swedish football player

Bengt Ulf Sebastian Larsson ( swedish pronunciation : [ ˈlɑ̌ːʂɔn ] ; born 6 June 1985 ) is a swedish professional football player who plays as a midfielder for Allsvenskan club AIK. After beginning his career at hometown club IFK Eskilstuna, Larsson was signed by Arsenal. He made three Premier League appearances for the Gunners, before joining Birmingham City, initially on lend for the 2006–07 season, before a permanent transfer in the winter of 2007. Larsson spent five years at Birmingham, experiencing forwarding to, and delegating from, the Premier League on two occasions. He joined Sunderland on 1 July 2011 upon the death of his contract, after Birmingham suffered relegation. He left Sunderland in 2017 to sign for Hull City in the EFL Championship where he spent one season. He returned to his native Sweden in 2018 to sign for AIK, and helped them win the 2018 Allsvenskan title. Larsson is renowned for being a set-piece specialist. [ 3 ]

A full external between 2008 and 2021, Larsson represented Sweden at the 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 editions of the UEFA European Championship, a well as the FIFA World Cup in 2018, at which he helped his country reach the quarter-finals. He amassed 133 caps for his country .

Club career [edit ]

early career [edit ]

Larsson was born in Eskilstuna [ 2 ] and initially played football for his hometown team, IFK Eskilstuna. He joined Arsenal aged 16 during the summer of 2001, on a four-year professional condense. [ 4 ]

arsenal [edit ]

Having been on the substitutes bench for a catch against Panathinaikos, he made his first-team debut against Manchester City in the League Cup on 27 October 2004, where he played out of position at left back. He played in two far League Cup matches that season. [ 5 ] He made his Premier League introduction on 1 February 2006, replacing Sol Campbell at one-half time as Arsenal lost 3–2 at home to West Ham United. [ 6 ] due to Campbell ‘s defensive errors in that match, Larsson started the next two league matches in defense in his absence, a 2–0 win away to Birmingham City three days late, [ 7 ] and a 1–1 draw at home to Bolton Wanderers on 11 February, in which he was substituted for Dennis Bergkamp as Arsenal sought their equalizer. [ 8 ]

loanword to Birmingham City [edit ]

Larsson joined Championship club Birmingham City on a season-long loan from Arsenal in August 2006, [ 9 ] with an choice to make the go permanent wave. [ 10 ] Larsson made an immediate impact, scoring late winners in his first few games, against Crystal Palace and Shrewsbury Town. [ 11 ] He besides scored two goals against Newcastle United in the FA Cup. [ 12 ]

Birmingham City [edit ]

