Anders Svensson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Anders Svensson

Svensson playing for Elfsborg in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Anders Gunnar Svensson
Date of birth	(1976-07-17) 17 July 1976 (age 48)
Place of birth	Gothenburg, Sweden
Height	1.77 m
Playing position	Midfielder
Youth career
1980–1990	Guldhedens IK
1990–1992	Hestrafors IF
1993	IF Elfsborg
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1994–2001	IF Elfsborg	155	(38)
2001–2005	Southampton	127	(9)
2005–2015	IF Elfsborg	266	(34)
Total		548	(81)
National team
1996–1998	Sweden U21	16	(2)
1999–2013	Sweden	148	(21)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Anders Gunnar Svensson (born 17 July 1976) is a Swedish former professional footballer. He was a central midfielder, which means he played in the middle of the field. He was known for his amazing passes, powerful free kicks, and how well he took set pieces. He often played as a playmaker, helping to create scoring chances for his team.

Anders Svensson played for the Swedish national team an incredible 148 times. He was even the team's captain many times before he stopped playing international football in 2013. He holds the record for being the most capped male player for Sweden, meaning he has played the most games for his country.

Besides leading Sweden, Svensson was also captain for his club teams, Southampton and Elfsborg. He played important roles in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. His leadership skills were clear, and he became the official captain of the Swedish national team in 2009.

He is one of the most capped European players ever, having played more international games than almost anyone else from Europe. Svensson also represented Sweden in three European Championships: in 2004, 2008, and 2012.

Early Life and Football Start

Anders Svensson was born on 17 July 1976 in Gothenburg, Sweden. His parents are Bertil and Gun Svensson. He has three brothers: Thomas, Kristoffer, and Marcus. His father, Bertil, was actually his first coach at Guldhedens IK.

Anders grew up watching English football on TV. When he started playing, people even compared him to famous English player David Beckham. In 1980, when he was just four years old, Svensson joined Guldhedens IK. He played there for ten years, learning the game.

Club Career Journey

Starting at IF Elfsborg

After playing for Guldhedens IK for ten years, Anders moved to Borås. There, he joined IF Elfsborg, a professional football club.

He was an offensive midfielder, which means he played further up the field to help score goals. Sometimes, when he played for Southampton, he also played on the left side of the midfield. He became a well-known player while at IF Elfsborg in the late 1990s. Then, in 2001, he moved to England to play for Southampton.

Time at Southampton

Svensson joined Southampton on 14 June 2001. The club paid £750,000 to get him. In his first season in the Premier League, England's top league, Svensson scored four goals in 35 games. Southampton finished 11th that year. He was a very important player for the team.

He played a big part in Southampton's journey to the 2002–03 FA Cup final. In their first match, they won 4–0 against Tottenham Hotspur. Svensson scored one of the goals! He played in the 2003 FA Cup Final against Arsenal, but Southampton lost that game 1–0.

Svensson also played for Southampton in the 2003–04 UEFA Cup, which is a European club competition. However, his team was knocked out in the first round. During his time with Southampton, Svensson played 140 games. Even though the club wanted him to stay, he decided to go back to his old club, IF Elfsborg.

Back to Elfsborg

Anders Svensson playing for IF Elfsborg.

Anders Svensson returned to Elfsborg in 2005. He became the team's captain and stayed in that role until 2014. He helped Elfsborg win the Swedish league title, the Allsvenskan, in 2006 and 2012. After playing another 10 years for IF Elfsborg, Svensson decided to stop playing professional football in 2015.

Playing for Sweden

In 1996, Anders Svensson made his first appearance for the Swedish under-21 team. He played in the U-21 championships in 1998 with other future stars.

He played his first game for the senior Swedish national team in 1999 against South Africa.

Svensson was famous for his excellent free kicks. He showed this skill at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan. He scored a fantastic free kick goal against Argentina, which helped knock Argentina out of the tournament. He also set up a goal for Henrik Larsson with a great corner kick against Senegal. He almost scored a "golden goal" in extra time, but his shot hit the post. He also played for Sweden in Euro 2004 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

He played very well during the qualifying games for UEFA Euro 2008. He played 11 games, scoring 2 goals and getting 1 assist, which helped Sweden qualify. He played every minute of every game during Euro 2008. After Henrik Larsson retired, Svensson became the team captain for Sweden in a friendly game against Italy. When Zlatan Ibrahimović returned to the national team in 2010, Svensson was named co-captain.

On 6 September 2013, Svensson made history. He played his 143rd game for Sweden, matching Thomas Ravelli's record for the most games played by a male Swedish footballer. He later broke that record. It was a special night because he also scored the winning goal as Sweden came from behind to beat Ireland 2–1. After Sweden didn't qualify for the World Cup 2014 in November 2013, Svensson decided to retire from playing for his country.

Life After Football

In 2014, while he was still playing football, Anders Svensson started working as a football commentator for a TV channel called Kanal 5. This means he would talk about football games on television.

Personal Life

Anders Svensson married Emma Johansson in July 2007. Their wedding took place at Thorberg Castle.

Career Numbers

International Games

Anders Svensson is the most capped player for the Sweden national team.

Trophies and Awards

IF Elfsborg

• Allsvenskan (Swedish League): 2006, 2012
• Svenska Cupen (Swedish Cup): 2000–01, 2013–14
• Svenska Supercupen (Swedish Super Cup): 2007
• Atlantic Cup: 2011

Southampton

• FA Cup runner-up: 2002–03 (They reached the final but didn't win)

See Also

In Spanish: Anders Svensson para niños

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps