

Bob Parrington
3 Posted 28/07/2024 at 08:29:50
I've learned to follow my gut feel through my 76 years of life, including 16 years of coaching, and my gut feel tells me this guy is just what Everton needs now.

Sean Dyche — please deploy him to his strengths, in the middle, so that he excels for the team (and himself).

Sam Hoare
4 Posted 28/07/2024 at 08:46:58
Thanks Toke, I'm curious because his heatmap seems to suggest that he had the ball mainly on the right flank but you have clearly watched him more than me and believe he has been operating more from the centre.

It will be interesting to see where Dyche and Thelwell want him to play but I worry slightly that Ndiaye is another player who plays best centrally and suffers when shunted to the wing. Perhaps they will both be competing for that second striker or No 10 role.

Hard to predict our starting lineup at the moment which I think is a good thing.

Edward Rogers
5 Posted 28/07/2024 at 08:58:54
'Jobbe' … does that mean he's going to be 'Shite'??

Seriously, welcome Jesper, and good luck.

Dave Cashen
6 Posted 28/07/2024 at 09:00:46
Interesting.

If he was indeed given a "free role" at Brondby and Frankfurt, it would probably explain the disparity between popular belief that he is an out-and-out wide man and Sam's heat maps.

I haven't seen him play, so I'm really looking forward to doing so, but I'm not sure Sean Dyche does "free roles".

Ed Fitzgerald
7 Posted 28/07/2024 at 09:11:21
Let's hope Dyche plays him in the position he appears to be most effective attacking centre-midfielder, although it wouldn't surprise me if he played him at full-back!
Robert Tressell
8 Posted 28/07/2024 at 09:34:53
Very interesting. I think (guess, hope) that Ndiaye and Lindstrøm have been brought in to give us much-needed depth and tactical options. Ndiaye looks more like a second striker. Lindstrøm more like an attacking midfielder. Both can play wide — and as Sam notes Lindstrøm has played a lot of football on the flanks even if a team-sheet / formation appears to position him centrally.

I expect that Dyche will start the season with the 4411 that he used last season — with McNeil and Harrison wide and Doucoure the most advanced midfielder behind the lone striker.

But over the course of the season, as the new boys settle in, hopefully Ndiaye takes Doucoure's spot and Lindstrøm takes Harrison's spot. That doesn't mean Lindstrøm just spends his time running up and down the right flank. It's just a starting position. Their versatility and technical ability means that Lindstrøm and Ndiaye should be able to rotate positions, especially when in possession / attack.

Interested to know if Lindstrøm is good on set pieces. We're missing someone who can take set pieces with their right foot.

Dave Williams
9 Posted 28/07/2024 at 09:47:09
Robert — like James Garner did yesterday?

Seriously, I know what you mean. This lad with Ndiaye, Harrison (who is looking much sharper) and McNeil should give us good options and a much more creative team.

We need to find someone who can finish chances now unless Calvert-Lewin decides to stay and sharpens up.

Jason Li
10 Posted 28/07/2024 at 11:01:24
Ndiaye and Lindstrom will allow Harrison to come off the right and swap places, so carry the ball inwards naturally when the moment is right. This means Harrison is more effective as defenders don't know if he's going inside or outside like McNeil does. Wingers will also link up better with the new Number 10s at the corner of the box which does involves positional swaps if wingers go in diagonal for a shot.

If the manager feels he believes there's a good mid-level team here, then both the new signings can take turns in the Number 10 role if there's a bit more of a cup run too this season and a small chance of challenging for Europe. Plus 5 subs means a chance to alter games with quality from the 16 on the pitch over a game, not 11 over a game. More attacking variation ultimately. Exciting stuff!

Jason Li
11 Posted 28/07/2024 at 11:16:41
Doucoure has provided a good physical outlet, does find a good through ball when facing goal sometimes, but hasn't the feet or dribbling skills of the new Number 10s on the edge of the box.

