She moved to Copenhagen aged one year and began playing football as a forward, before an injury to her team's regular defender prompted a successful change of position.
[4] She later moved to the Italian Serie A, where she was nicknamed: "Le Perla Nera" (English: The Black Pearl).
[3] Madsen made her senior Denmark national team debut on 20 May 1987, in a 2–0 defeat by rivals Sweden.
At the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup in China, sweeper Madsen played the full 80 minutes in all three group games as Denmark qualified for the knockout stages.
[6] In February 1995 Madsen broke her leg before a 7–0 friendly defeat by the United States in Winter Park, Florida.