Top facts about Thomas Gravesen, Mad Dog

Thomas Gravesen (born March 11, 1976) is a former professional footballer from Denmark who played as a midfielder.

Thomas Gravesen’s age

is 46. Here, you can find the most important facts about Thomas Gravesen.

An important fact about Thomas Gravesen is that he played professionally for Vejle Boldklub, Hamburger SV, Everton,

, and Celtic in Denmark, Germany, England, Spain, and Scotland.

Gravesen capped 66 times for

and scored five goals between his debut in August 1998 and the conclusion of his national team career in September 2006. He competed for Denmark in the international competitions Euro 2000, 2002 World Cup, and Euro 2004.

Top facts about Thomas Gravesen:

An important fact about Thomas Gravesen is that he joined Real Madrid to fill a void in the club's defensive midfield, a position he previously held at Everton. He had immediate success as a player at Real Madrid, scoring in one of his first matches, a 4-0 victory over Espanyol.

Gravesen, on the other hand, would gradually fade away. Following public outcry over his harsh style of play, as well as the dismissal of Real Madrid coach Vanderlei Luxemburg and sporting director Arrigo Sacchi, who were responsible for Gravesen's acquisition, he appeared to be prepared to leave Real Madrid in the transfer market.

The winter of 2006 However, Gravesen's career at Real would be revived by new coach López Carohe, who would regularly call him up and start him in the newly adopted 4-1-4-1 formation.

Gravesen was once again left out of the squad near the end of the season, and it was reported in May 2006 that several clubs were interested in him.

Following a fight Gravesen had with teammate Robinho, a brawl erupted at a Real Madrid training session in August 2006.

Thomas Gravesen early life

Born in Vejle, Thomas Gravesen started his professional career in 1995 with Vejle Boldklub (VB) in the Danish Superliga, where he was one of a few young players to make it through the VB youth system, including close buddy Kaspar Dalgas. There is no information available regarding

Thomas Gravesen’s parents

.

Regarding

Thomas Gravesen’s childhood

, it should be mentioned that he played sweeper and defensive midfielder for VB before joining Hamburger SV in 1997 after winning silver medals in the 1996–97 Superliga season. In three years with HSV, Gravesen made 94 appearances and scored six goals.

Thomas Gravesen personal life

Peter Gravesen, a footballer, is his elder brother. In his hometown, he has a street named after him in honor of his football career.

Gravesen was reported to be living in Las Vegas in December 2013 after being successful with his investments.

Thomas Gravesen professional career

Gravesen, who was born in Vejle, began his career in 1995 with local Danish Super League club Vejle Boldklub, alongside a group of youngsters who came through the VB youth ranks, including former footballer Kaspar Dalgas.

He began his career at VB as a defensive midfielder, and after finishing runner-up in the 1996-97 Superliga season, he moved to Hamburger SV in 1997. Gravesen appeared in 83 games and scored six goals for Hamburg over three years.

Gravesen joined Everton F.C. after Euro 2000 and quickly became a fan favorite. Gravesen was instrumental in Everton's ascension to the top of the Premier League table in 2004–05.

Gravesen was sold to Real Madrid in January 2005 for £2.5 million because his contract was set to expire in the summer of 2005, allowing him to leave freely.

Thomas Gravesen club career

An important fact about Thomas Gravesen is that he moved to English club

after the Euro 2000 competition and instantly became a fan favorite.

Everton

Gravesen was instrumental in Everton's ascent to the top of the Premier League table in 2004–05. Gravesen was transferred to Real Madrid in January 2005 for a shockingly cheap amount of £2.5 million, with his contract set to expire in the summer of 2005, allowing him to go on a free transfer.

Real Madrid

Gravesen was brought in to fill a need in Real Madrid's defensive midfield, a job that differed from his previous one at Everton. At Real Madrid, he had early success, scoring in one of his first games, a 4–0 triumph against

.

