Henrik Larsson

Henrik Edward Larsson Order of the British Empire [IPA: ] (born September 20, 1971 in Helsingborg, Skåne) is a Sweden football (soccer). Larsson is best known for helping win four titles in seven years for Scotland club Celtic F.C.. He subsequently had a two-year spell at FC Barcelona of Spain, where he won two titles and the UEFA Champions League. In the summer of 2006 he retired from international football and returned to his home town club of Helsingborgs IF. He later joined Manchester United on a brief loan spell between January and March 2007.

In the 1990s, Larsson was famous for his unique high-flying, blonde dreadlocks. However, in 2000 not long after recovering from a career-threatening leg injury, Larsson had his head completely shaven. He has not let his hair grow back since. In spite of this time out of the game, Larsson amassed 93 caps for Swedish National Football Team, scoring 36 goals. He has now retired from international football.

Early career and Celtic

Larsson started his professional career playing for Högaborgs BK at the age of 17. He subsequently moved to Helsingborgs IF, where he scored 50 goals in 56 appearances. It was this sensational form that attracted the interest of The Netherlands club Feyenoord Rotterdam, who signed him for Pound sterling295,000 in 1993. This was despite the fact he was negotiating a contract with Grasshopper-Club Zürich at the time.

Following a complicated contract dispute with Feyenoord, he was signed by Celtic manager Wim Jansen in July 1997 for a fee of £650,000. His debut against Hibernian F.C. at Easter Road was less than spectacular: he inadvertently passed the ball to Hibs player, Chic Charnley who then went on to score, resulting in a 2-1 loss for Celtic. He did not fare much better in his first European game, scoring an own goal, although Celtic did run out 6-3 winners. In spite of this poor start, Celtic won the Scottish Premier League and League Cup in his first season, ending the run of consecutive titles by Old Firm rivals Rangers F.C. in the process.

During Celtic's 1-0 defeat in a UEFA Cup tie against Olympique Lyonnais, Larsson suffered a career-threatening injury, breaking his leg in two places. This resulted in him spending eight months on the sidelines.

After recovering from this injury, and following the arrival of manager Martin O'Neill in 2000, Larsson and Celtic began to contest and win silverware on a more regular basis than during the 1990s. Celtic won the Scottish Premier League title in three of the subsequent four seasons, as well as two Scottish League Cup and a Scottish Cup. In 2001 he won the "European Golden Boot" award for being Europe's most prolific goal scorer, with 35 league goals. His total in all competitions that season was 53. In 2003, he scored two superb goals in the UEFA Cup Final, although opponents Porto went on to win UEFA Cup 2002-03 Final. His goalscoring feats on the continent for Celtic mean he holds the record for number of goals scored for a club from the British Isles in European matches. Celtic fans voted him the only foreigner in the greatest ever Celtic team.

In his last appearance for Celtic, he scored twice to defeat Dunfermline Athletic and win the Scottish Cup. He gave a teary goodbye at his testimonial match against Sevilla FC.

Barcelona

At the end of the 2003-04 season Larsson left Celtic on a free transfer and signed a one year contract with F.C. Barcelona with an option for a second year.

Larsson's first season at Barcelona was plagued by injury, and he played only a nominal part in Barça's La Liga win. He did, however, score against Celtic in a UEFA Champions League match. After the game he said "It was very difficult for me to celebrate my goal because I had so many great times here." Despite having missed most of the 2004-05 season, Barcelona took the option to extend his contract. In 2005-06 Larsson scored 10 goals as Barcelona won La Liga for a second consecutive year.

In January 2006, Larsson announced that at the end of his contract, which ended in July, he would leave Barcelona and return to Sweden to end his career. He revealed that he had politely refused a verbal promise by club president Joan Laporta to extend his contract to the end of the next season. News of his departure provoked praise from his teammates, including Ronaldinho, who said, "With Henrik leaving us at the end of the season this club is losing a great scorer, no question. But I am also losing a great friend. Henrik was my idol and now that I am playing next to him it is fantastic."

