Rosenborg striker Nicklas Bendtner played a key role on Thursday night as the Norwegian club knocked last season's finalists out in the Europa League play-off.Ajax were beaten 4-2 on aggregate with the former Arsenal striker scoring a crucial opening goal in the second leg to put Rosenborg in a formidable position.Bendtner, 29, has been in excellent form since joining Rosenborg in March and took his tally for the season to ten with his excellent diving header in the Europa League clash.He had previously joined Championship club Nottingham Forest in September 2016 but only managed two goals in 17 appearances.This is the player who once said in an interview that “if you ask me if I am one of the best strikers in the world, I say ‘yes’ because I believe it."Bendtner spent nine years at Arsenal, playing over 100 Premier League games for the Gunners under Arsene Wenger.He also had loan spells at Birmingham City, Sunderland and Juventus before a successful stint at Wolfsburg was cut short due to a series of off-the-pitch incidents.Bendtner's career has surely not gone in the direction he expected but he was in excellent form against Ajax on Thursday evening.

Incredible piece of skill

The Denmark international pulled off an unbelievable scorpion kick pass which earned a round of applause from the home support.

Retired Liverpool and Roma full-back John Arne Riise was very impressed, sharing praise for Bendtner on Twitter.

Watch the clip of Bendtner's incredible piece of skill below.

Rosenborg drew Zenit St. Petersburg, Real Sociedad and Vardar in the Europa League group stage on Friday.

"I've pictured this going a different way but it didn't,” said Bendtner upon joining Nottingham Forest. “So I'm at where I'm at the moment and I'm going to make the best out of the rest of my career. Do the best I can I suppose.

"The perception has been I did some stupid off-the-field stuff which got written about but you've never seen me do an interview where I'm explaining myself or I'm crying about a situation. It's up to people to make their own judgement and I don't feel like I have to go out and say stuff, and say sorry or I'm not this sort of person. We've all made mistakes and I'm sure you have done many other things that if I caught on camera, you'd say the same. The most important thing is to be judged on the football pitch."