Rasmus Lindgren facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rasmus Lindgren

Lindgren training for Red Bull Salzburg match in July 2011
Personal information
Date of birth	(1984-11-29) 29 November 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth	Landskrona, Sweden
Height	1.80 m
Playing position	Centre back, defensive midfielder
Club information
Current club	BK Häcken (assistant)
Youth career
2002–2003	Landskrona BoIS
2003–2005	Ajax
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005	Ajax	4	(0)
2005–2008	FC Groningen	82	(4)
2008–2011	Ajax	54	(6)
2011–2012	Red Bull Salzburg	20	(1)
2013–2016	FC Groningen	86	(6)
2016–2021	BK Häcken	107	(1)
National team
2002–2002	Sweden U19	9	(0)
2004–2006	Sweden U21	9	(0)
2008–2009	Sweden	2	(0)
Teams managed
2022–2023	BK Häcken (U19)
2024–	BK Häcken (assistant)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 2 August 2020. † Appearances (Goals).

Rasmus Lindgren (born November 29, 1984) is a former Swedish professional football player. He mostly played as a defender or midfielder. Rasmus started his career at Landskrona BoIS in Sweden. He spent most of his playing time in the Netherlands with AFC Ajax and FC Groningen. He also played for Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. Rasmus finished his playing career at BK Häcken in Sweden in 2021. He also played two games for the Swedish national team between 2008 and 2009.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Landskrona

Rasmus Lindgren was born in Landskrona, Sweden. He began his football journey in the youth team of Landskrona BoIS. He trained alongside other players who later became professionals. Rasmus was a substitute in a game in 2003. However, he never played a full senior match for the team.

First Time with Ajax

On January 6, 2003, Eredivisie team AFC Ajax was impressed by Rasmus. They offered him a professional contract after a trial. He signed a one-year deal on January 17, 2003.

Rasmus first played for Ajax's second team, called Jong Ajax. In March 2004, he signed another one-year contract. He was promoted to the first team for the 2004–05 season. Rasmus made his first team debut for Ajax on February 13, 2005. It was an away game against NAC Breda, which Ajax won 2–1. A few days later, he played his first European game. This was in the UEFA Cup against Auxerre. Even though he was happy to play, Rasmus did not get many chances to start. He played only four games that season.

Playing for FC Groningen

Lindgren training with Groningen in 2006

On August 9, 2005, Rasmus joined FC Groningen on a one-year loan. He made his debut for the club in the first game of the season. He came on as a substitute in a 1–0 win. In the next match, Rasmus scored his first goal for FC Groningen. This was in a 2–1 loss against RKC Waalwijk.

He scored again in January 2006 against NAC Breda. Fans even named him "Man of the Match." In March 2006, Rasmus signed a four-year deal with Groningen. He became a permanent player. He scored his third goal in April 2006. Rasmus helped Groningen reach the play-offs for the UEFA Champions League. He played a total of 40 games and scored three goals that season.

For the 2006–07 season, Rasmus continued to be a key player in midfield. He scored his first goal of the season in a cup game in September 2006. In October, he was sent off in a game but the suspension was later removed. He made 34 appearances that season.

In the 2007–08 season, Rasmus remained a regular starter. He helped Groningen by setting up goals and scoring one himself. He played 24 games that season. During his time at Groningen, he played 82 league matches and scored 4 goals. He was a very important player for the team.

Back to Ajax

Lindgren during his second time at Ajax in 2008

On January 28, 2008, Rasmus returned to Ajax. He signed a 3.5-year contract. Ajax paid about 2.5 million Euros for him. He made his second debut for Ajax on February 3, 2008. It was a big game against rivals Feyenoord, which Ajax won 3–0. Two weeks later, Rasmus scored his first goal for Ajax. He also set up two other goals in a 6–2 win.

He scored again in April 2008 against his old club, FC Groningen. Rasmus helped Ajax in the play-offs for the UEFA Champions League spot. He played 11 games and scored two goals that season. He was even named in the "Team of the Season" by a football magazine.