At the goal of January 2007, Larsson signed permanently for Birmingham City on a four-year distribute for a £1 million tip. [ 13 ] He scored Birmingham ‘s finish of the season, against Sheffield Wednesday in April 2007, running half the length of the field with the ball and finishing from inside the goal sphere. [ 14 ] [ 15 ] In the 2006–07 season, Larsson was used chiefly on the correct wing, occasionally filling in at right-back or left-back when players were injured. His performances on the wide-eyed right of midfield in the 2007–08 season, in particular a man-of-the-match show against Bolton Wanderers, [ 16 ] indicated this to be his best position .
Larsson taking a corner for Birmingham City in 2007 Recalled to the starting football team by new director Alex McLeish for the game at Tottenham Hotspur in December 2007, Larsson scored a outstanding stoppage-time goal to give Birmingham their inaugural away win in the Premier League for over three months. [ 17 ] He scored half of his six goals that season with direct detached kicks, two in consecutive games, against Tottenham and Portsmouth, [ 18 ] and one from 30 yards ( 27 megabyte ) against Liverpool. [ 19 ] With four weeks of the season remaining, Opta statistics rated Larsson as the most accurate taker of a lineal complimentary kick in the Premier League, [ 20 ] though this ability failed to save Birmingham from relegation .
Larsson playing for Birmingham City in 2010 On the opening day of the 2010–11 season, Larsson recovered from what the Observer’ mho reporter described as an “ anonymous ” startle to provide assists for both Birmingham ‘s goals as they drew 2–2 with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. [ 21 ] He again provided an serve, this clock time for Craig Gardner, in his side ‘s inaugural home game, a 2–1 succeed against Blackburn Rovers. [ 22 ] Away to Fulham on 27 November, Alexander Hleb made “ a terrific run ” [ 23 ] and a “ slide-rule ” pass to Larsson, who opened the scoring with his inaugural finish of the season, a low shot across the goalkeeper. The crippled finished 1–1. [ 24 ] Larsson played his separate in Birmingham ‘s run to the 2011 League Cup Final. He scored from the punishment spot before Nikola Žigić headed an 84th-minute winner in the quarter-final against local rivals Aston Villa. [ 25 ] In the first branch of the semi-final against West Ham United, Liam Ridgewell scored from Larsson ‘s corner before Victor Obinna was sent off for kicking Larsson in the groin in an off-the-ball incident. [ 26 ] Despite guess over his future at Birmingham – with his sign due to expire at the end of the season, his adviser was given license to talk to Newcastle United about a proposed move during the January transplant window, but personal terms were not agreed, [ 27 ] and the player was boo when he came on as a substitute in the previous game, against Manchester United [ 28 ] – Larsson returned to the starting eleven in position of the cup-tied David Bentley [ 29 ] and played 100 minutes as Birmingham overturned a 2–1 deficit to win the semi-final 4–3 on sum. [ 30 ] Roger Johnson flicked on Larsson ‘s corner for Žigić to give his team an unexpected lead in the concluding at Wembley against firm favourites Arsenal. Though Robin van Persie equalised, Obafemi Martins scored an 89th-minute achiever to give Birmingham their first trophy since 1963. [ 31 ] Larsson took advantage of a defensive confusion to open the seduce as Birmingham beat Sunderland 2–0 at St Andrew ‘s on 16 April, [ 32 ] and four days late, marked his two-hundredth appearance for the cabaret in all competitions with a penalty, albeit in a lose cause, against reigning champions Chelsea. [ 33 ] On 1 May, he exploited Michael Mancienne ‘s mistake to score the equalising goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers, helping his side earn a compass point despite playing with ten-spot men for more than an hour after Gardner was sent off. [ 34 ] No newly contract was agreed, and following relegation to the Championship, the club confirmed that Larsson was to leave at the end of the season when his existing bargain expired. [ 35 ]

sunderland [edit ]

Larsson taking a free-kick for Sunderland in 2011 On 22 June 2011, Sunderland confirmed that Larsson would join the club on a complimentary transfer under the Bosman rule on 1 July, [ 36 ] frankincense linking him up with early Birmingham coach Steve Bruce. He was given police squad number 7 for the 2011–12 season. [ 37 ] He marked his introduction with the second-half equalizer in a 1–1 draw on the opening day of the season against Liverpool at Anfield, when given room at the far military post to produce a “ brilliant first-time angled volley. “ [ citation needed ] His second Sunderland goal, direct from a exempt kick, put his team 4–0 up against Stoke City at the Stadium of Light in their first acquire of the season. [ 38 ] Larsson scored directly from another free-kick against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium a calendar month late, prompting Arsenal director Arsène Wenger to label his former player “ possibly the best in the league as a free-kick-taker. ” [ 39 ] He scored the opening goal in Sunderland ‘s 2–1 home kill by Wigan Athletic on 26 November, which proved to be Bruce ‘s last bet on in charge of the Black Cats. [ 40 ] Sunderland visited Wolves the following workweek under caretaker coach Eric Black. With Sunderland 1–0 up, Larsson won a penalty, although replays suggested he dived. His penalty was saved by Wayne Hennessey ; less than 30 seconds late, Steven Fletcher equalised for Wolves, and went on to add a belated winner. [ 41 ] Larsson made amends in the take after crippled, scoring from a release kick against Blackburn Rovers in injury-time to secure a late 2–1 gain in Martin O’Neill ‘s first game as director. [ 42 ] Larsson scored another free recoil on 8 January in the FA Cup in a 2–0 acquire against Peterborough United at London Road. [ 43 ] In the fifth round tie with Arsenal, a immediate counterattack from Sunderland saw Larsson hit the carpentry, and the ball subsequently hit Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to put Sunderland 2–0 up and into the quarter-finals. [ 44 ] Larsson scored twice as Sunderland drew 3–3 with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on 31 March. [ 45 ] Larsson produced a “ 25-yard bombshell ” as his first finish of the 2012–13 Premier League season against West Ham United on 12 January 2013 in a 3–0 winnings. [ 46 ] He provided the help for Stéphane Sessègnon ‘s finish in Sunderland ‘s 1–0 defeat of Everton on 20 April, pushing the clubhouse clear of the relegation zone. [ 47 ] The strike against West Ham proved to be Larsson ‘s lone goal of the crusade, a season in which was underwhelming on both individual and cabaret levels as Sunderland scantily managed to avoid delegating. [ 48 ] His first goal of the 2013–14 season came on 6 November 2013, in a 2–1 winnings against Southampton in the League Cup. [ 49 ] His beginning league goal of the season came against Manchester United on 3 May 2014, where he scored the alone finish of the game. The solution gave Sunderland their first win at Old Trafford since 1968. [ 50 ] After contributing to Sunderland ‘s miss from delegating, he was given a modern contract to run until 2017. [ 51 ]

