Martin Olsson facts for kids
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Olsson playing for Sweden at UEFA Euro 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Martin Tony Waikwa Olsson | ||
| Date of birth | 17 May 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Gävle, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.77 m | ||
| Playing position | Left back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Malmö FF | ||
| Number | 13 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2006 | Högaborgs BK | ||
| 2006–2007 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2007–2013 | Blackburn Rovers | 117 | (3) |
| 2013–2017 | Norwich City | 119 | (3) |
| 2017–2019 | Swansea City | 68 | (2) |
| 2020 | Helsingborgs IF | 25 | (0) |
| 2021 | BK Häcken | 10 | (1) |
| 2021– | Malmö FF | 64 | (1) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2006–2007 | Sweden U19 | 13 | (1) |
| 2007–2010 | Sweden U21 | 23 | (1) |
| 2010– | Sweden | 56 | (5) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Martin Tony Waikwa Olsson (born on May 17, 1988) is a Swedish professional footballer. He plays as a left back for Malmö FF and the Sweden national team.
Olsson started his career in Sweden with Högaborgs BK. In 2006, he joined Blackburn Rovers in England. Later, he played for Norwich City and Swansea City. He then returned to Sweden, playing for Allsvenskan clubs Helsingborgs IF, BK Häcken, and now Malmö FF.
Since 2010, Olsson has played more than 50 games for the Swedish national team. He has represented his country in big tournaments like UEFA Euro 2012, 2016, and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting in Sweden
Martin Olsson began his football journey at Högaborgs BK in Sweden. This is the same club where famous Swedish star Henrik Larsson started. Martin played in the youth teams during 2005 and 2006. His skills quickly caught the eye of bigger clubs in Europe.
Joining Blackburn Rovers
In January 2006, a top English club, Blackburn Rovers, signed him for their youth academy. He made his first team debut for Blackburn in a UEFA Cup qualifying match in 2007. His first game in the Premier League was on December 30, 2007, against Derby County. He was voted Blackburn's Young Player of the Year for the 2007–08 season.
In May 2008, Olsson signed a new contract to stay with Blackburn until 2012. He scored his first goal for Blackburn on September 24, 2008, in a League Cup game against Everton. It was the only goal of the match, winning the game for Blackburn. On February 10, 2010, he scored his first Premier League goal against Hull City, helping Blackburn win 1–0.
In June 2010, Olsson signed another five-year deal with Blackburn Rovers. He became a key player for the team. In the 2011–12 season, he helped Sweden qualify for UEFA Euro 2012. At the end of that season, Blackburn was relegated from the Premier League.
Moving to Norwich City
On July 10, 2013, Olsson joined Norwich City, another Premier League team. He signed a four-year contract. He scored his first goal for Norwich in a League Cup match on August 27, 2013. Despite his efforts, Norwich City was relegated from the Premier League that season.
In the 2014–15 season, Olsson played a big part in Norwich's success. He helped the team finish third in the Championship. They then won the play-offs, beating Middlesbrough 2–0 in the final at Wembley Stadium. This meant Norwich returned to the Premier League.
In the 2015–16 Premier League season, Olsson scored an important goal against Newcastle United. His long-distance shot in stoppage time gave Norwich a 3–2 win. However, Norwich was relegated again at the end of the season. His last game for Norwich was in an FA Cup draw against Southampton.
Time at Swansea City
On January 17, 2017, Olsson signed with Swansea City, another Premier League club. He scored his first goal for Swansea on February 12, 2017, in a 2–0 win against Leicester City.
He played regularly for Swansea in the 2017–18 season. However, Swansea City was also relegated from the Premier League that season. This was Olsson's fourth relegation from the Premier League. He left Swansea City in May 2019 when his contract ended.
Return to Sweden
In 2020, Olsson returned to Sweden and signed a one-year contract with Helsingborgs IF. He played 25 league games, but Helsingborg was relegated to a lower league.
After that, he joined BK Häcken in 2021. He played 10 games for them before moving to Malmö FF, one of Sweden's biggest clubs.
Playing for Malmö FF
Martin Olsson joined Malmö FF on August 12, 2021. In 2023, he received a suspension for an incident during a Swedish Cup group stage match. He was given a red card and later suspended for five matches by the Swedish Football Association. Despite this, he has continued to play for Malmö FF.
International Career
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Martin Olsson has played many games for Sweden's national youth teams, including the under-18 and under-21 squads.
He was first called up to the senior Swedish national team in May 2010. In his first game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, he scored two goals after coming on as a substitute. On September 6, 2011, he started his first game for the national team and scored a goal in a 5–0 win against San Marino.
In May 2012, Olsson was chosen to be part of the Swedish squad for UEFA Euro 2012. He also represented Sweden at UEFA Euro 2016 and was part of the team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Personal Life
Martin Olsson was born in Gävle, Sweden. His father is Swedish and his mother is Kenyan. He has a twin brother named Marcus, who is also a professional footballer. His sister, Jessica Olsson, is married to former basketball player Dirk Nowitzki.
Honours
Norwich City
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2015
Malmö FF
- Allsvenskan: 2021, 2023, 2024
- Svenska Cupen: 2021–22, 2023–24
Individual
- Swedish Defender of the Year: 2013
- Stor Grabb: 2013
See also
In Spanish: Martin Olsson para niños
