When Mikael Uhre heard that the Philadelphia Union were interested in acquiring him from Brøndby IF, he was intrigued but wanted to be sure he’d fit in. So his next step was to get a second opinion.
“I called my friend Hany Mukhtar,” Uhre said during his introductory press conference on Thursday afternoon. “He said that the league is really developing and that it would be a really good fit for me as a football player. That really helped me because I thought it was a great challenge with a league that will develop me and that is full of really great players. It was the step in my career and I think can take some good ones here in Philadelphia.”
Uhre comes to the Union as the first forward signed as a Designated Player. And while the 27-year-old Danish international may be is new to Union fans, he had been on Sporting Director Ernst Tanner’s radar some quite some time. And when Chicago Fire FC paid over a million dollars in GAM for Kacper Przybylko, Tanner quickly completed the move to bring in a player that fits the Union culture and style.
“He’s a very promising and very young guy who is desperate to come over and show what he can do here in MLS and take this challenge on,” Tanner said. “He is very good with fitting in with our team and style and an eager and hardworking guy who will put pressure on the opponent.”
Head Coach Jim Curtin said that he and Uhre first spoke just a week and a half ago and that immediately connected through their love of the beautiful game and how to best utilize the Dane’s talents.
“We had a call with Mikael about the soccer and the fit and it was really casual and comfortable. He asked very intelligent questions and one thing that came up was the style and system that we play,” Curtin said. “His skill set will fit the club, fit the team and certainly fit the city of Philadelphia.
“He’s a player that works tirelessly on the field. His movement in the box is very good and his ability to finish plays off and get goals is something that we are really excited about. Incredibly happy that he chose Philadelphia while he was being chased by several big clubs in Europe and beyond; it speaks to the growth of our club that a player of his quality would choose us.”
Uhre brings a strong understanding of the Union’s direct style of play. He thrived under Alexander Zorniger in Denmark for nearly two seasons before making his big move to Philly.
Over the last 18 months the forward scored an incredible 35 goals in 58 starts. Despite the accolades his recent portfolio of work has garnered, including the Danish Superliga Golden Boot and Player of the Season, Uhre remains humble and ambitious.
“Sometimes I have to pinch myself to prove it’s not a dream because everything started to go my way,” Uhre said. “Even though I had a lot of success I tend to focus too much on the small details of how I can improve even more. I can go out of a game having scored two and only thing about the third I missed. I believe that no matter how good you are, you can always improve and that has been my motto through it all.”
When asked if he feels any pressure about being a Designated Player, the forward’s response was unflinching, and will resonate with everyone in Philly.
“I’m getting to the age now where pressure is not as big in my head. It can be in the surroundings but I don’t take it in that much. I try to focus on myself and I don’t compare myself to anyone because at the of the day you can only compare yourself to yourself. You can only improve yourself. Of course there will be some pressure but I love pressure. There was pressure at Brøndby IF and I loved it here so it just makes me want to be even better.”
Head down. Hard work. That is a Philly, and the Union’s newest forward already has it.