Gravesen, on the other hand, would ultimately be benched. Gravesen was set to depart Real Madrid in the winter transfer window of 2006, after public controversy over his rough style of play and the dismissal of Real coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo and sports director Arrigo Sacchi, who were in charge of recruiting him.

Gravesen's career at Real would be revived under new coach López Caro, who would choose him on a regular basis and use him in the holding position in Real's new 4–1–4–1 system.

An important

fact about Thomas Gravesen

is that he was once again left out of the squad towards the conclusion of the season, and a number of teams were rumored to be interested in him in May 2006.

Gravesen's violent hit on teammate Robinho sparked a brawl during a Real Madrid training session in August 2006.

Former Real Madrid manager

said of Gravesen, "We won't have any issues with him the way he is. He's a touch strange, to be sure. I don't mess with him since he's a tactical genius. I don't like his behavior since everything needs to be done the way he wants it to be done."

Gravesen seemed to be on his way out of Real Madrid before the start of the 2006–07 season, with his agent John Sivebaek saying that a number of teams were interested in signing him, including

in England and Celtic in Scotland.

Celtic

Gravesen had a medical test at Celtic Park in Glasgow on August 28, 2006, and signed a three-year agreement (with the option of a fourth) with the club on August 30, for an estimated sum of roughly £2 million.

After erroneous claims of a failed physical and an eleventh-hour approach by Newcastle, there was some doubt over whether Gravesen would join for Celtic.

On September 23, 2006, he scored his first goal for

against arch-rivals Rangers. On November 12, he scored his first hat-trick in his professional career as Celtic defeated St Mirren 3–1.

A notable fact about Thomas Gravesen is that he was replaced in the starting lineup by Dutch midfielder Evander Sno after a solid start to his Celtic career.

In April 2007, Celtic manager Gordon Strachan refuted rumors that Gravesen would quit the club to join Sunderland in the English Premier League, but in May 2007, he expressed his unhappiness that Gravesen had not worked harder to reclaim his starting spot. Celtic and Thomas Gravesen parted ways on August 18, 2008.

Everton

On August 29, 2007, Gravesen re-signed with Everton on a season-long loan from Celtic. As a second-half replacement in Everton's 2–1 victory against Bolton Wanderers, he took the corner from which Joleon Lescott headed the winner.

A notable fact about Thomas Gravesen is that he set up Everton's third goal, which was scored by Victor Anichebe, in his first European game of the season, a 3–1 win against Larissa at Goodison Park in the UEFA Cup group stage.

Gravesen, on the other hand, did not have the effect that many Everton supporters had hoped for. Everton lost the UEFA Cup shootout when Phil Jagielka missed the key spot-kick, but scoring a penalty in the shootout after the UEFA Cup match against Fiorentina was a rare highlight.

Gravesen's contract was not extended after the last game of the 2007–08 season, and he will return to Celtic, according to manager

.

Retirement

Gravesen declared his retirement from professional football on January 27, 2009, after failing to find a new club after being released by Celtic. In an interview with FourFourTwo on September 12, 2009, he revealed that he had been contacted by a number of teams about a potential comeback to football, but that nothing came of it.

A notable fact about Thomas Gravesen is that he was said to be residing in Las Vegas in December 2013 after becoming successful with investments.

Thomas Gravesen international career

Gravesen made his Danish national team debut against the Czech Republic in a 0–1 friendly match on August 19, 1998. Despite concerns from coach Bo Johansson that Gravesen was not "psychologically stable," Gravesen was chosen to play for Denmark in the 2000 European Championship (Euro 2000).

While at Everton, Morten Olsen, the new Danish national team coach, backed Gravesen wholeheartedly and made him one of his most important players throughout the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004 campaigns.

Gravesen's performance in the 2002 World Cup qualification game against Iceland, in which he scored two goals in a 6–0 victory, was so outstanding that American boxer Mike Tyson requested his shirt and wore it during his stay in Denmark.

