From MK Dons To The Bundesliga: The Quiet Rise Of Kevin Danso

At the age of 26, Kevin Danso may be leading one of football’s most unorthodox career paths.

However, the Austrian is also sustaining a very nonchalant career, with many people not aware of his humble beginnings within the sacred English academy system. Now a Europa League champion, the six-year-old version of himself that moved to Buckinghamshire all of those years ago may not have expected the journey he was about to lead, engaging in developing stints all across Europe.

Since his youth academy days, Danso has played in each of the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and now the Premier League alongside international duty – without a lot of us batting an eyelid to his sharp rise to stardom. Now that the man of Ghanaian descent has penned a long-term contract with Tottenham Hotspur, it is worth unmasking the impressive trek he has been on – to make the defender’s future achievements ever more special.

Humble Beginnings

Up until Spurs’ recent European triumph, not many were aware of Kevin Danso’s career genesis. Despite being born in Austria, he moved to Milton Keynes at the age of six and soon broke into English football. Danso began at Reading’s academy and, before discovering his favoured defensive position, the youngster played as a striker for the Royals at youth level. Of course, at such a small age, positions chop, change and are no way as important as the later stages – especially considering Danso would not have even been playing 11 aside football at that time.

Kevin Danso counts as homegrown. Came through the academy at MK Dons and Reading.

— Daily Hotspur (@Daily_Hotspur) February 1, 2025

At under-nine level, the Austrian left Reading to join the newly founded Milton Keynes Dons nearer to home. In the meantime, the prospect also started to get picked up by his home nation Austria, representing them from under 15s. Danso stayed with MK Dons until 2014, during the same time that notable ex-Tottenham star Dele Alli made waves with the Dons. However, Kevin Danso was not going to follow that same path, instead he made the bold decision to move to Germany.

Wanderlust

At just 16 years old, Kevin Danso completed the transfer to Bundesliga side FC Augsburg. The defender started off in the academy for the German side, continuing the development from everything he had learnt with MK Dons. Then, as the youngster’s 18th birthday approached, he made the step up to Augsburg II – the club’s ‘B’ team that play in Germany’s lower divisions. This experience gave Danso a taster for men’s football, offering vital experience in the sport.

On this date... 🗓

Four years ago, Kevin Danso made his FC Augsburg debut becoming one of the youngest to ever debut for the club 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/WG3XYL9hh6

— FC Augsburg (@FCA_World) March 3, 2021

Shortly into his time with the second team, the Austrian started receiving call-ups to the first team under Manuel Baum’s management. As game time was imminent, Kevin Danso soon became Augsburg’s youngest ever Bundesliga debutant at just 18 – swiftly rewarded with a brand-new four-year contract. The centre back then pursued an extra 43 games with the German outfit, before experimenting on loan elsewhere. It was also around this time when he received his first international call-up for Austria’s first team, where the defender would go on to play 25 times for the Wunderteam.

In 2019, Danso cooked up his first loan spell back in England at the age of 20, when Premier League side Southampton came knocking. The defender only made 10 appearances for the Saints that season, just six of them coming in the Premier League. However, one of those few appearances was when he featured in Southampton’s remarkable, record-breaking 9-0 loss to Leicester in October 2019.

WHAT A NIGHT FOR THE FOXES.

Leicester beat Southampton 9-0, tying the Premier League record for biggest win. They also broke the record for biggest PL away victory. pic.twitter.com/atXkOxOTSy

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 25, 2019

After picking up a short stint back in England, Danso was sent back on loan by Augsburg the season after. Fellow German outfit Fortuna Düsseldorf grabbed the defender for their upcoming campaign in the Bundesliga 2. The Austrian found himself in the first eleven significantly more on this trip, impressing throughout the 33 games he played for Fortunen. He even collected two goals in the German second tier.

Settling Down

Following two loan spells away from FC Augsburg, Kevin Danso decided to make his absence permanent. He signed for Ligue 1 side RC Lens in 2021, on a permanent contract with the French side. Instantly, the defender found the minutes he was craving, becoming a regular starter for the Blood and Gold. For a matter of fact, Danso appeared in 33 Ligue 1 games in his initial season, scoring two and assisting two.

(Kevin Danso 2021/22 Stats: FotMob)

This continued further; despite only being a young defender, he played another 67 Ligue 1 games across the next two campaigns, finding the net here and there and even helping his side qualify for the Champions League. This caught the eye of many other teams whilst he was in France, after finally being able to settle down and flaunt his talent to the world. AS Roma poked their nose in, which ended up with Danso trying to sign for the club last summer. However, a failed medical prevented the Austrian from getting his break, erupting pure devastation for the 25-year-old.

However, patience is a virtue. Just halfway through the 2024/25 campaign, Tottenham Hotspur hijacked the transfer of Kevin Danso right from Wolves’ hands. Spurs signed the Austrian on a loan until the end of the season – with an option to buy at the end, should they want to. So they did. After six months of Premier League football and helping Spurs to their first trophy win in 17 years in the Europa League, the North London club made the deal permanent in May 2025. A fee of £21 million has seen Danso leave Lens for good, lining up an exciting future ahead for the defender back in England.

Europa League champions!! 🏆 🥇

40+ years in the making, forever grateful to be part of this great team.🤍

Glory to God 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/NHljNebhUi

— Kevin Danso (@KevinDanso98) May 21, 2025