• Name: Kasper Kusk
  • Age: 22 (10-11-1991)
  • Position: Wing
  • Club: Aalborg BK
  • International Caps:
    • Denmark A
      • 4 matches / 0 goals
    • Denmark U21
      • 6 matches / 0 goals
    • Denmark U20
      • 3 matches / 0 goals
    • Danish National League team
      • 2 matches / 0 goals
  • Value: £875.000
His father, Søren Kusk, was not only a player but also manager for Aalborg BK; Now the next generation of the Kusk family is one of the most prominent names in the current squad. This week we keep an eye on AaB's Kasper Kusk.

While many players have been marked as talents from the day the tied their boots for the first time, the story is different for Kusk. Since joining Aalborg as 14-year-old, he had to fight to be a part of the youth teams. As the Chief of Talent development in Aalborg, Poul Erik Andreasen, said to Tipsbladet.dk earlier this year:

"He has been fighting for five-six-seven years, where he often was a reserve. It is a long time to be less physical, slower than the others and a head lower. It is well done, and a great part of the reason why we are so happy to see him make a breakthrough."

Kasper Kusk sees his way to the status as Superliga player and profile in Aalborg as a long process:

“During my youth time wasn’t between the ten of eleven best players in the club, so I was forced to train extra and train by myself to develop some of the skills I was missing. It meant that I had to spend some extra time on the training ground, and it wasn’t the best time of my life, but I believe it has strengthened me and helped me work harder."

But, Kusk managed to breakthrough in Aalborg and found his place as a winger, a position he has been able to keep. The young talent took both the fans and the media with storm scoring eight goals last autumn, but after last season's Christmas break Kusk had problems finding the net. Suddenly he was doubted on against, and especially the media were hard to the starlet. However, Kusk takes the dry scoring period with calmness:

"You learn when sometimes things doesn’t go your way, and there is no doubt I would have loved to score goals last spring, but it wasn’t to be. I think most footballers experience an up and down period, and I have learned from it.”

This season Kusk has, unlike the strikers in Aalborg, managed to find the back of the net scoring seven goals so far. Three of them against Randers two weeks ago adding to his 20 goals in 67 matches for Aalborg. However, the stress that the fans shouldn't expect him to score every time and that it is up to the strikers in the club. That said, he admits that his self-confidence raises every time he sees the ball cross the line.

The current form from Kusk and his teammates has brought them to the top of the Danish Superliga second to FC Midtjylland on the first. While some might consider Aalborg as a contestant for the trophy this season, Kusk is more humble:

“We play well and we have some young players performing on a high level, but there is no doubt there will come some qualified teams from behind who wants to be a part of the top, so we are not the favorites.
“We will do what we can, but there will be hard matches and we will have our problems," Kusk says.

The talent had his debut for the Danish national team against Georgia at Aalborg Stadium, but it is not until this season he has been called up regularly by Morten Olsen. So far he can add four caps to his CV, but if the winger keeps playing his best in Aalborg, he will be a part of the future of the Danish national team.

“The most important is to play well for your club, and then grab the chance when you get it for the national team," Kusk says.

The good play for Aalborg have also opened the eyes for the winger around Europe. During the summer, Kusk was linked with moves to clubs as Anderlecht, Crystal Palace and Lille. Earlier this week, Allan Gaarde, Sport Director in Aalborg admitted that the golden boy might leave in the winter transfer window, but not for any price. Kusk himself is not so sure about leaving Aalborg in January:

“I feel good in Aalborg, and have been in Aalborg my entire life so I could see myself staying here for longer. That said, if the right offer come from an interesting club, then I will consider it.
"But I feel good in Aalborg and it will be interesting to see how far this team can go,” the starlet ends the interview.