A notable

fact about Thomas Gravesen

is that he and his Danish midfield partner, Stig Tfting, validated their pit bull reputations when they ganged up to perpetrate a joke on teammate Jesper Grnkjr during a World Cup training session.

He was banned for the first group match at Euro 2004 owing to a red card in the last qualifying match before the tournament, but he returned to play the next three games before Denmark was eliminated.

Gravesen declared his intention to abandon his international career on September 15, 2006, and to devote his energy completely to Celtic.

Thomas Gravesen style of play

A notable fact about Thomas Gravesen is that he was a fighter and a bit of a "tough dog" on the field, but he was also a technically sound and creative player.

Gravesen usually played libero for Vejle Boldklub, a position that, while defensive, also gave him an offensive role due to his characteristic rushes forward on the field. Gravesen's position on the field progressed gradually throughout his career.

He thus played in front of the defense for Hamburger SV, while at Everton FC he was assigned as the central and creative midfielder - the same role he played for Denmark's national football team. He was demoted to defensive midfield at Real Madrid, much to his chagrin.

Thomas Gravesen’s wasted talent

Kira Eggers has been blamed by some. Some individuals believe the press and journalists are to blame. Some even point the blame at his agent, but the truth is that Gravesen has just lost interest in the beautiful game.

A notable fact about Thomas Gravesen is that he began his career in 1995 in the little town of Vejle. He had an immediate impact in the Danish league, and he drew a lot of attention in his early years. He led Vejle to second place and a silver medal in the cup final in his first season.

He moved south of the border to join Bundesliga club Hamburg after the next season. Before entering the Premier League, he spent three seasons with the club.

He joined Everton after playing for Denmark at Euro 2000. From his position as an offensive midfielder, Gravesen played a significant part in Everton's climb to the top of the league during the 2004/2005 season.

Most people in Europe properly noted his impactful performances, and most of us considered him to be one of the best players in the Premier League.

Gravesen then startled the football world by announcing his intention to join Real Madrid. His relocation to Madrid sparked a media frenzy in his native country of Denmark. With it came a swagger of arrogance, and Gravesen, who was generally kind to the press, started turning off interviews.

Gravesen, on the other hand, was not pleased. He was not getting any playing time. One of two reasons might explain his attitude and purportedly new unpleasant demeanor.

Either that, or he was very pleased to be a Real Madrid player and suddenly considered himself too famous to speak to small-time Danish journalists.

Or he was embarrassed by himself. After all of the fanfare surrounding his entering the world's most exclusive club, it was all for nothing. He was a bench player who only played for a few minutes at a time during games. He was introduced just to pass the time after the conclusion of games.

All of the joy was followed by a harsh reality check. Gravesen lacked the same level of skill as the rest of his Madrid teammates. He looked painfully slow running about between the likes of Guti, Robinho, and Beckham, and it was clear that he lacked just one thing: quality.

Gravesen moved to Celtic when his obvious lack of skill was revealed, where he battled off interest from Newcastle to clinch a reputed 2 million transfer. He got off to a tremendous start at Celtic. He scored his first goal against Rangers, an Old Firm adversary.

It seemed to be a good deal for a time, but his performance quickly began to worsen. And with it, his self-assurance.

Celtic's champions league encounter with FC Copenhagen, according to Gordon Strachan, was the last straw. If Celtic wins, they will take first place in the group; if they do not, Man United will take first place. Gravesen was chosen to play center midfield and keep the ball under control.

He, on the other hand, showed both arrogance and stupidity. He continued to disregard the bench's rules and directions. He ran about doing almost nothing for 90 minutes.

Celtic lost the game, which wasn't all that awful since they'd already qualified for the next round, but it meant United won the group and Celtic came in second.

As a consequence, Celtic were pitted against

, when they might have had a far lesser opponent. Gravesen was removed, and it was clear that something was wrong with him.