For the 2008–09 season, Rasmus continued to play regularly in midfield. He scored his first goal of the season in November 2008. A month later, he was captain for a game and scored again. However, he had a hamstring injury that kept him out for a month. He also suffered a concussion in a European game. Despite injuries, he played 32 games and scored two goals that season.

The 2009–10 season was tough for Rasmus due to injuries. He had foot surgery and was not fully fit. He struggled to get playing time under the new coach. He finally made his first appearance in September 2009. In January 2010, he scored his first goal of the season. However, he got a knee injury in February and missed the rest of the season. Ajax won the KNVB Cup that year. He played 8 games and scored one goal.

In the 2010–11 season, Rasmus scored an important goal in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers. This helped Ajax reach the group stage. He had some injuries but returned to play against Feyenoord in September 2010. He made his Champions League debut later that month. In October, he scored his first league goal of the season. He was sent off in November and missed two games. Despite injuries and being a substitute sometimes, Rasmus helped Ajax win the league title. He played 26 games and scored two goals. After this, he decided to leave Ajax for a new challenge.

Time with Red Bull Salzburg

Rasmus Lindgren in his first league match for Red Bull Salzburg

On June 20, 2011, Rasmus joined Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. He signed a two-year deal. He made his debut in a European game in July 2011. Three days later, he played his first league game. He was sent off in his second league game.

Lindgren watches as Steffen Hofmann is fouled during a match between Rapid Wien and Red Bull Salzburg.

Rasmus played as a defensive midfielder or centre-back. He scored his first goal for Salzburg in a cup game in September 2011. He scored again in March 2012. In May 2012, he helped Salzburg win the league title. He also helped them win the Austrian Cup. He played 34 games and scored two goals in his first season.

Lindgren about to mark a SV Ried's player during a match between SV Ried and Red Bull Salzburg

In the 2012–13 season, Rasmus only played two games. He left Red Bull Salzburg in September 2012. He later explained that new coaches wanted to focus on younger players. He took legal action, and the club bought out his contract.

Back to Groningen Again

In November 2012, Rasmus returned to FC Groningen in the Netherlands. He signed a three-year deal. He was happy to be back.

He made his second debut for Groningen on January 20, 2013. Groningen finished seventh in the league. Rasmus played in the play-offs for the Europa League but they did not qualify. He played 16 games that season.

Before the 2013–14 season, Rasmus became the new captain of FC Groningen. He started the first six league games. He then had a hip injury and missed a game. He later regained his starting spot in midfield. He helped Groningen qualify for the UEFA Europa League again. He played 25 games that season.

In the 2014–15 season, Rasmus played in the Europa League qualifiers. He was sent off in a league game in September 2014. After his suspension, he played mostly as a substitute for a few months. In February 2015, he returned to the starting lineup as captain. He started playing as a centre-back. He scored his first goal of the season in April 2015. Rasmus helped Groningen reach the KNVB Cup final. They won the cup, their first major trophy, and qualified for the Europa League. He played 30 games and scored one goal.

For the 2015–16 season, Rasmus continued as captain. He suffered an ankle injury in training and missed several games. He returned in January 2016. He scored his first goal of the season in April 2016. He scored two more goals in the last game of the season. He also scored in the Europa League play-offs. This was his last game for Groningen. He missed the next game due to injury, and Groningen missed out on Europe. He played 24 games and scored five goals. In March 2016, it was announced that Rasmus would leave Groningen. He wanted to return to Sweden.

Playing for BK Häcken

2016 Season with Häcken

In May 2016, Rasmus signed with Allsvenskan team BK Häcken. This was his first professional club in Sweden in 14 years. He made his debut for Häcken in a 0–0 draw. He quickly became a regular player at centre-back. In September 2016, he suffered a concussion during a game. He was out for several weeks. He returned in October 2016. He played 14 games that season.

