Farewell Viking: Simon Kjaer’s Milan dream approaches a bittersweet end | OneFootball

While the spotlight will shine brightly on Stefano Pioli and Olivier Giroud during Saturday night’s game against Salernitana, Simon Kjaer will also bid farewell to AC Milan.

After weeks of speculation about whether or not he would pen a new deal, the agent of Kjaer – Mikkel Beck – confirmed a couple of weeks ago that the defender will leave Milan at the end of the season on a free transfer once his contract expires.

Kjaer arrived at Milan on an initial loan deal in the spring of 2020 together with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, to add experienced strength to the young Milan team that had started the season dreadfully under Marco Giampaolo.

A 5-0 defeat against Atalanta in Bergamo under the then-new head coach Stefano was rock bottom for many supporters, highlighting the fragile mentality and defensive incompetence of the squad.

The idea behind the Dane’s arrival was to rectify some of those issues, and the fact he earned a permanent deal and since then he has made 120 appearances for Milan speaks volumes.

Kjaer provided an abundance of leadership, something that he has naturally accrued over his decade and a half playing at the highest level and with his many experiences across different countries.

The Dane very much falls into the ‘senator’ category as a vocal organiser of the defence out on the field, and when he was at his best physically there is no doubting that he was a great asset to the rearguard as well as an excellent mentor for the younger players.

In his four and a half years – characterised by a Scudetto win and a Champions League semi-final – Kjaer at times managed to find that consistency that perhaps he had practically never managed to in his previous career experiences.

He can leave the Rossoneri feeling certain of having given everything for a shirt that has always been his dream since he was a boy, something that his agent actually confirmed.

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“It is a natural farewell to a club where Simon has loved playing for more than four years – at a time that feels right,” he said.

“Many years ago, Simon told me that one day he wanted to play for AC Milan, and that dream came true in the most beautiful way. And in fact, Milan became the club where Simon has played the most matches.

“For Simon, it is a perfect situation. He will play the European Championship this summer as Denmark’s captain, and then he will go on a free transfer.”

One of the things that immediately springs to mind when reflecting on Kjaer’s time at Milan, especially with more recent history, is the volume of physical problems that he has had. And there have been a lot of them.

Transfermarkt have 15 different problems noted down in the centre-back’s ‘injury history’ page, for a total of 82 games missed from club and country from January 2020 onwards. Simply put, he has been tormented.

The biggest injury he suffered was the cruciate ligament tear on 1 December 2021. Given that he was well into his 30s at that point and has never been blessed with explosive athleticism, some thought that might be the end of Kjaer playing high-level games again.

And yet, instead he set about on a long recovery process – 182 days to be exact – regaining his strength gradually and then returning to being a key part of the defensive rotations into last season.

It isn’t only the difficulties that should be highlighted though, because there were many performances from Kjaer during the last four-and-a-half years that demonstrated his value and ability to contribute on the biggest stage.

The equaliser at Old Trafford against Manchester United in the Europa League was an early memory, while the man of the match performance in the away win against Roma during the Scudetto season was monumental.

It is on the European nights during last season’s run to the Champions League semi-final that immortalised the former Palermo and Roma man, though. The man-marking job he did on world class centre-forward Harry Kane in the first leg win over Spurs at San Siro instantly springs to mind.

Although he missed out in the return leg, Kjaer started both games against Napoli and was outstanding alongside Fikayo Tomori in each game, keeping Khvicha Kvaratskhelia quiet in the first game in Victor Osimhen’s absence, and then doing the same to the Nigerian a week later.

We can learn a lot about a man from his words, and Simon Kjaer has often made it very well known just how much he loves being a Milan player, expressing gratitude for the chance to realise a childhood ambition.

“As far as I’m concerned, I’m at the place I want to be. I play at Milan, I feel good at Milan and I place a lot of hope in myself. But whether the decision is made now or in two months, nothing changes for me,” he said back in March.

“We were seventh or eighth when I arrived four years ago. Now we are in the Champions League every season. If I can stay at Milan I’m very happy. It’s always the club I’ve tried to get to, since the first time I went to Palermo.

“If it’s not Milan, then I’m 35 years old and I can freely choose what I want with my family. It doesn’t worry me. I’m fine with it. I think everyone knows me. I’m proud of what I do. But they don’t come and ask me to be different.

“Right now I am in the place I have always wanted to be. I have had a beautiful football journey, I always wanted to play for Milan and I have an incredibly beautiful life in Milan. It’s Italy. My wife is Swedish, so Denmark is not her home, just as Sweden is not mine.”

A man can also be judged on the sum of their actions, and everyone remembers Kjaer’s response after his team-mate Christian Eriksen collapsed at the last European Championships in 2020.

It was a frightening and harrowing experience for all involved, yet the Danish captain somehow managed to act quickly and decisively. He put Eriksen in the recovery position, started the initial CPR procedure and led the Danish players in forming a ring around the midfielder as he received medical attention before comforting his partner.

The word ‘hero’ is often overused, but it applies perfectly to how Kjaer reacted in such a difficult situation, demonstrating his extraordinary character as well as his empathy and human values.

Saturday against Salernitana will also be ‘the last dance’ for Kjaer, and he will get the ovation that he deserves from the over 70,000 fans. The ‘Viking’ has arguably been as important in the rebirth of this Milan as Ibrahimovic and Pioli were, but the time has come – just as it did for them – to pass the baton.

If a player arrives at Milan, contributes in a meaningful way, gives their all in every situation and feels such a strong attachment to the club, then nobody can grumble. If all new signings were like Kjaer, the club would be in very safe hands.