On 16 August 2014, Larsson scored a late counterweight for Sunderland in their 2–2 draw with West Bromwich Albion on the open day of the 2014–15 Premier League season. [ 52 ] His second goal of the season was a loose kick to open the score in a 1–1 draw with Everton on 9 November, [ 53 ] and his third, another mastermind complimentary complain, came in a 2–1 loss at Tottenham on 17 December. [ 54 ] Larsson was named Sunderland ‘s Supporters ‘ Player of the year for the 2014–15 season. [ 55 ]

Hull City [edit ]

After being released by Sunderland when their relegation from the Premier League coincided with the termination of his sign, [ 56 ] Larsson signed a annual compress with Championship club Hull City on 9 August 2017. [ 57 ] He made his first appearance for the club when he came off the bench as a 74th-minute stand-in for Kamil Grosicki in the 4–1 home plate winnings against Burton Albion on 12 August 2017. [ 58 ] On 30 September 2017, he scored his first goal for Hull City, when he scored the 6th finish in a 6–1 home victory over Birmingham City. [ 59 ] He was offered a new contract by Hull at the end of the 2017–18 season. [ 60 ]

AIK [edit ]

On 11 June 2018, Larsson signed for Allsvenskan clubhouse AIK. [ 61 ] His first temper with AIK was very successful, as he helped the team win the swedish Championship for the one-twelfth time in the club ‘s history after claiming the 2018 Allsvenskan title. [ 62 ]

International career [edit ]

Larsson playing for Sweden against Spain in 2019 Larsson received his first call-up to the Sweden squad for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying games against Liechtenstein and Northern Ireland in October 2007. [ 63 ] He was an idle substitute against Liechtenstein but did not make the terrace for the Northern Ireland game. [ 64 ] [ 65 ] He made his debut for Sweden in February 2008, playing the whole 90 minutes of a friendly draw against Turkey in Istanbul. [ 66 ] He was named in Sweden ‘s 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2008, [ 67 ] and has since become a regular in the national team. [ 68 ] He scored his foremost goal at aged international flat in March 2011 as Sweden drum Moldova 2–1 in a Euro 2012 qualifier. [ 69 ] During the qualifiers in October, Larsson added two more goals to his international count. The first was the opener in a 2–1 aside victory over Finland in Helsinki, [ 70 ] and the second was a punishment as Sweden came from behind to beat the Netherlands 3–2 on 11 October at the Råsunda Stadium in Stockholm. [ 71 ] In February 2012, Larsson scored two second-half goals to down Croatia 3–1 at the Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb. [ 72 ] Larsson was selected in Sweden ‘s squad for Euro 2012. He started all three of their group games and scored the second finish in their 2–0 win over France, but Sweden did not make it through to the smasher stages of the competition. [ 73 ] [ 74 ] Larsson was named in Sweden ‘s 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. [ 1 ] In the last warm-up match before the tournament, a scoreless attract with Peru on 9 June, he made his hundredth senior appearance for his country. [ 75 ] At the 2018 World Cup, Larsson played in four games for Sweden as they were eliminated by England in the quarter-finals. [ 76 ] He got his ninth external finish on 28 March 2021, scoring from the punishment touch in a 3–0 World Cup qualifying acquire over Kosovo. [ 77 ] Larsson started in all four matches of Sweden at Euro 2020, serving adenine captain in the absence of Andreas Granqvist. Following the tournament, he announced his retirement from external football. [ 78 ]

