View source for Jan Mølby

{{short description|Danish manager and former footballer (born 1963)}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name                = Jan Mølby
| image               = Jan Molby.jpg
| caption             = Mølby in 2012
| fullname            = Jan Mølby<ref name=Hugman>{{Hugman|13779|access-date=30 November 2017}}</ref>
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1963|07|04|df=y}}<ref name=Hugman/>
| birth_place         = [[Kolding]], Denmark
| height              = 
| position            = [[Midfielder]]
| years1              = 1981–1982
| clubs1              = [[Kolding IF|Kolding]]
| caps1               = 40
| goals1              = 0
| years2              = 1982–1984
| clubs2              = [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]]
| caps2               = 57
| goals2              = 11
| years3              = 1984–1996
| clubs3              = [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
| caps3               = 218
| goals3              = 44
| years4              = 1995
| clubs4              = → [[Barnsley F.C.|Barnsley]] (loan)
| caps4               = 5
| goals4              = 0
| years5              = 1995
| clubs5              = → [[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]] (loan)
| caps5               = 3
| goals5              = 0
| years6              = 1996–1998
| clubs6              = [[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea City]]
| caps6               = 41
| goals6              = 8
| totalcaps           = 364
| totalgoals          = 63
| nationalyears1      = 1979
| nationalteam1       = [[Denmark national under-17 football team|Denmark U-17]]
| nationalcaps1       = 6
| nationalgoals1      = 2
| nationalyears2      = 1980–1981
| nationalteam2       = [[Denmark national under-19 football team|Denmark U-19]]
| nationalcaps2       = 9
| nationalgoals2      = 0
| nationalyears3      = 1981–1983
| nationalteam3       = [[Denmark national under-21 football team|Denmark U-21]]
| nationalcaps3       = 7
| nationalgoals3      = 0
| nationalyears4      = 1982–1990
| nationalteam4       = [[Denmark national football team|Denmark]]
| nationalcaps4       = 33
| nationalgoals4      = 2
| manageryears1       = 1996–1997
| managerclubs1       = [[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea City]]
| manageryears2       = 1999–2002
| managerclubs2       = [[Kidderminster Harriers F.C.|Kidderminster Harriers]]
| manageryears3       = 2002
| managerclubs3       = [[Hull City A.F.C.|Hull City]]
| manageryears4       = 2003–2004
| managerclubs4       = [[Kidderminster Harriers F.C.|Kidderminster Harriers]]
}}
'''Jan Mølby''' ({{IPA|da|ˈmølpy}}; born 4 July 1963) is a Danish former professional [[association football|footballer]] and manager. As a player, he was a [[midfielder (association football)|midfielder]] from 1982 to 1998. After starting his career with [[Kolding IF|Kolding]], he moved on to [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]] before spending twelve years playing in England with [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]. He was [[Cap (sport)|capped]] 33 times by [[Denmark national football team|Denmark]], scoring twice.

After leaving Liverpool he became player-manager of [[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea City]], where he spent two years, and then managed [[Kidderminster Harriers F.C.|Kidderminster Harriers]], guiding them to promotion to the [[Football League]] in 2000. He later had a brief spell as manager of [[Hull City A.F.C.|Hull City]] and then a brief spell back in charge of Kidderminster Harriers.

==Club career==
Born in [[Kolding]],<ref name=Hugman/> Mølby started his senior playing career at [[Kolding IF|Kolding]], before joining [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]] and then [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]].

Mølby began to establish himself as a regular and successful penalty taker, starting with two penalties converted at home to [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] in the league on 28 September 1985. Other fine performances included a brace in open play in a 3–0 home win over [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] in the league on 7 December, and two goals (one a penalty) as they eliminated [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] from the [[Football League Cup]] in a 2–1 win at [[Anfield]] in late November.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.liverweb.org.uk/season.asp?season=198586 |title=LIVERWEB - Liverpool Results 1985-86 |access-date=2 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120021129/http://www.liverweb.org.uk/season.asp?season=198586 |archive-date=20 January 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/feb/20/golden-goal-jan-molby-liverpool-manchester-united|title=Golden goal: Jan Molby for Liverpool v Manchester United (1985)	|date=20 February 2015|work=Guardian |access-date=19 June 2015}}</ref>	

In 1988–89, Mølby returned to regular first team football, playing in central defence in the absence of the injured [[Alan Hansen]], and scoring the winning goal against Manchester United at Anfield in the second league game of the season. However, in October 1988 he was sentenced to three months' imprisonment for reckless driving following an incident earlier in the year.<ref>{{cite news|title=Football's Hall of Shame | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/1235382.stm | publisher=BBC | date=14 December 2001 | access-date=4 May 2012}}</ref>