When Celtic played a friendly match, Gravesen was reportedly granted one final chance at the dice. This was his time to show that he was still a valuable member of the team. However, he just shown a total lack of interest, and Celtic released him the following day.

Gravesen was believed to be "assessing his position" while he was without a club. Gravesen's agent, Sivebaek, acknowledged to Channel 3+ in Denmark that Gravesen was contemplating his options and taking a vacation from football at the moment. In Denmark, the common consensus was that the guy had simply lost interest in the sport.

FC Copenhagen was prepared to take him on the condition that he met certain criteria. Another viable candidate would have been Vejle BK. It would have been ideal for him to finish his career at the club where it all began. I doubt he would have joined a club in the Danish League that low.

In the end, it was a significant professional choice that cost him a lot of money. When he decided that he didn't want to settle for being the star of a little club like Everton, everything began to go apart for him.

The fact that he was just 32 years old adds to the tragedy of his narrative. On January 27, 2009, Gravesen announced his retirement from football.

Thomas Gravesen’s clash with Robinho

After a violent brawl with Real Madrid teammate Robinho during a pre-season training match in August 2006, an enraged Thomas Gravesen struck hard at his colleague.

Isn't Thomas Gravesen the last person you'd expect to get into a weird training ground brawl with a teammate?

The Danish international was a typical football tough guy. A tough-tackling midfielder with the potential to see red in a moment, his Real Madrid colleagues saw his antics firsthand in 2006.

Gravesen lunged into a tackle on newly-signed Brazilian youth Robinho during a pre-season training session in Austria.

Tempers rose instantly, as the veteran Everton midfielder lost his cool and began punching the young striker while others raced over to attempt to separate them.

Gravesen was furious, as seen by photos of the event, and even Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello - the man who previously made Stuart 'Psycho' Pearce shake in his boots - said he was terrified of him. "He's a touch strange, to be sure. I'm not going to meddle with him "Capello said.

Gravesen had arrived at the Bernabeu a year and a half previously, having left Everton for pennies due to a contract disagreement.

During his five years at Goodison Park, he became a fan favourite, but he exchanged it all to share a dressing room alongside

, Ronaldo, David Beckham, Luis Figo, Michael Owen, and Roberto Carlos.

The 29-year-old did well in his first season and even scored on his debut, but once Real coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo - the man who brought him to the club - was fired, the Dane was relegated to the bench.

Robinho lost Capello's confidence after attempting to modify his facial characteristics ahead of his second full season in Spain.

"His behavior is like this, and I don't like it," the Italian manager added. "Everything has to be done the way he wants it to be done."

Gravesen was sold to Celtic less than two weeks later, bringing an end to his peculiar time with Europe's largest club.

Thomas Gravesen controversies

Thomas Gravesen, a footballer, has been characterized as "a grenade with the pin ripped out." Within the game, the bald-headed Dane's unorthodox ways and wild actions were renowned.

On his way from childhood idols Vejle Boldklub to German giants Hamburg SV, English heavyweights Everton, the world's most glamorous club Real Madrid, and Scottish powerhouses Celtic, he stunned teammates, coaches, and management.

But, at the age of 32, he abruptly quit and vanished, only to reappearance some years later in a posh gated neighborhood in Las Vegas, where he shared a home with Andre Agassi and Nicolas Cage.

There are allegations that the midfielder acquired a £100 million fortune in the United States, as well as reports that he lost $54 million in a high-stakes poker game.

Due of the mystery surrounding the guy called Mad Dog, some in Denmark have even referred to him as a unicorn.

He was a world-famous player, but nothing is known about him other from his enthralling and completely distinctive personality, which made him a cult idol everywhere he went.

However, a new book lifts the lid on one of the most colorful characters ever to live, allowing readers to learn more about his life and times.

While in Hamburg, Thomas and his partner-in-crime Allan Jepsen had a peculiar episode in which they decided to have a laugh one day.

