Johan Elmander facts for kids
Elmander playing for Galatasaray in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Johan Erik Calvin Elmander | ||
| Date of birth | 27 May 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Alingsås, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–1998 | Holmalunds IF | 23 | (5) |
| 1999–2000 | Örgryte IS | 39 | (4) |
| 2000–2004 | Feyenoord | 39 | (3) |
| 2002–2003 | → Djurgårdens IF (loan) | 19 | (12) |
| 2003–2004 | → NAC Breda (loan) | 31 | (7) |
| 2004–2006 | Brøndby IF | 58 | (22) |
| 2006–2008 | Toulouse | 64 | (22) |
| 2008–2011 | Bolton Wanderers | 92 | (18) |
| 2011–2014 | Galatasaray | 52 | (16) |
| 2013–2014 | → Norwich City (loan) | 28 | (1) |
| 2014–2016 | Brøndby IF | 48 | (6) |
| 2017 | Örgryte IS | 23 | (4) |
| Total | 490 | (116) | |
| International career | |||
| 1997–1998 | Sweden U16 | 27 | (3) |
| 1999 | Sweden U18 | 7 | (1) |
| 2000–2004 | Sweden U21 | 30 | (12) |
| 2002–2015 | Sweden | 85 | (20) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Johan Erik Calvin Elmander (born on May 27, 1981) is a Swedish former professional footballer. He played as a striker, which is a player who mainly tries to score goals. Johan started his career in Sweden in the late 1990s. He then played professionally in the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, France, England, and Turkey. He stopped playing football in 2017.
Johan was also a key player for the Sweden national team from 2002 to 2015. He scored 20 goals in 85 games for his country. He represented Sweden in big tournaments like the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, and UEFA Euro 2012.
In 2011, one of his goals for Bolton Wanderers was voted the greatest Premier League goal ever. This amazing goal happened in a game against Wolverhampton Wanderers during the 2010–11 season.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting His Football Journey
Johan Elmander was born in Alingsås, Sweden. He began his football career as a striker for Swedish clubs like Holmalunds IF and Örgryte. When he was 18, he moved to the Dutch club Feyenoord. There, he often played as a midfielder.
Even though he wasn't always in the starting team, he was part of the squad that won the 2002 UEFA Cup Final. He came on as a substitute in that exciting 3–2 win against Borussia Dortmund.
Later, Johan went back to Sweden on loan to play for Djurgården. With Djurgården, he helped the team win both the Allsvenskan championship and the Swedish Cup in 2002. They also won the Allsvenskan again in 2003. He made his debut for the Swedish national team in February 2002. In 2003, he was loaned to another Dutch club, NAC Breda.
Success with Brøndby IF
Before the 2004–05 season, Johan joined Danish Superliga team Brøndby. He became a very important player for them. He was the main creative player, helping to set up goals for his teammates. He played as a forward who could move freely behind the main striker.
In the 2004–05 season, Brøndby won both the Danish Superliga and the Danish Cup. Johan was even voted Brøndby's Player of the Year. During his two seasons at Brøndby, he scored 22 goals in 58 league games. His great performances caught the eye of many clubs across Europe. He also played for Sweden in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In July 2006, he signed a four-year contract with the French team Toulouse.
Time at Toulouse
Johan scored 11 goals in his first season with Toulouse. He was even nominated for the player of the year award by other players. His team had a very successful season, finishing third in the league. This meant they could try to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, which is a big European club competition. His second season at Toulouse was a bit more up and down, but he still scored 11 goals.
Playing for Bolton Wanderers
On June 27, 2008, Johan Elmander moved to the English Premier League club Bolton Wanderers. This was a record signing for Bolton at the time. He signed a three-year deal and wore the number 9 shirt.
Johan scored his first Premier League goal, a header, in his very first game for Bolton. This was against Stoke City on August 16, 2008, in a 3–1 win. He played 30 games in his first season, scoring five goals.