personal life [edit ]

Larsson lives in Eskilstuna with his wife Tina. As of June 2018, the couple have two daughters. [ 79 ]

career statistics [edit ]

golf club [edit ]

As of match played 22 May 2021

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club

Season

League

National Cup[a]

League Cup[b]
Europe

Other

Total

Division
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals

Arsenal
2004–05[80]
Premier League

0
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
3
0

2005–06[81]

Premier League

3
0
1
0
4
0
1[c]
0
0
0
9
0

Total

3
0
1
0
7
0
1
0
0
0
12
0

Birmingham City
2006–07[12]
Championship

43
4
3
3
4
2
—
—
50
9

2007–08[82]

Premier League

35
6
1
0
1
0
—
—
37
6

2008–09[83]

Championship

38
1
0
0
1
0
—
—
39
1

2009–10[84]

Premier League

33
4
4
0
1
0
—
—
38
4

2010–11[85]

Premier League

35
4
1
0
5
1
—
—
41
5

Total

184
19
9
3
12
3
—
—
205
25

Sunderland
2011–12[86]

Premier League

32
7
6
1
1
0
—
—
39
8

2012–13[87]

Premier League

38
1
2
0
1
0
—
—
41
1

2013–14[88]

Premier League

31
1
4
0
6
1
—
—
41
2

2014–15[89]

Premier League

36
3
3
0
1
0
—
—
40
3

2015–16[90]

Premier League

18
0
0
0
1
0
—
—
19
0

2016–17[91]

Premier League

21
0
2
0
0
0
—
—
23
0

Total

176
12
17
1
10
1
—
—
203
14

Sunderland U23

2016–17[91]

—
—
—
—
1[d]
0
1
0

Hull City
2017–18[92]

Championship

40
2
0
0
0
0
—
—
40
2

AIK
2018[93]
Allsvenskan

15
2
1
0
—
2[e]
0
—
18
2

2019[93]

Allsvenskan

28
6
6
2
—
8[f]
3
—
42
11

2020[93]

Allsvenskan

28
5
5
0
—
—
—
33
5

2021[93]

Allsvenskan

7
1
3
3
—
—
—
10
4

Total

78
14
15
5
—
10
3
—
103
22

Career total

481
47
42
9
29
4
11
3
1
0
564
63

International [edit ]

Appearances and goals by national team and year[94]

National team
Year
Apps
Goals

Sweden

2008
9
0

2009
10
0

2010
8
0

2011
11
3

2012
12
3

2013
12
0

2014
8
0

2015
10
0

2016
7
0

2017
9
0

2018
13
0

2019
9
2

2020
7
0

2021
8
2

Total
133
10

Sweden score listed first, score column indicates score after each Larsson goal.[94]

Honours [edit ]

Birmingham City
Sunderland

  • Football League Cup runner-up: 2013–14[93]

AIK
Individual

  • Birmingham City Player of the Year: 2007–08[96]
  • Birmingham City Players’ Player of the Year: 2007–08[96]
  • Birmingham City Goal of the Season: 2007–08[96]
  • Sunderland Supporters’ Player of the Year: 2014–15[55]

See besides [edit ]

References [edit ]