A match against England changed Fredrik Ljungberg’s life forever.
Immediately after, Arsène Wenger acted.
“It was one of my big decisions out of madness,” the coach has said.
Fredrik Ljungberg is one of Arsenal’s all-time greats. He may not have scored the most goals or points for the club, but if you were part of that incredible team that went through an entire Premier League season without losing a single game – well, then you’re in the history books forever .
That’s how Ljungberg was recruited
Along with legends such as Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira, Ljungberg went through the 2003/2004 Premier League season completely unbeaten, and the Swede had a big part in the success. He was the fierce winger who always challenged his old man, and who always attacked directly towards the goal. With his incredible will to fight, he won the hearts of the fans, and when he left the club in 2007, he did so as an icon.
But the fact that Fredrik Ljungberg even ended up at Arsenal from the start was far from a foregone conclusion. He was only 20 years old when he was signed to Arsenal and he came from the Allsvenskan club Halmstad. A sensational transfer for a Swedish talent – but Arsène Wenger, legendary manager of Arsenal, was sure it was a gamble worth taking.
“A Great Moment of Madness”
In his autobiography, which was released a couple of years ago, Wenger told in detail how he signed Ljungberg from Halmstad. And it all had its basis in a European Championship qualifying match against England in September 1998, when Ljungberg absolutely excelled.
“I bought him from Halmstad after seeing him on TV, when he played for Sweden against England. He faced Martin Keown in that match, and made it difficult for him. Martin was very good in one-on-one situations which showed Freddie’s value,” Wenger wrote.
But making that kind of signing – without actually scouting the player at all – is daring. And Wenger believes that it was a gamble that turned out incredibly well.
“I watched the game twice and immediately decided to buy him on the Monday after the game. It was one of my great moments of madness,” writes Wenger.
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