Rikke Læntver Sevecke (born 15 June 1996) is a Danish former professional football player who last played as a defender for the Portland Thorns in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). In 2016, she won her first cap for the senior Denmark national team. In January 2024 she ended her career due to a heart disease.[1][2]

Rikke Sevecke
Rikke Sevecke in October 2016
Personal information
Full name Rikke Læntver Sevecke
Date of birth (1996-06-15) 15 June 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth Nykøbing Falster, Denmark
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
1999–2011 B 1921
2011–2013 BSF
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017 Northwestern Ohio 24 (8)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2015 BSF
2015–2019 Brøndby 37 (7)
2019–2020 FC Fleury 91 16 (0)
2020–2023 Everton 52 (2)
2023 Portland Thorns 0 (0)
International career
2012–2013 Denmark U17 10 (0)
2013–2015 Denmark U19 25 (2)
2016–2023 Denmark 54 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 March 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 January 2024

Club career

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Nykøbing Falster-born Sevecke began playing football as a three-year-old. She moved away from home to join Ballerup-Skovlunde Fodbold when she was 16 years old.[3] After establishing herself as one of the best young defenders in the Elitedivisionen, she became Per Nielsen's first signing for Brøndby IF in January 2015.[4]

In January 2018 Sevecke returned to Brøndby after a six-month spell playing college soccer for the University of Northwestern Ohio.[5] She would ultimately win three Danish league titles (2014–2015, 2016–2017, 2018–2019) and three Danish Cups (2014–2015, 2016–2017, 2017–2018) for the club.[6]

Sevecke played for FC Fleury 91 in France in the 2019-2020 season, before signing with Everton in the Women's Super League in summer 2020.[7] She appeared in 52 games (45 starts) for Everton across three WSL seasons, mostly at centerback, while notching two goals and one assist. In May 2023, the club announced she would leave at the end of her contract.[8]

In September 2023, Sevecke joined Portland Thorns FC in the NWSL for the remainder of the 2023 season, with a club option for the 2024 season.[9] She did not feature in any of the club's four remaining games that season. On November 20, 2023, Portland announced that Sevecke would not be returning for the 2024 season.[10]

International career

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Sevecke appeared 25 times for the Denmark women's national under-19 football team, including at the 2013 and 2015 editions of the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship. She made her senior international debut for Denmark at the 2016 Algarve Cup, in a 4–1 defeat by Iceland.

International goals

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No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 29 August 2019 Viborg Stadium, Viborg, Denmark   Malta 3–0 8–0 2022 UEFA Women's Euro Cup qualification
2. 17 September 2020 Bosnia and Herzegovina FA Training Centre, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina   Bosnia and Herzegovina 3–0 4–0
3. 10 June 2021 CASA Arena Horsens, Horsens, Denmark   Australia 2–0 3–2 Friendly
4. 16 September 2021 Viborg Stadium, Viborg, Denmark   Malta 6–0 7–0 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
5. 21 February 2023 Stade Francis Le Basser, Laval, France   Uruguay 2–2 3–2 2023 Tournoi de France

Awards

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Individual

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References

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  1. ^ "Hjertesygdom tvinger landsholdsspiller til karrierestop". 5 January 2024.
  2. ^ Rikke Sevecke [@sevecke] (5 January 2024). "It's hard to know where to start. I've been playing football since I could walk and it's always been a big part of my life. But it stops now. I've had some tests done over the past couple months and I recently got the results back saying I do have heart disease. This means I'm not allowed to continue playing professional football and therefore I've had to end my football career immediately" (in Danish). Retrieved 5 January 2024 – via Instagram.
  3. ^ "Fodboldspiller Rikke Læntver Sevecke har Girlpower" (in Danish). Kvindesport.dk. 15 March 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Sevecke is Nielsen's first Brøndby signing". UEFA. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Rikke Sevecke vender tilbage til Brøndby" (in Danish). Bold.dk. 12 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  6. ^ "Rikke Sevecke signs with Everton". Ignite Talent. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Everton Women Sign Danish Defender Sevecke". Everton FC. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Sevecke To Leave Everton". Everton FC. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Thorns FC sign defender Rikke Sevecke". Portland Timbers FC. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Thorns FC announce roster status ahead of 2024 season". Portland Timberd FC. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  11. ^ "2017 Women's Soccer Awards". www.whac.net. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  12. ^ NAIA Archive
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Sporting positions
Preceded by WHAC Newcomer of the Year
2017
Succeeded by