PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Fredrik Ljungberg had an absolutely brilliant football career.
Now iconic coach Arsene Wenger reveals what made him sign the Swede to Arsenal.
– It was pure madness, says the Frenchman in a statement.
He became a “Super Swede” during his heyday in England. There are few Swedish footballers who can measure up Fredrik Ljungberg’s impressive track record.
Ljungberg’s career
Ljungberg broke through as a super talent in small Halmstads BK during the 90s. He won both the Swedish Cup title in 1995 and SM gold in 1997, then Europe called for the nimble left winger.
“Freddie” was selected for the Swedish national team and made his debut in the European Championship qualifiers as a 21-year-old against England in 1998. Sweden defeated the English and Ljungberg’s performance in that match would change his entire football career.
An icon in Arsenal
Because just a few days later, Arsenal themselves stepped in and signed the young Swede for 40 million kroner, which broke a new transfer record for Swedish football at the time. It would turn out to be one of the iconic coach Arsene Wenger’s best decision ever.
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Then Ljungberg developed into a club icon and came to score 71 goals and 36 assists in 326 games from 1998 to 2007. He helped win the Premier League twice, salvage three FA Cup titles and reach a Champions League final.
Wenger reveals
Many years later, Wenger reveals what made him sign the young Swede.
– I bought him from Halmstad after seeing him on TV one weekend when he played for Sweden against England. I watched the game twice and immediately made the decision to buy him right away on the Monday after the game. It was one of my greatest moments of pure madness!, says the Frenchman in an interview, according to a post on Facebook.
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Fredrik Ljungberg quickly became an invaluable key player at Arsenal and to this day his football career is fondly remembered.
“Freddie was fantastic, with his hard work,” writes one user on Facebook.
“This shows how adept Wenger was at determining players’ potential,” writes another.
“What a great player! So important part of that edition of Arsenal, the guy loved to score,” writes a third.
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