The Longside Reference

Name : Brian Jensen 

D.O.B. : 8th June 1975

Previous clubs : West Brom, AZ Alkmar, Burnley

Position : Goalkeeper

Signed by Stan Ternent

Burnley Fee: Free Transfer

Contract: Up in 2012, offered 1 year deal till 2013

Burnley Debut:9th August 2003, Crystal Palace (H) L 2-3

Last Game for Burnley :

Claret Stats:

Claret Honours: 2008/09 Play-off winner

International Honours:

2011/12 Squad Number: 12

Claret Stat: BEEEAAASSST as he is hailed from the terraces, the last player signed durning former manager Stan Ternents rein, a goalkeeper of considerable bulk.

If players were paid what they were worth, then Brian Jensen would be the best player at the club, but as it is when he signed on a free transfer from West Bromwich Albion, it would be Brian who would take a 40% wage drop! West Brom managed by Megson were in the second tier.

When West Brom signed Jensen from AZ Almar, for £100.000 he would be the Baggies No1 choice in goal, that was until Gary Megson signed Russell Hoult from Portsmouth, Brian had played 49 times until February 2001, Hoult took the gloves from then on with Brian as understudy, he managed just one more outing before Stan Ternent offered him a new life on a cut wage.

Brian Jensen arrived at Turf Moor in 2003 after West Brom had released him, and he played more first team games in England than he had in his three years as a Baggie, Jensen played 51 times in a season remembered for Stan Ternent leaving, for ITVDigital going bust and for Glen Little's goodbye.

Things were never easy for Jensen, when Steve Cotterill became Burnley manager in 2004, one of his first peices of buisness was to bring in International goalkeeper Danny Coyne, and Cotterill started the season with Jensen again playing second fiddle.

But such is Jensens character he bided his time and when injury struck  to the Wales stopper, it was Jensen who would step into the void. He lost his place once after Danny Coynes injury in September and ironically it would be Burnleys current number one Lee Grant who would play after Brian's sending of at Luton for handling outside the area.

The following season, again Danny Coyne would have the gloves from the outset, but his injury problems wouldn't go away Brian Jensen would start 40 games that season on top of the 32 he started the season previous.

Jensen famously spat his dummy out when manager Steve Cotterill brought in a replacement Goalkeeper Mike Pollitt during the 2006/07 season, where Jensen started the season elevated to number one with Coyne again struck down with injury.

Burnley had been on a losing streak of just three games when Cotterill dropped the Danish stopper, and with it Jensen handed in a transfer request. Mike Pollitt stay only lasted a few games and the gloves were handed back to Jensen, and his transfer request rescinded.

Steve Cotteril again saw Brian as Burnleys weak link, when he signed Hungarian Gabor Kiraly who was less than a success, Brian soon recovered the gloves. Going into 2008/09 Jensen looks to be Burnley's reserve keeper again this time it would be Owen Coyle whos peruvian new signing Diego Penny looks to take the No1 jersey, while Coyle stuck Gabor Kiraly is out in the cold and on the transfer list.

The season started with Penny, but finished at Wembley and promotion to the premiership and Brian was the rock at the base of that remarkable season. Jensen was outstanding even his most fierce critics could do nothing but praise the big stopper, Reading at home Brian made 6 or 7 world (yes world) class saves, against Arsenal in the league cup Brian made 5 or 6 one on one saves, the list goes on.

Brian missed the opening day of that season, but reclaimed the No1 jersey to play 64 consecutive games, which ended at Wembley against Sheffield United in the Play-off final. In fact in the two play-off semi finals and the final itself Brian didn't concede a single goal.

During the Premiership season, Brian played in all but one of the campaign, where injury robbed him. In the opening two league games against Manchester United and Everton, Brain faced two penalties against Michael Carrick and Louis Saha both were missed, Brian had arrived at the top league in England, and is still one of the lowest paid players at the Club.

History shows Coyle leaving and Brian Laws coming in, while he won the gloves in Coyles time it was a different story under Laws who signed Lee Grant for the 2010/11 season where Burnley who had just been relegated from the premiership aimed to bounce straight back.

It didn't happen, and Jensen's replacement Grant was seen as an equal to Jensen, as the bulk of Burnley's fans wanted the big Dane back in the nets.

Burnley didn't go up and Laws was sacked, but with new manager Eddie Howe, came another challenge, Jensen made just 4 appearances during the 2011/12 season but was selected to play the last game of the season at home to Bristol City and the contract extension on the table, to take Brian to 9 years as a Claret.