He went through a period without scoring many goals from December 2008 to September 2009. But he ended this "goal drought" in a League Cup game against West Ham United. He then found his scoring form again in the 2010–11 season. He scored six goals in the first 13 games, all of them away from Bolton's home stadium. His first home goals that season came against Newcastle United. He ended that season with 11 goals in all competitions.
Bolton's manager, Owen Coyle, said in May 2011 that he expected Johan to join Galatasaray. Johan confirmed later that month that he would be leaving Bolton. In total, he played 92 Premier League games for Bolton, scoring 18 goals.
Moving to Galatasaray
On May 27, 2011, which was his birthday, Johan Elmander arrived in Turkey. A few days later, on May 30, he joined Galatasaray on a free transfer. He signed a three-year deal after his contract with Bolton ended.
He played his first game for Galatasaray in the second week of the Süper Lig season. He came on as a substitute and scored his first goal in a 3–1 home win against Samsunspor on September 18. Because he played so well, Galatasaray's coach changed the team's formation. This allowed Johan to play alongside another striker, Milan Baroš.
On February 26, 2012, he scored the first and winning goal in a 3–2 victory against Beşiktaş. He also scored goals in important derby matches against teams like Fenerbahçe and Trabzonspor. He scored 12 goals in 36 league matches that season, helping Galatasaray become league champions.
He started the 2012–13 season strong, scoring his first goal in a 3–3 draw with Beşiktaş. He continued to score important goals, helping Galatasaray stay at the top of the Süper Lig. In August 2013, he left to join the Premier League team Norwich City on a loan.
Loan to Norwich City
Johan returned to England to play for Norwich City for one season. He played his first game for Norwich against Hull City. He scored his first two goals for the club in a League Cup game against Bury on August 27, 2013. His first league goal for Norwich came against Southampton on March 15, 2014. Even though he didn't score many goals, many fans liked him because he always worked very hard.
Returning to Brøndby
On June 24, 2014, Johan Elmander went back to Brøndby in Denmark. He joined them on a free transfer and signed a two-year contract. He was given the number 11 shirt for his return to the club.
Final Years and Retirement
Johan spent his last season as a professional footballer at Örgryte, one of his first clubs. He scored 5 goals in 25 games before retiring from football in 2017.
Playing for Sweden
Johan Elmander played for the Sweden national team in several major tournaments. These included the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, and UEFA Euro 2012. He stopped playing for the national team in November 2015. He played 85 games for Sweden and scored 20 goals.
Personal Life
Johan Elmander has two brothers, Peter and Patrik. They were also professional footballers.
Johan married his high school sweetheart, Amanda Calvin, on December 27, 2007. Their wedding was a big celebration in her hometown of Hemsjö, Sweden, with over 200 guests. In August 2008, they welcomed their first child. On November 18, 2010, they had a baby girl named Lily.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Holmalund | 1997 | Division 2 Västra Götaland | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||||
| 1998 | Division 2 Västra Götaland | 19 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 5 | |||||
| Total | 23 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 23 | 5 | ||||||
| Örgryte | 1999 | Allsvenskan | 18 | 2 | — | — | — | 18 | 2 | |||||
| 2000 | Allsvenskan | 21 | 2 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 25 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 39 | 4 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 43 | 4 | ||||||
| Feyenoord | 2000–01 | Eredivisie | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 2 | |||
| 2001–02 | Eredivisie | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 2 | — | 32 | 3 | |||
| 2002–03 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 39 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 5 | |||
| Djurgården (loan) | 2002 | Allsvenskan | 8 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 2 | — | 14 | 7 | ||
| 2003 | Allsvenskan | 11 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 7 | ||||
| Total | 19 | 12 | 4 | 0 | — | 4 | 2 | — | 27 | 14 | ||||
| NAC Breda (loan) | 2003–04 | Eredivisie | 31 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 35 | 7 | ||
| Brøndby | 2004–05 | Danish Superliga | 27 | 9 | 4 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 32 | 9 | ||
| 2005–06 | Danish Superliga | 31 | 13 | 3 | 2 | — | 8 | 3 | — | 42 | 18 | |||
| Total | 58 | 22 | 7 | 2 | — | 9 | 3 | — | 74 | 27 | ||||
| Toulouse | 2006–07 | Ligue 1 | 32 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 11 | ||
| 2007–08 | Ligue 1 | 32 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 38 | 12 | ||
