Morten Olsen - Danish footballing legend (Allsport).

By Reece Killworth, Sportinglife.com

Few people have done more for Danish football than Morten Olsen.

His playing career for the national side spanned almost 20 years during which he picked up 102 caps, retiring in 1989 as the most-capped player in their history.

Peter Schmeichel has since passed that mark, but Olsen remains a firm favourite among Danish fans.

That is despite him ignoring the age-old rule in football that you should never return to somewhere you have been a success.

Olsen's rise to the national helm started at Brondby in 1990 and took him through FC Koln - where he had spent the final part of his playing career - and Dutch giants Ajax.

Olsen took the reins of the national side as coach after Euro 2000 when Bo Johansson left the post.

Since then Olsen - in tandem with assistant Michael Laudrup - has overhauled the team by changing the formation and personnel.

In to a remodelled 4-3-3 formation have come youngsters like Dennis Rommedahl and Christian Poulsen.

Evidence of how far the Danes have come is clear - they came through qualifying unbeaten and are fancied to reach the second round in the summer, despite being in a group with France and Uruguay.

Whether they progress past the first stage or not, Olsen has laid the foundations for a bright future.