Claus Nielsen

Brøndby

Nielsen joined Brøndby from his hometown club Kalundborg GB, then described as "West Zealand's talent factory". He played for the club from 1984 until July 1988 in the 1st Division, at the time the top flight of Danish football, making 167 appearances in his first four years. In 1984, he scored the winning goal in the Danish League Cup final against AGF. Having joined partway through the 1984 season, he finished behind Jens Kolding, who was the club's top scorer that year with 11 goals, but Nielsen led the scoring in each of the next three seasons, with 17 goals in 1985, 16 in 1986 and 20 in 1987. Nielsen was named Brøndby's player of the year for 1985, and was the leading scorer in the Danish league in 1986 and 1987. He was part of the Brøndby sides that won the Danish championship in 1985 and 1987, and left for Panathinaikos midway through the 1988 season.

Panathinaikos

In 1988, Panathinaikos paid 7.6 million kroner for Nielsen, a Danish transfer record at the time. He scored six goals in 20 league appearances in the 1988–89 season, winning the Greek Super Cup in 1988 and the Greek Cup in 1989, but was unable to establish himself in the side and left after a single season.

Twente

In July 1989, Nielsen signed a two-year contract with Twente of the Eredivisie, who paid Panathinaikos over 1 million guilders for him in what was then the most expensive transfer in the club's history. He was signed as a replacement for the departed striker…

Nielsen made his debut for Denmark on 29 October 1986 in a European Championship qualifier against Finland, selected by Sepp Piontek alongside John Eriksen in the absence of the injured Michael Laudrup and Preben Elkjær. He went on to make 14 appearances and score seven goals, the last of them coming in a 2–1 win over Austria in a European Championship qualifier in June 1991. His knee injury ended his international career at the age of 27.

Nielsen has long been known as Claus "Købmand" ("Claus the grocer") after his family's trade, and became a grocer himself after retiring from football, running several SuperBest supermarkets in the Kalundborg area.

Brøndby

Danish 1st Division: 1985, 1987 Danish League Cup: 1984 Panathinaikos

Greek Football Cup: 1988–89 Greek Super Cup: 1988 Individual

Danish 1st Division top scorer: 1986, 1987 Brøndby Player of the Year: 1985