They foamed, soaped, and shampooed the whole wellness area of the team's training facility, turning it into their own personal huge, infinity-style swimming pool made of bubbles.

The two stripped down and started sliding through the whole structure, all the way to the pool, where they plunged themselves in with cannonballs.

A member of staff was informed and walked in to see the young Danes enjoying a great time. The only penalty they received was to clean up the premises before the manager arrived.

Thomas and his passion for motorcycles were only exposed owing to HSV teammate Bernd Hollerbach. Defender Hollerbach had a reputation for driving his Porsche at high speeds, disregarding any speed restrictions that may have been in place since Germany's Autobahn permits drivers to travel as fast as they want in certain areas.

According to a club source, Hollerbach arrived at HSV's training site one day looking crestfallen but also surprised. 'He'd been driving as usual, passing everyone, when a motorbike came by him at 160mph out of nowhere,' the person added.

The cyclist was clad in a t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops, but his identification was concealed behind a helmet.

With a shake of his head, Hollerbach muttered, 'The bloke must have had a screw loose,' according to legend. He didn't see Thomas standing there in a t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops until he went inside to change for training.

He was the one who had been on the bike! He was casually getting dressed, unconcerned, and strolled out for the day's session, leaving Hollerbach speechless.

Thomas wasn't simply riding the motorcycle for high-speed sprints to training, the club learned. He was really returning to Vejle on most weekdays. The trek is 175 miles one way and takes around three hours on average, but Thomas was able to do it in under two hours.

He'd leave training, return home, then return for the following session. It highlighted Thomas's boundless energy, and with no one to control him, he was spending his days driving erratically back to the little, peaceful village where he felt most at comfortable.

'He simply got into scrapes left, right and center,' recalled Archie Knox, who was the assistant manager when Thomas joined Everton. He was usually full of opinions and would question everything, even in training, but Thomas believed that he was always correct.

There was no way he was going to back down. He was so adamant that he believed he was always correct. But there was no denying that he had more excellent qualities than bad.'

Archie was captivated by how Thomas participated in training, in addition to constantly playing up and having a good laugh with Gitte Pedersen, his childhood love. She, too, had left Hamburg to join Everton's women's squad.

Thomas and Gitte would perform additional training and play against each other after they finished their job for the day. Archie couldn't believe his eyes when he saw what one of the English Premier League's toughest and most powerful players, famed for its high level of physicality, was up to.

Thomas jumping into tackles and utilizing his body as though he were in the thick of a full-blooded contest astounded Archie.

Instead, he was in an indoor hall with his boyhood girlfriend. “She played for the women squad, and they used to go to the gym and play one on one,” Archie recounted.

“But he'd slam the ball into her as if he were up against a guy. It took place in the Bellefield's [Everton's training groundlarge] indoor gym. They'd travel back and forth in there for hours, the two of them.”

Then he had everyone at Celtic scratching their brains as to what he had planned for the summer vacation.

Players are usually photographed on beautiful beaches in far-flung locations, traveling around in luxury sports vehicles or on Sunseeker boats as part of their standard service. They're all affluent young men with spare time, but Thomas isn't one of them.

“When he got to the club, I was 23 or so, we were all into Call of Duty at that stage, so when Thomas came in, he claimed he played it as well,” recalled Celtic teammate Mark Wilson.

“We had no idea how talented he was, and he said that his friend was the best player on the planet. We searched him up and sure enough, he was there.

Then, when we asked him, "What are you doing in the summer?" at the conclusion of that season, Thomas responded, "Just back home, boy," and he said he'd go back to his parents' house, go down to the basement, and play computer games all day.”

"Jesus Christ, this man has millions, he could travel anywhere in the world, and he had his porn star girlfriend at the time, and he goes home to sit in a basement, I thought. It was the polar opposite of what a player of his stature should be about.”