Over the first three Premier League seasons (Mølby's last), he started just over 30 games in total and all his goals came from penalties, including one in Liverpool's first game of the 1994–95 season when Mølby opened the scoring with a penalty in a 6–1 away win against Crystal Palace at [[Selhurst Park]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/6042576/Premier-Leagues-worst-defeats-on-season-opening-weekend.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Emily | last=Benammar | title=Premier League's worst defeats on season-opening weekend | date=17 August 2009}}</ref>

Early in the 1995–96 season, manager Roy Evans loaned him out to Barnsley and Norwich (where he scored once in the League Cup against Birmingham City),<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/daish-in-at-the-death-1325733.html|title=Daish in at the death|work=[[The Independent]]|date=24 January 1996|access-date=17 February 2010|first=Phil|last=Shaw|location=London}}</ref> and in February 1996, he finally called time on more than a decade at Liverpool to take over as player-manager of [[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea City]]. Just before taking the job at the [[Vetch Field]], [[Ron Atkinson]] unsuccessfully tried to sign him for [[Coventry City F.C.|Coventry City]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/YOU%27RE+THE+JAN+TO+CHEER+UP+RON;+Coventry+bid+for+Molby.-a061325286|title=YOU'RE THE JAN TO CHEER UP RON; Coventry bid for Molby. - Free Online Library|website=www.thefreelibrary.com|access-date=12 December 2018}}</ref>

While at Liverpool, he scored a total of 62 goals, 42 of which were from penalties. During Mølby's time with Liverpool, he only failed to score three times from the penalty spot (penalties against Sheffield Wednesday and QPR in 1985–86 and Chelsea in 1989–90 were saved). His record as a penalty-taker in the top flight is thought to be second only to [[Matthew Le Tissier]]. He held the club record of most penalties scored by a Liverpool player until Steven Gerrard surpassed his record in August 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 April 2014 |title=Stats: Reds close in on magic 100 |url=https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/161002-stats-reds-close-in-on-magic-100 |access-date=12 December 2018 |website=Liverpool FC}}</ref>

==Managerial career==
Mølby became manager of [[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea City]] in February 1996 but was sacked in October 1997 along with his assistant, [[Billy Ayre]]. He had taken Swansea to the [[Football League Third Division|Division Three]] playoff final five months earlier, but they lost to a last-minute goal by [[Northampton Town F.C.|Northampton Town]]'s [[John Frain]]. A dismal start to the [[1997-98 in English football|1997–98 season]] had seen Swansea struggling near the foot of the [[Football League]], and the board decided that it was time for a new manager to be appointed, asserting that the team's good performances the previous season were more down to Mølby's qualities as a top class player, rather than as a manager.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.4thegame.com/news/story/34992/MOLBY+HITS+OUT+AFTER+SWANSEA+DISMISSAL.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=6 August 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020111906/http://www.4thegame.com/news/story/34992/MOLBY+HITS+OUT+AFTER+SWANSEA+DISMISSAL.html |archive-date=20 October 2007}}</ref>

Following [[Kenny Jackett]]'s resignation as Swansea manager in early 2007, Mølby was linked with a return to the club. However, Mølby has responded by saying that he is unlikely to ever return to football management.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/swansea_city/6367829.stm|work=[[BBC News]]|title=Molby rules out return to Swansea|date=16 February 2007|access-date=5 May 2010}}</ref>

==Recent years==
In April 2009, Mølby was made an 'Honorary [[Scouser]]' by the [[Lord Mayor of Liverpool]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Liverpool's footballing legends among first round of Honorary Scousers |publisher=[[Liverpool Echo]] |date=3 April 2009 |url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/04/03/liverpool-s-footballing-legends-amoung-first-round-of-honorary-scousers-100252-23307303/ |access-date=3 April 2009}}</ref>

Mølby appears on a podcast called "Mølby on the Spot" presented by Trevor Downey from a field in rural Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://anfieldindex.com/podcasts/molby-on-the-spot|title=Molby on the Spot|date=August 2017}}</ref>

A [[running gag]] of comedian [[Troy Hawke]] ([[Milo McCabe]]) as he performs as a street [[greeter]] is that he was sent by Mølby, the "non-consensual CEO of the Greeter's Guild." The two men met at the public unveiling of a Mølby mural in Liverpool in March 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thisisanfield.com/2023/03/we-ask-troy-hawke-why-jan-molby-as-new-mural-unveiled-for-scousest-dane/|title=We ask Troy Hawke "why Jan Molby?" as new mural unveiled for "Scousest Dane"|date=March 18, 2023}}</ref>