But the Number 10s won't have Doucoure's physical attributes and we already know Doucoure has that knack of scoring important goals. So lots of interesting combinations to use during the season with 3 decent Number 10s.

Lester Yip
12 Posted 28/07/2024 at 11:17:31
I am looking forward to the options in the attacking third this season.

More versatility means players can switch sides, staying on flanks, drifting inside, etc — which hopefully turns those high xGs into goals.

Derek Knox
13 Posted 28/07/2024 at 12:12:26
My advice to Jesper would be this. Get yourself to an Exorcist as soon as possible to expunge those RS thoughts, produce it on the pitch, and you will become an Everton Favourite.

Glad you are here mate! 👍💙

Andy Crooks
14 Posted 28/07/2024 at 15:13:12
I'm in the process of giving my head a wobble, on the instructions of my wife.

Pete Moore sent me a video of Jesper's top moments. I actually, truly said, "He reminds me so much of how I played at his age".

Oh, how time changes memories!

Derek Knox
15 Posted 28/07/2024 at 15:30:42
My memory is not what it was either...

Andy Lindstrøm or Jesper Crooks he reminded me of. :-)

Neil Lawson
16 Posted 28/07/2024 at 19:34:07
Robert @8. I suspect that you are correct. I hope that you aren't.

Doucoure was very poor from Christmas onwards. Get the new boys playing. Surely the best way to get them up to speed and effective.

Frank Thomas
17 Posted 28/07/2024 at 19:58:32
Once this team gels, we could be very exciting to watch and very difficult to play against.

Jesper did not get much playing time last season, same as Patterson, Chermiti and Dobbin. Hopefully Dyche gives younger players more time this season.

We still need to sign two players:

Matt O'Reilly, who seems to be able to pass to his own players even while falling during tackling and is very calm especially in front of goal. The second player is Arkadiusz Milik for £8M.

We could just sell Maupay back to Brentford for £10M+ and spend the monies on a great finisher. If Calvert-Lewin stays, he could learn a lot from this player. This player is a Polish version of Olivier Giroud.

Shane Corcoran
18 Posted 28/07/2024 at 20:02:24
Can we really just sell Maupay for £10M plus? Cool.

Fair play to Brentford for being such good sports.

Mike Gaynes
19 Posted 28/07/2024 at 20:12:58
Toke, many thanks for this superb summary. Your clarity on this exciting young man is most welcome.

I cannot wait to see him play. I hope he's in the starting 11 from Day 1.

Andy #14, I have no doubt you were equally brilliant, my friend! Thanks for the big grin you just gave me.

Kieran Kinsella
20 Posted 28/07/2024 at 20:18:07
The physical thing and success in Germany reminds me of Klaassen but hopefully similarities end there.

Clearly they're trying to evolve the team — bringing in Nduaye and this chap rather than just like-for-like replacement for Onana. It means we can potentially play better football while retaining the option for the more direct Gueye or Doucoure type midfield.

Brendan Fox
21 Posted 29/07/2024 at 07:16:32
Thanks Toke for the excellent summary of Jester.

If played in the position where he is most effective Jesper could be what we've needed for ages.

Hope he does a great Jobbe against the Gobshites and the rest of our oponents this and for many seasons to come! COYB

Roger Helm
22 Posted 29/07/2024 at 19:07:27
As the saying goes, Andy, the older I get, the better I was.
Dupont Koo
23 Posted 30/07/2024 at 02:08:48
Thank you, Toke, for a refreshing piece!

Frankly I knew nothing about Jobbe before he emerged as a signing of ours. When the news broke, I thought he might be a more direct Deulofeu with work rate and consistency. (Correct me if I'm wrong!)

Regardless, I do look forward to seeing him play!

Mihir Ambardekar
24 Posted 30/07/2024 at 13:18:02
My worry is how Dyche utilizes him? Is Jobbe effective and comfortable to play on wings?

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