Mikkel Damsgaard knew straight away he’d let himself down.
With Denmark chasing a winner during the final 20 minutes of their Euro 2020 clash with Belgium in front of a pumped-up Parken Stadium, the Sampdoria whizzkid flopped on to the Copenhagen turf, squealing in ‘pain’ just to add an element of drama to a piece of performance art.
A referee as experienced and wily as Bjorn Kuipers was never going to fall for such tomfoolery, however.
And the 20-year-old winger looked suitably ashamed when he picked himself up, dusted himself down, and accepted his punishment.
But an embarrassing dive – and the yellow card that followed – should not overshadow what felt like a coming-of-age performance on the biggest of stages for a player few outside Denmark had heard of this time 12 months ago.
Will Arsenal and Spurs battle for Damsgaard after Euro 2020 display?
Damsgaard’s dazzling Serie A displays in the blue and white of Sampdoria have resulted in links to what feels like pretty much every club in the Premier League, with Leeds, West Ham, Southampton, Leicester and more showing an interest in the £16 million-rated speed-machine.
But according to SampNews24 – a well-placed source that unsurprisingly has a solid grasp on goings on at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris – the appointment of sporting director Fabio Paratici means Tottenham are suddenly in pole position for Damsgaard’s signature.
The former Juventus director is determined to mark his arrival in English football by signing a player who, thanks to his turbo-charged pace and pinpoint crossing ability, caught his eye in Italy.
And while Damsgaard still has plenty of room for improvement – when to stay on your feet is one lesson he could learn – an exciting performance full of speed, skill and endeavour against the side ranked top of the FIFA world rankings clearly did his burgeoning reputation no harm at all.
Here’s what some fans of Premier League clubs had to say on Twitter about Damsgaard’s performance:
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