Denmark boss Morten Olsen and USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann were full of praise for the much-maligned striker after he netted his first international treble
Nicklas Bendtner was hailed by both Denmark coach Morten Olsen and USA boss Jurgen Klinsmann after his hat-trick steered his country to a 3-2 win over Wednesday's opponents.
Bendtner had to equalise twice for Denmark after Jozy Altidore and Aron Johannsson had netted for the visitors before the Wolfsburg attacker fired home the winner after 90 minutes.
Olsen felt the 27-year-old could have hit more.
"Nicklas might have scored four or five goals," he told reporters. "On the other hand, though, we can not demand that he should score all of his chances.
"It is clear to see that the training efforts have been good for Nicklas recently. I have spoken with Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking and he has been very pleased with the effort Nicklas has put in.
"It has been difficult for him to get playing time because his competitor, Bas Dost, has scored every time he has hit the ball. Nicklas has kept his mouth shut and just kept on training."
Klinsmann was impressed by the former Arsenal man too, stating that he deserves infinite praise for his performance.
“When you score three goals in a game, you deserve all the compliments in the world. Bendtner deserves them," he said.
“Sometimes it goes well and you score and gain confidence, and three goals is the right medicine for Bendtner. I wish him the best in the future."
Bendtner himself spoke of a "special" night and believes he is getting his career back on track.
"Of course it was very special for me to score hat-trick for the national team, and it is something I will never forget.
"I am where I should be. It is clear that when a man will score 13 goals in six games like Bas Dost, that he expects to play the next games.
"It was nice to score against Inter in the Europa League and play against Mainz in the Bundesliga on Sunday. This indicates that things are going in the right direction for me at the club."