==International career==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year<ref>{{cite web |title=Jan Mølby |url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/19511/Jan_Molby.html |website=National Football Teams |access-date=27 October 2020}}</ref>
|-
!National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="9"|[[Denmark national football team|Denmark]]
|1982||3||0
|-
|1983||2||0
|-
|1984||7||0
|-
|1985||5||0
|-
|1986||9||0
|-
|1987||2||2
|-
|1988||2||0
|-
|1989||1||0
|-
|1990||2||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total||33||2
|}

==Honours==
===Player===
[[File:Jan Mølby (Ajax) wordt ten val gebracht rechts Gullit, Bestanddeelnr 932-4214 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Mølby (centre) playing for Ajax against rivals [[Feyenoord]] in 1982]]
<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lfchistory.net/Players/Player/Profile/378|title=Liverpool career stats for Jan Mølby - LFChistory - Stats galore for Liverpool FC!|website=www.lfchistory.net|access-date=12 December 2018}}</ref>
'''Ajax'''
*[[Eredivisie]]: [[1982–83 Eredivisie|1982–83]]
*[[KNVB Cup]]: [[1982–83 KNVB Cup|1982–83]]

'''Liverpool'''
*[[Football League First Division]]:  [[1985–86 Football League First Division|1985–86]], [[1987-88 Football League First Division|1987–88]], [[1989–90 Football League First Division|1989–90]]
*[[FA Cup]]: [[1986 FA Cup Final|1985–86]], [[1992 FA Cup Final|1991–92]]
*[[FA Charity Shield]]: [[1986 FA Charity Shield|1986]], [[1988 FA Charity Shield|1988]], [[1989 FA Charity Shield|1989]]

'''Swansea City'''
*[[Football League Third Division]] play-offs runner-up: [[1997 Football League Third Division play-off Final|1997]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-swansea-run-over-by-frain-1263330.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027002521/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-swansea-run-over-by-frain-1263330.html |archive-date=27 October 2018 |title=Football: Swansea run over by Frain |work=The Independent |publisher=Independent Digital News & Media |first=Norman |last=Fox |date=25 May 1997 |access-date=1 May 2020}}</ref>

'''Individual'''
*[[PFA Team of the Year]]: [[1996–97 Football League|1996–97 Third Division]]<ref>{{cite book |editor-first=Barry J. |editor-last=Hugman |title=The 1997–98 Official PFA Footballers Factfile |year=1997 |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=Harpenden |isbn=978-1-85291-581-0 |page=317}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.janmolby.co.uk/ Official website]
* [https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/jan-molby Profile] at the Liverpool F.C. website
* {{DBU player}}
* {{FIFA player}}
* {{UEFA player}}
* {{Soccerbase | 5526 | Jan Mølby }}
* [http://www.lfchistory.net/player_profile.asp?player_id=378 Player profile at LFChistory.net]
* {{soccerbase (manager)|id=698|name=Jan Mølby}}
* [http://www.ex-canaries.co.uk/players/molby.htm Career information at ex-canaries.co.uk]

{{1996–97 Football League Third Division PFA Team of the Year}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Denmark squads
| bg        = #e11b22
| fg        = white
| list1 =
{{Denmark Squad 1984 European Championship}}
{{Denmark Squad 1986 World Cup}}
}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Managerial positions
| list1 = 
{{Swansea City A.F.C. managers}}
{{Kidderminster Harriers F.C. managers}}
{{Hull City A.F.C. managers}}
}}
{{Portal bar|Association football|Denmark}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Molby, Jan}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Kolding]]
[[Category:Danish men's footballers]]
[[Category:Denmark men's under-21 international footballers]]
[[Category:Denmark men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:AFC Ajax players]]
[[Category:Liverpool F.C. players]]
[[Category:Barnsley F.C. players]]
[[Category:Norwich City F.C. players]]
[[Category:Eredivisie players]]
[[Category:Premier League players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 1984 players]]
[[Category:1986 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:Danish football managers]]
[[Category:Swansea City A.F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Kidderminster Harriers F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Hull City A.F.C. managers]]
[[Category:English Football League managers]]
[[Category:National League (English football) managers]]
[[Category:Danish expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Danish expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Danish expatriate sportspeople in England]]
[[Category:Danish expatriate sportspeople in Wales]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Wales]]
[[Category:Danish poker players]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in England]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Wales]]
[[Category:Danish expatriate football managers]]
[[Category:Kolding IF players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople convicted of crimes]]
[[Category:20th-century Danish sportsmen]]