Some more facts about Thomas Gravesen:

An important

fact about Thomas Gravesen

is that he appeared to be on his way out of Real Madrid before the start of the 2006-07 season, with his agent John Sivebaek confirming that a number of clubs, including Newcastle United in England and Celtic in Scotland, were interested in signing the midfielder.

Gravesen went to Celtic Park in Glasgow for a medical on August 28, 2006, and signed a three-year contract with the club, with the option of a fourth, on August 30, 2006, for an estimated fee of around £2 million.

There was some doubt about Gravesen joining Celtic after false rumors of a medical failure and a last-minute offer from Newcastle surfaced.

On September 23, 2006, he scored his first goal for Celtic against rivals Rangers. On November 12, he scored his first hat-trick in his professional career as Celtic defeated St Mirren 3–1.

Gravesen was replaced in the starting lineup by Dutch midfielder Evander Sno after a promising start to his career at Celtic.

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan confirmed rumors that Gravesen was leaving the club to join Sunderland in April 2007, but in May 2007, he expressed disappointment that Gravesen did not work harder to reclaim his starting spot. Celtic and Thomas Gravesen parted ways on August 18, 2008.

Gravesen re-signed for Everton Football Club on a season-long loan from Celtic on August 29, 2007. He made his debut for Everton, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2–1 victory over

.

Gravesen assisted on Everton's third goal, scored by Victor Anichebe, in his first European appearance of the season, a 3–1 win over Larissa at Goodison Park in the UEFA Cup group stage. Gravesen, on the other hand, did not have the impact that many Everton fans had hoped for.

Manager David Moyes confirmed after the final game of the 2007-08 season that Gravesen's contract would not be renewed and that he would return to Celtic.

Gravesen announced his retirement from football on January 27, 2009, by refusing to extend his contract with Celtic. In an interview with FourFourTwo on September 12, 2009, he stated that some clubs had approached him about a possible return to football, but nothing came of these approaches.

On August 18, 1998, he made his Denmark national football team debut against the Czech Republic. Since then, he has held a position of great importance, serving as one of his coach's cornerstones and frequently appearing in the starting eleven.

Thomas rose to international prominence as a member of the Danish national team at the European Championship in Portugal. He appeared in 66 games and scored five goals.

Thomas Gravesen social media

Regarding

Thomas Gravesen social media

, it should be mentioned that he does not have any pages on any social media platforms.

Thomas Gravesen body measurements

Speaking about

Thomas Gravesen body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the former player is 178cm and 74kg.

Thomas Gravesen net worth and salary

Thomas Gravesen’s net worth

is believed to be more than 100 million dollars according to various sources.

After retiring from the game, Thomas Gravesen is leading a totally different existence. Gravesen slipped into the background after hanging up his boots in January 2009 after stints at Hamburg, Everton, Real Madrid, and Celtic. He was a no-nonsense midfielder who liked nothing more than knocking lumps out of opponents.

Years later, rumours surfaced that the tough-tackling Danish midfielder had traded his football career for a career at the poker table, and that the 45-year-old had become a multi-millionaire as a result.

According to The Daily Actress, Gravesen, who dated porn star Kira Eggers while at the Bernabeu, has supposedly made over $100 million in poker wins alone.

The former Everton midfielder is said to have resided in a magnificent gated mansion in Las Vegas with Czech model wife Kamila Persse for the last eight years, where he shared a home with famous neighbors Nicolas Cage and Andre Agassi.

He was also seen driving a Mercedes SLR McLaren, which is valued at approximately $500,000. The Dane claims to have spent eight years in Las Vegas and liked his time there, but he has now returned to Denmark.

So, how did he come by his wealth? Gravesen is claimed to have been 'engrossed' in an electrifying high-rollers game, where he was in a 'heads-up' contest with another player.

According to legend, the former Real Madrid player lost $54 million in one session that night, but he finally recovered it all back...and more.

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