Niko Hansen

On 8 August 2019, Hansen was traded to Houston Dynamo in exchange for $75,000 in targeted allocation money. He made his debut for the Dynamo three days later, entering as a substitute in a 2–1 defeat against Philadelphia Union, and went on to make four appearances during his first season in Houston. Following the campaign, the Dynamo picked up the option on Hansen's contract.

Hansen was expected to challenge for a starting spot at the beginning of the 2018 season following the departure of Justin Meram, but suffered a pulled hamstring during preseason camp. He found his form in the later part of the year, scoring a match-tying goal against Chicago Fire on 23 August and bagging a brace in a 3–2 defeat against Portland on 19 September. For a second consecutive season, Hansen scored in a knockout round penalty shootout, this time helping Columbus advance over D.C. United by a 3–2 result. However, he missed the conference semifinals against New York Red Bulls after picking up an ankle injury against D.C. After appearing 24 times and scoring three goals, Hansen again had his contract option picked up by the club.

Following the 2018 season, Hansen had surgery on his ankle; during the 2019 preseason, he suffered two setbacks, tearing scar tissue in the same ankle then suffering a torn hamstring in his preseason debut. He returned to full health after missing five league matches, appearing off the bench on 6 April against New England Revolution. Hansen struggled to earn a spot in the rotation under new head coach Caleb Porter, appearing in just nine matches in Columbus under Porter. Hansen was traded to Houston in early August, ending his time in Columbus with four goals from 49 appearances in all competitions.

At a young age, Hansen moved to the United States and attended Jesuit High School. He played in college at New Mexico, appearing on an all-conference team in each of his four years with the Lobos and winning two conference titles. He also appeared with Seattle Sounders FC U-23 during the collegiate offseason. Hansen was selected by Columbus Crew SC in the first round of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft; he scored on his professional debut in March 2017. He is eligible to play for either the Denmark or United States national teams and is a citizen of both countries.

Columbus Crew SC selected Hansen with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft. Because he had already signed a league-guaranteed contract before the draft, Hansen was automatically added to the Columbus roster without having to negotiate a contract with the club. Hansen made his club and professional debut on 25 March against Portland Timbers, replacing Justin Meram in the 60th minute of a tied match. He would go on to provide Crew SC with a 3–2 victory, scoring the game-winning goal in the 84th minute. Hansen missed 14 matches during the summer after undergoing surgery to repair an inguinal hernia and then suffering a thigh strain upon his return to training. He returned in time for Columbus' playoff run, appearing as an extra time substitute in the knockout round against Atlanta United. He scored in the penalty shootout as Crew SC advanced by a 3–1 margin. After finishing the season with one goal in 16 appearances, Hansen had his contract option picked up by the club.

Ahead of his junior season, Hansen was called up to the United States U23 national team, taking part in a college identification training camp ahead of the 2015 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship. He stepped straight back into form after returning to New Mexico, scoring game-winning goals in back-to-back matches against Missouri State and American in September. He scored just one more time on the season, but was named Second Team All-CUSA, with a total of three goals and three assists from 18 appearances. As a senior, Hansen appeared 21 times while leading the Lobos to their first C-USA tournament title since joining the conference four years prior. On 17 September, he scored his first career hat trick in a 3–1 victory over UC Irvine. Hansen tallied a career-high 13 goals during the year and added three assists, earned a spot on the C-USA All-Tournament Team, and was named to the All-CUSA First Team. He finished his collegiate career with 28 goals in 79 appearances.

On 6 February 2013, Hansen was officially confirmed as part of the New Mexico roster, one of eight recruits brought in by the Lobos ahead of the 2013 season. He made his collegiate debut on 31 August, starting and scoring two goals as part of a 7–2 victory over Villanova. Hansen also scored on his Conference USA (C-USA) debut, tallying a goal in a 3–1 victory over Marshall, and tallied an assist in his NCAA Tournament debut against George Mason. After tallying seven goals and five assists in 22 appearances on the season, he was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team. As a sophomore, Hansen appeared 18 times and scored five goals. In one mid-season stretch, he scored three match-winning goals in four games: against Virginia Commonwealth, West Virginia, and Florida International. At the end of the season, he was named to the All-CUSA Third Team.

Nikolaj Hansen (born 14 September 1994) is a Danish footballer who plays as a forward or winger for Major League Soccer club Houston Dynamo. He previously appeared at the semi-professional level for Seattle Sounders FC U-23 and professionally with Columbus Crew SC.