Niko Hansen

Nikolaj "Niko" Hansen (born September 14, 1994) is a Danish-American professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Columbus Crew SC in Major League Soccer.

College

Hansen played in college for the New Mexico Lobos, appearing 79 times and scoring 28 goals. He was a Conference USA All-Freshmen Team Selection his first year, as he led all C-USA freshmen and was eleventh among freshmen nationally with seven goals. In his sophomore season, Hansen was named Third Team All-Conference USA after providing five goals and three assists, both good for second on the team. He started all 18 games his junior season, providing three goals and nine assists while being named Second Team All-Conference USA. Hansen broke out his senior season with 13 goals, earning NSCAA Third Team All-American, NSCAA First Team All-Southeast Region and First Team All-Conference USA honors. His sophomore season, Hansen also played for the Seattle Sounders FC U-23 side in the Premier Development League, scoring two goals in nine appearances.

Professional

Columbus Crew SC

On January 13, 2017, Hansen was drafted by Columbus Crew SC with the ninth pick of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft.He made his MLS debut on March 25, 2017 against Portland Timbers, replacing Justin Meram in the 60th minute. Hansen would provide a 3–2 win for Crew SC, scoring the go-ahead goal in the 84th minute after Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson had saved the original shot from Ola Kamara. Hansen won a spot in the Columbus rotation after his goal, appearing as a substitute in each of the next two matches for Crew SC, against Orlando City and Chicago Fire.

Hansen is eligible to play for either the Denmark or United States national teams.