Lars Høgh

Lars Høgh

Høgh in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Poul Lars Høgh-Pedersen
Date of birth	(1959-01-14)14 January 1959
Place of birth	Odense,Denmark
Date of death	8 December 2021(2021-12-08)(aged 62)
Place of death	Odense,Denmark
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1977–2000	OB	603	(0)
International career
1979–1983	Denmark U-21	3	(0)
1983–1995	Denmark	8	(0)
Managerial career
2003	FC Nordsjælland(goalkeeper coach)
2003–2004	AaB(goalkeeper coach)
2004–2007	Viborg FF(goalkeeper coach)
2007–2012	Brøndby IF(goalkeeper coach)
2007–2021	Denmark(goalkeeper coach)
2012–2016	OB(goalkeeper coach)
2016–2021	Brøndby IF(goalkeeper coach)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Poul Lars Høgh-Pedersen(Danish pronunciation:[ˈhøːˀj];14 January 1959 – 8 December 2021) was a Danishfootballer,who played his entire career as agoalkeeperforOdense BK.He won threeDanish football championshipsand threeDanish Cuptrophies with OB, and won theDanishBest Goalkeeper of the Yearaward five times. He played eight matches for theDenmark national team,and was selected for the1986 World Cupand1996 European Championshipsquads. He was a part of the Danish team which won the 1995King Fahd Cup.

Høgh owned his own goalkeeping company named Lars Høgh Coaching ApS.He trained countless goalkeepers in the Danish Superliga, both individually but also firmly attached to clubs in the league.

At the time of his death, he worked as a goalkeeping coach forBrøndby IF(2016–2021), and the Denmark national team (2007–2021).

From 2000 to 2003, Høgh worked as sports director forOB.

Career

Born inOdense,Høgh started playing football with local clubOdense Boldklub(OB). He made his senior debut in 1977 as an amateur (later to become semi-professional, and eventually full-time-professional), and was an understudy toDenmark national teamgoalkeeperMogens Therkildsen,as OB won the1977 Danish championship.The following years he established himself as OB's starting goalkeeper, and debuted for theDenmark under-21 national teamin March 1979. He was a part of the OB team which won the1982 Danish championshipand 1983 Danish Cup, and was called up for the Denmark national team by national team managerSepp Piontek.He made his national team debut in May 1983, and was a part of the Denmark team at the1986 FIFA World Cup.

He started the World Cup as a substitute, but played in Denmark's last two matches at the tournament. Høgh replacedTroels Rasmussenas starting goalkeeper when Denmark beatWest Germany2–0 and advanced to the knock-out stage. In the round of 16 againstSpain,Høgh conceded four goals to Spanish strikerEmilio Butragueño,as Denmark lost 5–1 and was eliminated from the tournament. After the 1986 World Cup, Høgh was named 1986Best Goalkeeper of the Year.Troels Rasmussen reclaimed his starting position in the national team, and Høgh played what would be his last match in the national team for eight years in September 1987. With the emergence of record-setting goalkeeperPeter Schmeichel,Høgh established himself as one of Schmeichel's most frequent understudies.

With OB, Høgh continued his consistent goalkeeping, and guided the team to another Danish championship in 1989, as well as Danish Cup triumphs in 1991 and 1993. He won theBest Goalkeeper of the Yearaward a further four times, setting a record five award wins in 1994. Høgh was a part of the Denmark national team at the 1995 King Fahd Cup, where he was Denmark's starting goalkeeper in the absence of Peter Schmeichel. In the second game of the tournament, Høgh suffered an injury, and was replaced byMogens Krogh,who tended the goal as Denmark won the tournament.

Later life and death

Høgh retired as a footballer in 2000, 41 years old, after an outstanding career with OB. He played his entire career with OB, for whom he played a total 817 matches from his debut in 1977, of which 603 were league matches.Following his retirement, Høgh served three years as sports director for Odense BK. He went on to become a footballing coach, both for individual goalkeepers, as well as clubs. In 2008, he replacedJørgen Henriksenas coach for the goalkeepers of the national team of Denmark. He maintained this position and the same position forBrøndby IFuntilpancreatic cancerprevented him from doing so. He died from the disease on 8 December 2021, at the age of 62.A week before his death he had been included in theDanish Football Association's Hall of Fame.

Honours

OB

• Danish championship:1977,1982,1989
• Danish Cup:1982–83,1990–91,1992–93

Denmark

• King Fahd Cup:1995

Individual

• DanishBest Goalkeeper of the Year:1986, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994

See also

• List of one-club men in football

External links

• Lars Høghat WorldFootball.net
• Lars Høghat National-Football-Teams
• Lars Høghnational team profile at theDanish Football Association(in Danish)
• OB profile(in Danish)
• ShowStars profile(in Danish)