Hi! My name is Jannik Eckenrode and I joined Jammerbugt FC in mid-August. I’m from right outside Washington, D.C. in the United States. The majority of my playing experience comes from the US, although I have a German heritage and dual citizenship. I played NCAA division I “soccer” (I call it football, don't worry) for four years at George Mason University. Being an NCAA student-athlete consists of studying, training hard and playing competitive football (not necessarily in that order…) I really enjoyed my time playing in University. I made some lifelong friends, and I also developed as a strong leader. My passion and drive for football have been a part of me for as long as I can remember. My love for the game started as I was growing up playing with my father and two brothers, four years older and one year younger, always learning and competing with and against each other.

After my 4 years of University eligibility, the first offer I received was to play professionally Iceland. I signed with FC Aegir and took the opportunity to explore a new country I had never been to, and immerse myself in a football culture that was beginning to get some global attention from Iceland’s Euro 2016 performance. Iceland is a beautiful country and my experience there was nothing short of amazing. Everywhere you look, you see something new and beautiful that you didn't know existed. They also have brilliant football infrastructure for such a small country. At the start of 2018 I found myself in another new country, around another new, difficult language. Sweden! My time in Sweden was much shorter than Iceland, and one of my main experiences in Orebro besides a strong level of football was the bitter cold of January and February.

Now, as the weather begins to get cold again, I find myself in another new Scandinavian country, Denmark! Exploring the world through football, what an adventure. I arrived to a team who started brightly, and still sits in the top 3. Although the language is slightly more similar to German than Icelandic and Swedish, I still can’t grasp much of what anyone is saying. Despite that, everyone from the head coach to the veteran players have welcomed me into the club warmly, and I hope to continue to help the team prepare to fight and take 3 points every weekend. Over the next several weeks, I will be writing on here detailing some part of my journey and experiences in Denmark.

Feel free to ask me any questions or offer ideas for topics!

All the best,

Jannik Eckenrode :)