| Total | 64 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 73 | 23 | |||
| Bolton Wanderers | 2008–09 | Premier League | 30 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 5 | ||
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 25 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 32 | 5 | |||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 37 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 45 | 12 | |||
| Total | 92 | 18 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 108 | 22 | ||||
| Galatasaray | 2011–12 | Süper Lig | 36 | 12 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 12 | |||
| 2012–13 | Süper Lig | 16 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 5 | ||
| Total | 52 | 16 | 2 | 1 | — | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 61 | 17 | |||
| Norwich City (loan) | 2013–14 | Premier League | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 33 | 3 | ||
| Brøndby | 2014–15 | Danish Superliga | 20 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 22 | 2 | |||
| 2015–16 | Danish Superliga | 25 | 5 | 4 | 1 | — | 8 | 3 | — | 37 | 9 | |||
| Total | 45 | 6 | 6 | 2 | — | 8 | 3 | — | 59 | 11 | ||||
| Örgryte | 2017 | Superettan | 23 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 25 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 513 | 120 | 38 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 48 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 610 | 143 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 2002 | 2 | 0 |
| 2003 | 4 | 3 | |
| 2004 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 6 | 3 | |
| 2006 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 6 | 3 | |
| 2008 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 11 | 3 | |
| 2012 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2014 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 85 | 20 | |
- Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Elmander goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 February 2003 | Suphachalasai Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand |  Qatar |
1–0 | 3–2 | 2003 King's Cup |
| 2 | 2–0 | |||||
| 3 | 20 February 2003 | Suphachalasai Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand |  Thailand |
2–0 | 4–1 | 2003 King's Cup |
| 4 | 17 November 2004 | Easter Road, Edinburgh, Scotland |  Scotland |
3–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 4 June 2005 | Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden |  Malta |
6–0 | 6–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 8 June 2005 | Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden |  Norway |
2–3 | 2–3 | Friendly |
| 7 | 12 November 2005 | Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea |  South Korea |
1–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 8 | 7 October 2006 | Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden |  Spain |
1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 9 | 28 March 2007 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland |  Northern Ireland |
1–0 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 10 | 2 June 2007 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Denmark |
1–0 | 3–0 * | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 11 | 3–0 | |||||
| 12 | 12 August 2009 | Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden |  Finland |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 13 | 3 March 2010 | Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Wales |  Wales |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 14 | 9 February 2011 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus |  Ukraine |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2011 Cyprus International Football Tournament |
| 15 | 3 June 2011 | Zimbru Stadium, Chişinău, Moldova |  Moldova |
2–0 | 4–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 16 | 3–0 | |||||
| 17 | 6 September 2012 | Olympia, Helsingborg, Sweden |  China |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 18 | 16 October 2012 | Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany |  Germany |
3–4 | 4–4 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
| 19 | 7 June 2013 | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria |  Austria |
1–2 | 1–2 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
| 20 | 6 September 2013 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Republic of Ireland |  Republic of Ireland |
1–1 | 2–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
* Match abandoned, see UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier fan attack.
Awards and Trophies
Feyenoord
- UEFA Cup: 2001–02
Djurgården
- Allsvenskan: 2002, 2003
- Svenska Cupen: 2002
Brøndby
- Danish Superliga: 2004–05
- Danish Cup: 2004–05
Galatasaray
- Süper Lig: 2011–12, 2012–13
- Turkish Super Cup: 2012
Individual Awards
- UNFP Player of the Month (February 2007)
- Premier League Player of the Month: November 2010
See also
In Spanish: Johan Elmander para niños