In his final game for Barcelona, he won his first UEFA Champions League medal. Larsson came on as a substitute and assisted both of Barcelona's goals in a 2-1 win over Arsenal F.C.. Thierry Henry paid tribute to Larsson's contribution to Barcelona's win after the game, saying, "People always talk about Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Ludovic Giuly and everything, but I didn't see them today—I saw Henrik Larsson. Two times he came on—he changed the game, that is what killed the game. Sometimes you talk about Ronaldinho and Eto'o and people like that; you need to talk about the proper footballer who made the difference, and that was Henrik Larsson tonight."
Indeed his ability to give Barcelona the cutting edge required to overcome Arsenal was noted by the international press:

The New York Times

It was created with a flick of Henrik Larsson's right foot, a moment born of experience and craft. Larsson has said he is retiring from this level of soccer after this game. He had only just come on the field as a replacement but he knew exactly what he was doing. He has vision. He is 34 and he has been in the game for the whole of his adult life and what he could do once he could repeat another four minutes and Larsson again showed the ability to find the pass that destroys defenses. This time he spotted Juliano Belletti, another replacement, who with almost his first touch of the night powered the ball inside the near post of Arsenal's replacement goalkeeper, Manuel Almunia.

After Sweden's elimination from the 2006 FIFA World Cup on June 24 2006, Larsson joined up with his former club, Helsingborgs IF. He made his second debut for his home town club against Hammarby IF in the Svenska Cupen on July 6, 2006.

Manchester United

Shortly after rejoining Helsingborgs IF, Larsson was signed on loan by Alex Ferguson Manchester United F.C.. United announced that Larsson would be on loan from January 1 until March 12 2007, coinciding with the Swedish league's off season. He scored on his debut against Aston Villa F.C. in the FA Cup Third Round on January 7, 2007 at Old Trafford (football ground). Larsson scored his first ever Premier League goal on January 31 in a 4-0 win over Watford F.C..

Whilst United were eager to extend the loan deal, Larsson stated that he had made a promise to his family and his club to return on March 12 2007. This was confirmed on February 20, when Larsson announced that he would not be extending his loan period. Despite this, manager Sir Alex Ferguson was full of praise for the striker, saying 'He's been fantastic for us, we tried everything we could to get him to stay longer, but he made a promise and you have to respect that'. Larsson made his final appearance for United on Saturday 10 March, in a 6th Round FA Cup tie away to Middlesbrough F.C., which ended in a 2-2 draw.

With United subsequently being crowned Premier League 2006-07, there is serious talk of Henrik Larsson getting a winner's medal from the club after a special request to the Premier League for an extra medal on count of his seven league appearances whilst at Old Trafford, which was three short of the mandatory ten league games.

International career

Larsson's international record is impressive with 36 goals in 93 games, many of which he played in midfield or as a winger. He has always made his mark on big occasions and has scored at three Football World Cup (Football World Cup 1994 at which Sweden came third, Football World Cup 2002 and Football World Cup 2006), and two European Football Championship (2000 European Football Championship and 2004 European Football Championship).

Larsson originally chose to retire from International football in 2002. His decision was met with much dismay in his homeland and there was much clamouring for him to return to the team for their campaign at 2004 UEFA European Football Championship in Portugal. Despite initially maintaining his decision to retire, he eventually returned to the national side at the behest of his son, and to great effect, scoring three goals in four matches and leading Sweden to the quarter-finals, where they were defeated in a penalty shootout (football) by the Netherlands national football team. Larsson's tremendous diving header against Bulgaria was voted Best Goal of the 2004 European Championships.

Larsson also featured at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He scored in the final minute of the match against England for Sweden to draw the match 2-2 in their final game in the group stages, thus becoming only the sixth player to score in World Cup finals which are 12 years apart. The goal also sealed Sweden's qualification for the second round of the tournament. But in Sweden's Round of 16 game against host Germany, he blasted a penalty over the bar which could have given his team a lifeline after trailing 2-0 for most of the match.

He retired from international football for the second time on July 17, 2006. "It is time to quit now. It feels right. I'm done with the national team," the 34-year-old Larsson told TV station Canal Plus. As of January 92007 Sweden boss Lars Lagerbäck is understood to be trying to lure him out of international retirement. Lagerbäck is quoted as saying that the Swedish FA are eager to see him playing for his country once more.

Personal life

Henrik's father is from the Cape Verde Islands, off the coast of West Africa, and his mother is Swedish. In 1996 he married his childhood sweetheart, Magdalena. They have two children, Jordan (born 1997) and Janelle (born 2002).

Honours

In November 2003, the Swedish Football Association bestowed upon him the accolade "UEFA Jubilee Awards Larsson received an honorary degree from the University of Strathclyde, in recognition of his contribution to football and for his charity work. In May 2006 he was given the honour of Order of the British Empire by the United Kingdom Consulate in Barcelona, in name of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom for his contributions to British football.

Club

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Country

-

Individual

-
-
-
-

Royal and state Orders

-
-