Mathias Greve

Early life and career Mathias Greve was born on 11 February 1995 in Langeskov, Kerteminde Municipality, on the eastern part of the island of Funen, Denmark. Greve's introduction to football occurred when he was four years old. During one of his initial training sessions at local club Langeskov IF, an incident where he slipped in a puddle left him disinterested in the sport for the next couple of days. However, his father was persistent in giving football another chance. Despite the move, which confirmed him as one of the most talented players of the region, it was equally important for Greve to evolve beyond the football pitch. Greve talked about his focus on a career beyond football:

I discovered my talent when the youth talent groups started. However, I also placed a high priority on my studies. That was something I had learned at home. Despite not always having it at the forefront of my mind, school was my parents' top priority for me, until football turned professional … It was the classic agreement where I could pursue football as long as my grades were up to par. Honestly, this arrangement suited me well, as I've always enjoyed attending school and learning … I needed to be mentally engaged to become a better footballer. That's why I've pursued some academic studies since turning professional. After taking a gap year following high school, I attempted to study law, but it proved to be quite challenging alongside football. Here, Greve could continue his education, which, after completing his primary schooling, led to earning a high school diploma and later, a degree in financial economics.

Club career OB Greve's initial period at OB saw a promising start followed by a challenging phase. As an under-15 player, he was considered a national talent, but a growth spurt eluded him during the under-17 year, leaving him among the smaller players. However, his eventual growth surge rekindled his talent, as he was able to become more dominant physically, and during his under-19 years, both Greve and OB noticed significant development. This progress led to an offer of a part-time contract that swiftly transitioned to a professional one in April 2014 due to his ability to excel among more experienced players. During this period, he has mentioned that he looked up to Rasmus Falk and Emil Larsen, both midfield profiles at the club. On 19 January 2015, he extended his contract until 2018, after having made five appearances for the club. Upon extending, he was praised by head coach Ove Pedersen: "He has demonstrated a fantastic attitude, and it's even more impressive as he has delivered results both in practice and matches, even when he has occasionally been sent down to the under-19 squad." Greve experienced in first breakthrough in the second half of the season, starting his first game for OB in a 2–0 away loss against Brøndby on 15 March 2015. After becoming a more integral part of the team, he scored his first goal for OB on 31 May 2015 in the 79th minute of a 2–2 draw against Hobro in the domestic league.

Greve started the 2015–16 season as a substitute, as players such as Mikkel Desler and Kenneth Zohore were preferred in his position under new head coach Kent Nielsen. However, as the season progressed, he saw his chances increase as he would also receive his first call-up for the Denmark national under-21 team. On 1 November 2015, Greve signed a four-year contract extension keeping him in Odense until 2019.

In January 2018, Greve extended his contract with OB until 2021, after having grown into a starter for the club in the previous seasons. However, in the 2018–19 season, he played less and only made 12 starts in 24 appearances. During his time at the club, he scored 12 goals in 151 total appearances. He was seen as the replacement at left wing for Saba Lobzhanidze, who had left for MKE Ankaragücü. On 23 February, he made his debut for the club in a 0–0 home draw against his former side OB, replacing Tosin Kehinde in the 66th minute. He made his first start for Hestene on 1 March, helping his team to a 2–1 away victory against AC Horsens. He scored his first goal on 16 June in a 4–0 win over Hobro after an assist by Simon Piesinger. After six months at Randers, where he had quickly grown into a starter, he shared in an interview with local newspaper Randers Amtsavis that the main contrast between OB and Randers was his ability now to stand out within a physically oriented team:

Greve had his best season yet in the 2020–21 season, scoring eight goals in 39 total appearances and helping Randers to their second ever Danish Cup win. He made his debut against rivals Copenhagen on 8 August in a 4–2 away loss.

Return to Randers On 30 August 2024, Greve returned to Randers on a four-year contract.

International career Greve made his debut for a national team under the Danish Football Association (DBU) in a friendly on 2 September 2014, for the under-20 national team. He started on the bench but came on in the 52nd minute for Mathias Hebo in a 1–0 victory over the United Arab Emirates U20 at Slovenský Grob, Slovakia. This marked his only appearance for the under-20s.

On 27 March 2015, he made his debut for the Denmark national under-21s, simultaneously earning his first international start. However, after 64 minutes, he was replaced by Hebo in a 2–0 friendly defeat to Turkey U21. He made six total appearances for the national under-21 team.

Career statistics

Honours Randers Danish Cup: 2020–21