PHOTO: Bildbyrån + TT Nyhetsbyrån
He is one of our greatest football heroes ever.
Ralf Edström was praised by everyone and became popular throughout Sweden.
But was he really as damn good as everyone wants to remember?
This is a comment. The opinions are the writer’s own.
We got to see another masterful episode of the acclaimed SVT program “The History of Football” on Wednesday evening. This time there is full focus on one of Swedish football’s greatest national team heroes – none other than Ralf Edstrom.
Edström’s career
We get a unique insight into his upbringing just 300 meters from Stora Valla in Degerfors, where he would then make his debut in the A team as a mere 15-year-old. Then begins an impressive football career that takes Edström to Åtvidaberg, PSV Eindhoven, IFK Gothenburg, Standard Liège, Monaco and finally Örgryte.
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He becomes one of Sweden’s top strikers and goalscorers of all time, with a track record like few others. SM gold and all-Swedish top scorer, double Swedish cup titles, double league and cup champion in the Netherlands, Belgian cup champion, French league champion and received the Ballon d’Or in both 1972 and 1974.
“Mr. Nickson”
But it is in the Swedish national team that Ralf Edström becomes immortal. As a 19-year-old, he was already a resident of Blågult and got off to a dream start with an incredible eight goals in his first four international matches.
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Seven of the hits were with the skull and therefore he became “Mr. Nickson” with the entire Swedish people. With 191 centimeters and long black hair, the head specialist charms everyone and quickly becomes a teen idol and extremely popular in Sweden.
True legends
Edström is mainly remembered for his many important goals in qualifying matches and of course that volley shot against West Germany in the pouring rain during the 1974 FIFA World Cup, which is still one of the most classic goals in the history of Swedish national team football.
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But what is not said in SVT’s “History of Football” and which is nevertheless highly remarkable when it comes to the legendary Ralf Edström. It’s that he only managed to score a paltry 15 goals in the national team shirt, remember then that he scored eight goals in his first four international matches.
Ralf overrated?
It must be admitted that I am far too young to have experienced his heyday, but you grew up with all the stories about the great Ralf who poured in goals and that he is one of our very best of all time. So you look at the statistics and see only 40 international matches and only 15 goals.
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To put it in context with other Swedish national team players, so did Kim Kallstrom 16 goals in Blue and Yellow, Johan Elmander has 20 full hits, too Anders Svensson and Marcus Allbäck has scored more goals for Sweden – yes, even the sometimes heavily criticized one Marcus Berg surpasses Edström in number of national team goals.
I really don’t understand anything… Have we overrated Ralf Edström as a footballer all these years? His blue-and-yellow icon status is huge in our elongated country, but one would probably have expected significantly more goals from his feet – or yes, skull.
What do you think of Ralf Edström as a footballer? Share the article and have your say!
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