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 RISAGER, Morten
DATE OF BIRTH: 30 September 1987, Arhus, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2004-06) Coventry; (2007) Coventry, Eastbourne; (2008) Peterborough, Wolverhampton; (2009) Ipswich, Belle Vue, Swindon; (2010) Swindon.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2005, 2007 [both Coventry]; Elite Shield winner: 2006 [Coventry].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.26 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Risager (pronounced Rizz-air) first rode at a very young age, in 1993, and attributes his father, Kartsen, as being the biggest influence on his subsequent career. He made his official British debut with Coventry on 1 April 2004, marking the occasion with 5+1 points against Belle Vue in a Knock-Out Cup tie.A total of thirty-four appearances for the Bees that year yielded very acceptable first term figures of 188 points and a real-time average of 5.85; his best performance among several being a match-winning contribution of 15+1 points from a reserve berth when Coventry narrowly defeated Poole, 46-44, at Brandon on 10 June.
His progress continued in 2005, when he was an integral component of the Bees' League Championship success, which culminated in an aggregate victory over Belle Vue in the Play-Off final. The only downside of an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable season was almost a month on the sidelines following a heat eight crash in a home league match versus Eastbourne on 23 May, which left the youngster nursing wrist and ankle breaks.
Regrettably, Risager's career stuttered in 2006 and he missed much of the concluding third of the season because of a badly broken right tibia and fibula. The injury occurred in heat six of an Under-21 international match for Denmark against Poland at Poznan on 11 June, when he collided with Ronnie Jamrozy. Bravely, he returned to the saddle with Coventry in September, but clearly wasn't fully fit and rode in only two matches before returning to Denmark to further his rehabilitation.
Having completed his recovery, the Dane began his fourth season with Coventry in 2007 and, although he started very brightly, his form tailed-off and he was replaced by Steve Johnston in June. Risager subsequently joined Eastbourne, initially on a month's loan to cover for the injured Dean Barker, but was to remain with the East Sussex club until the season's conclusion. Throughout this time, he greatly impressed the Eagles' management and also rediscovered his touch.
During the winter break - in December - Coventry and Swindon concluded a direct swap deal that saw Olly Allen join the Bees on a permanent basis, whilst Risager became an asset of the Robins. However, it was stressed at the time by the Wiltshire club that he would spend the 2008 term on loan elsewhere, as they were unable to accommodate him within the then 38.85 points limit. As such, the Dane linked with Peterborough for the campaign, but he was to lose his team spot in a major August shake-up that saw Ryan Sullivan, Lukas Dryml and Karol Zabik all return to the club.
Risager joined Wolverhampton a month later, somewhat ironically as a replacement for the elder of the Dryml racing brothers, Ales, who had been released by the West Midlands outfit. His spell with the club lasted just eight matches as, in the Elite League Relegation Play-Off, he sustained a broken hand at Peterborough on 16 October. This occurred when he was involved in first bend mêlée after team-mate Fredrik Lindgren had tangled with the Panthers' Daniel King on the charge to the first bend.
The Swindon asset was signed by Ipswich on a month's loan in April 2009, following an early season injury to then club skipper Leigh Lanham. Upon Lanham's return to fitness, Risager was immediately snapped-up by Belle Vue, when a team re-shuffle saw the Aces replace Steve Boxall and dispense with their other ‘doubling-up' rider, Thomas H. Jonasson. His stay with the Manchester side lasted until August, when he was released amid a raft of changes.
Both Tomasz Chrzanowski and the injured Charlie Gjedde also saw their names deleted from Belle Vue's team declaration, as dramatic modifications were effected. Incoming was the returning Jason Crump, together with Lubos Tomicek, whilst the Aces also opted to sign both Joel Parsons and Michal Rajkowski under the rule that permits Premier League riders to ‘double-up' with clubs in the higher sphere.
The likeable Dane wasn't without a team for long, though, as he joined parent team Swindon almost straight away, when the Wiltshire club made the decision to dispense with Jurica Pavlic. His tenacious racing style gained many admirers on the Abbey Stadium terraces in his short stint before the season's end and, on 29 December, the club announced that they had retained his services for 2010.
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