William Martin (footballer, born 2007)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Christian Martin | ||
| Date of birth | 23 April 2007 | ||
| Place of birth | Bellinge, Denmark | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Forward[1] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | OB | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Brændekilde-Bellinge | |||
| OB | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024– | OB | 35 | (3) |
| International career | |||
| 2022 | Denmark U16 | 2 | (0) |
| 2023 | Republic of Ireland U16 | 3 | (3) |
| 2023 | Republic of Ireland U17 | 3 | (1) |
| 2024–2025 | Denmark U18 | 8 | (3) |
| 2025– | Denmark U19 | 8 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18:54, 1 January 2026 (UTC) | |||
William Christian Martin (born 23 April 2007) is a Danish-Irish footballer who plays as a forward for Danish Superliga side OB.
Club career
OB
Born in Bellinge,[2] a suburb in Odense, Martin started his career at local club Brændekilde-Bellinge Boldklub, before joining OB as an U11 player.[3] From there, he worked his way up through the club's academy.
After scoring an impressive 38 goals in 20 matches in the Danish U17 league, the 17-year-old Martin was permanently promoted to the first-team squad ahead of the 2024–25 season.[4][5] At the same time, he signed a new contract extending until June 2027.[6]
On 20 July 2024, Martin made his official debut for OB, as he was named in the starting lineup for the opening match of the season against Esbjerg fB in the Danish 1st Division.[7][8] It was also during this season that Martin made his breakthrough with the first team, where,[9][10] with three goals in 28 league appearances, he helped secure OB's promotion back to the 2025–26 Danish Superliga.[11][12]
International carer
William was born and raised in Denmark, but his father, Danny Martin, who has also played and worked as a coach in the lower Danish divisions, is from Ireland. He is therefore eligible to represent both Denmark and Ireland. He represented the Republic of Ireland at U16 and U17 level.[13][14]
Prior to this, he made two appearances for the Denmark U16 national team, and was later selected again for Denmark—this time at U18 level. He played two matches and scored a hat-trick in one of them, and was later selected again ahead of a match against Morocco.[15]
In August 2025, Martin was selected for the Denmark U19 national team for the first time, and was later also named in the squad for the 2026 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification.[16][17]
References
- ^ William Martin at WorldFootball.net
- ^ Bare en dreng fra Bellinge: 17-årig OB-komet jubler over succes, tv2fyn.dk, 3 October 2024
- ^ William Martin på kontrakt i OB, ob.dk, 29 June 2022
- ^ Kæmpetalent forlænger med OB efter 38 mål på en sæson, tv2fyn.dk, 3 July 2024
- ^ William Martin får trøje nummer 23, ob.dk, 19 September 2024
- ^ William Martin forlænger sin kontrakt med tre år, ob.dk, 3 July 2024
- ^ OB giver Bonde debut - Esbjerg med to nye, bold.dk, 20 July 2024
- ^ 17-årig OB-debutant: Der bliver fandeme gået til den, bold.dk, 20 July 2024
- ^ Bare en dreng fra Bellinge: 17-årig OB-komet jubler over succes, tv2fyn.dk, 3 October 2024
- ^ 17-årigt stjernefrø stormer frem i OB: Uha, han er god!, tv2fyn.dk, 9 November 2024
- ^ OB rykker op i Superligaen, sport.tv2.dk, 26 April 2025
- ^ Ungt stortalent fik sin første hjemmebanescoring: - Vi er bare klar til Superligaen, tv2fyn.dk, 23 May 2025
- ^ William Martin på Irlands U17-landshold, ob.dk, 12 February 2024
- ^ MU17 | REPORT | Danes prove too much for Ireland, fai.ie, 17 February 2024
- ^ Dansk bomber: Irland har udtaget mig, men…, tipbsladet.dk, 10 October 2024
- ^ William Martin på U19-landsholdet, ob.dk, 21 August 2025
- ^ Tre førsteholdsspillere på det danske U19-landshold, ob.dk, 26 September 2025
External links
- William Martin national team profile at the Danish Football Association (in Danish)
- William Martin at Superliga.dk