2017 Season with Häcken

Before the 2017 season, Rasmus became the new captain of BK Häcken. He broke his nose in a friendly game but recovered. He captained his first game in the Svenska Cupen. A week later, he scored his first goal for Häcken in a cup quarter-final. He helped the team keep two clean sheets in the first league games. In May 2017, he received a red card and was suspended for two matches.

He returned and scored his second goal in May. Rasmus continued to play regularly at centre-back. He helped Häcken finish fourth in the league. He scored his third goal in a cup game. He helped the team keep several more clean sheets. He played 31 games and scored three goals that season.

2018 Season with Häcken

In the 2018 season, Rasmus continued as captain and centre-back. He helped the team keep many clean sheets early in the season. In May 2018, he suffered a knee injury and was out for a month. He returned in July 2018 and helped set up a goal. He continued to play regularly for the rest of the season. He helped Häcken keep more clean sheets. He played 29 games that season.

2019 Season with Häcken

Rasmus continued as captain and centre-back in the 2019 season. In May 2019, he set up the only goal in a 1–0 win. He was named "Team of the Week." He missed three games due to illness. On May 30, 2019, Rasmus won his first trophy with BK Häcken. He played the full game as they won the Svenska Cupen final 3–1. In September 2019, he signed a new contract until 2021. He played 35 games that season.

2020 Season with Häcken

In the 2020 season, Rasmus played in two Svenska Cupen games, keeping two clean sheets. The league season was delayed due to the pandemic. Rasmus spoke about the club's decision to lay off players temporarily. When the league restarted, he continued as captain and centre-back. In June 2020, he set up two goals in a 2–2 draw. He helped Häcken keep three clean sheets in a row. He later played in defensive midfield for two games. He scored his first goal of the season in October. Rasmus helped Häcken finish third in the league. He played 29 games and scored one goal that season.

Playing for Sweden

Youth Teams

In March 2002, Rasmus was called up to the Sweden U18 team. He made his debut in April 2002. He helped the U18 team win the Slovakia Cup. In August 2002, he joined the Sweden U19 team. He played a total of nine games for the U18 and U19 teams.

In April 2004, Rasmus was called up to the Sweden U21 squad. He made his debut in a 2–0 loss. In June 2004, he played three games in the Toulon Tournament, where Sweden lost in the final. He played nine games for the U21 team in total.

Senior Team

On January 29, 2008, Rasmus was called up to the Swedish national team. However, he got a thigh injury and could not play. He was later put on a standby list for the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament.

Rasmus made his debut for Sweden on November 19, 2008. It was a 3–1 loss to the Netherlands. He played his second international game in a 2–0 loss to Serbia. Even though he only played two games, Rasmus said it was fun to play for his country.

Personal Life

Rasmus Lindgren has two siblings. His father, Bernt Göran Lindgren, used to play professional ice hockey. Rasmus has said that he considers the Netherlands his second home. He was friends with fellow footballer Alexander Farnerud when they were growing up.

Rasmus is married and has two children. He has said that he plans to become a coach now that his playing career is over.

Career Statistics

Club Performance

International Games

Trophies and Awards

Ajax

• Eredivisie: 2010–11
• KNVB Cup: 2009–10

Red Bull Salzburg

• Austrian Bundesliga: 2011–12
• Austrian Cup: 2011–12

Groningen

• KNVB Cup: 2014–15

BK Häcken

• Svenska Cupen: 2018–19

Images for kids

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  Lindgren training for Red Bull Salzburg

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  Lindgren on the training field of Groningen in 2006

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  Lindgren during his second spell at Ajax in 2008

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  Rasmus Lindgren in his first league match for Red Bull Salzburg

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  Lindgren looks on as Steffen Hofmann is fouled during a match between Rapid Wien and Red Bull Salzburg.

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  Lindgren about to mark a SV Ried's player during a match between SV Ried and Red Bull Salzburg

See also

In Spanish: Rasmus Lindgren para niños