FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

There is something of the showman about Freddie Ljungberg, but the shock of red hair which once made him the most noticeable player on the pitch has long gone, and these days he lets his talent do all the talking.
“He’s certainly grown up and changed a little, but I think that is because he such a big star,” said Swedish international Niclas Alexandersson. “He is a little bit more careful about his time and what he does, but he is still the same guy.”

Ljungberg, 29, made his name with his speed and dashing runs while winning the Swedish championship in 1997 with Halmstads BK. He gained a reputation not just as one of Sweden’s up-and-coming stars but as one of the country’s more colourful personalities.

On joining Arsenal in 1998, he scored on his debut against Manchester United, earning him instant cult hero status. “From the first game I played at Arsenal the fans have welcomed me and I appreciate their support so much,” Ljungberg said. “When I get stopped in the street by fans it's a real honour for me.”

Fame factor
It would be unfair to suggest that his wild streak, his looks or his career as a model are the driving forces behind his fame. The credit for that goes to his skill and work ethic. Ljungberg often plays in two different positions, depending on whether the match is for club or country.

For Arsenal he often finds himself on the wing, while for Sweden he plays his preferred position in the centre of midfield. In either role, his ability and willingness to get up and down the pitch are what make him the player he is.

“When he first made the national team a lot of critics complained he didn’t score enough,” Alexandersson said. “So, he just worked harder and now scores a lot of goals. He is a very dangerous player.”

Ljungberg’s career at Highbury has gone from strength to strength and he has enjoyed repeated Premiership and FA Cup honours with Arsenal. Both came at once in the 2001/2 season, when his end-of-campaign goals fired the Gunners to the title and helped them win the cup final against Chelsea.

Award pride
Ljungberg was named the Premiership’s Player of the Year and he also won the Golden Ball as Sweden’s best player in 2002, an award he says continues to thrill him. “It's a great honour to win the biggest prize in Swedish football,” he said. “A line of fantastic players have won this award before me.”

He went on to feature in two of Sweden’s matches in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but a hip injury forced him to miss his nation’s final two games. He also played in the 2000 and 2004 UEFA European Championships and up to the start of 2006, Ljungberg had scored 12 goals in 57 internationals.

“He can do it all,” says Sweden’s head coach Lars Largerback of Ljungberg. “He has the right psyche, works very hard and is a great competitor.”

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UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

A Swedish international whose precisely-timed runs from wide positions into the penalty area and plentiful supply of goals mark him out as one of Europe's most watchable midfield players.

National team
A regular for Sweden since his first outing against the United States in January 1998, Fredrik Ljungberg featured in three games at UEFA EURO 2000™ but was prevented from impressing at the 2002 FIFA World Cup by a hip injury. He was among the stars of UEFA EURO 2004™, playing every minute of Sweden's run to the quarter-finals and scoring in the 5-0 win against Bulgaria.

Club
Ljungberg joined his hometown club Halmstads BK as a teenager in 1994 and over the next four seasons proved himself a highly versatile and tenacious performer, helping the club to the Swedish Cup in 1995 and their first Allsvenskan title two years later.

1998: His talent and boundless enthusiasm won him a €4.8m move to Highbury. Ljungberg made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut, just four minutes and 42 seconds after coming on as a substitute against Manchester United FC in September 1998. A regular in the team and on the scoresheet in the ensuing seasons, Ljungberg was pivotal as Arsenal won the Premiership and the FA Cup in 2001/02 and brought down the curtain on a memorable campaign with a goal of outstanding quality in the 2-0 FA Cup final victory against Chelsea FC.

2003: He could not become the first player to score in three successive FA Cup finals the following season, but was consoled with another winners' medal. He played 30 times as Arsenal won the Premiership title without losing a game in 2003/04.

2004/05: Ljungberg scored ten league goals but a migraine and a hip injury restricted his appearances. He recovered from the latter to feature among the substitutes in Arsenal's FA Cup final victory against Manchester United FC, and held his nerve to score in the penalty shoot-out triumph.

Did you know?
Ljungberg was voted best-dressed man in Sweden in 2002.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile

A Swedish international whose precisely-timed runs from wide midfield into the penalty area and plentiful supply of goals mark him out as one of Europe's most watchable midfield players.

National team
A regular for Sweden since his first outing against the United States in January 1998, Ljungberg featured in three games at UEFA EURO 2000™ but was prevented from impressing at the 2002 FIFA World Cup by a niggling hip injury.

UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying
A combination of injury and suspension limited Ljungberg to five appearances and one goal, against San Marino. As usual, however, his overall contribution as an attacking midfielder was invaluable to Sweden winning Group 4.

Club
Ljungberg joined his hometown club, Halmstads BK, as a teenager, signing terms in 1994. He played for the Swedish club for four seasons, proving himself a highly versatile and tenacious performer and helping them to the Swedish Cup in 1995 and Allsvenskan glory in 1997 - Halmstad's first championship.

1998: His talent and boundless enthusiasm for the game won him a €4.8m move to Highbury, where he made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut, just four minutes and 42 seconds after coming on as a substitute against Manchester United FC in September 1998. A regular on the team and scoresheet in the ensuing seasons, Ljungberg was pivotal as Arsenal swept aside all before them in domestic football in 2001/02, winning the Premiership and the FA Cup. Indeed, he brought down the curtain on a memorable campaign with a goal of outstanding quality in the 2-0 FA Cup final victory against Chelsea FC. He couldn't become the first player to score in three successive FA Cup finals the following season, but was consoled with another winners' medal.

2003/04: Played 30 times as Arsenal negotiated the Premiership season without losing a game. Ljungberg scored three times in the league and twice in the Champions League, including one in the 5-1 victory at FC Internazionale.

Did you know?
Ljungberg was voted best-dressed man in Sweden in 2002.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

BBC's UEFA EURO 2004 player's profile

After coming through the ranks with Halmstads BK, Freddie Ljungberg joined Arsenal for a £3m fee in 1998 and quickly became a crowd favourite after scoring on his debut against Manchester United.

Ljungberg was outstanding as the Gunners claimed the Double in 2002, scoring 17 goals including a superb effort against Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

A hip injury hampered his contributions to Sweden's World Cup campaign that summer, but he still found the energy to scuffle with team-mate Olof Mellberg in a training ground brawl filmed by the media.

A natural athlete, Ljungberg is a good finisher who likes to ghost into the box undetected from the right flank.

Though he is more suited to Arsenal's intricate passing movements than the direct style favoured by Sweden, opposition managers in Portugal will be wary of his goal threat.

Famous for dyeing and styling his hair, fashion-conscious Freddie has a lucrative contract modelling underwear for Calvin Klein.

©bbc.co.uk 2004. All rights reserved.