Ljungberg happy to put on the style

Steve Stammers13 April 2012

The indications are that Freddie Ljungberg will be on the bench rather than in the thick of the action when Arsenal complete the first phase of their Champions League campaign against Schalke 04 in Gelsenkirchen tonight.

Manager Arsene Wenger will field what is almost his second string because qualification for the next round was secured last week against Real Mallorca.

You'll still be able to spot Ljungberg easily enough among the substitutes, however.

This month's fashion for the 24-year-old midfielder is a shock of dyed red hair - and we are talking red, not ginger - sticking up like a cockerel's comb among the rest of his brown mop.

It is not just his hair which is colourful, although that adjective hardly does justice to his off-field attire. As one of his Highbury colleagues said to him recently: " Freddie, you are never going to get knocked down. No driver would ever fail to see you."

Ljungberg destroys the stereotypical image of the Swedes. They are, in English eyes, supposed to be tall, fair-haired, a touch conservative in their dress, disciplined in their football and serious in most other things. Think Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Ljungberg's 5ft 9in, 10st 10lb frame is squat, and he has an offthe-cuff approach to his football. He puts it down to his upbringing in his native Halmstads.

"I had a coach when I was younger who encouraged me to be myself, that is where I was lucky," said Ljungberg. "I liked to dribble with the ball and some of the other players were complaining that I did not pass enough. But he told me just to be myself. I did and I ended up with the most goals. He never stopped me doing what I wanted to do and that helped me to be myself.

"The problem in Sweden is that, when the players are younger, they are not allowed to develop their own style and skills. I was encouraged to do that."

England had cause to rue the fact that Ljungberg's natural exuberance had not been stifled when he tormented them in a Euro 2000 qualifier three years ago. Among those who liked what they saw was Wenger. He paid Halmstads £5 million and Arsenal acquired a midfielder with the dynamism, durability and lung power that would serve him well in the hightempo world of the English Premiership - and a haircut which makes him a ready target for his team-mates.

Not that it was easy at first when he moved to London. The huge, cosmopolitan metropolis was a change after a modest Swedish town - and then there was the football.

He said: "At the beginning, when you are a foreigner, it is often hard to cope with the English game. You find yourself saying, 'What the hell is this? It is not like football'.

"You need to get used to the mentality. In Sweden, when I had the ball and someone started to kick the back of my legs, you ask, 'What are you doing?' But over here I just accept it now. That is how football is in England but a lot of foreign guys find it hard at first."

Adjustment was also needed by his new team-mates when the Ljungberg wardrobe went on daily parade at the training ground.

He said: "I have always dressed to please myself, not other people. I don't care what they think. As long as I am professional on the football field, I feel that I am who I am. If people don't like my clothes, well that is up to them. But I won't change my personality. I get stick, of course I do. But when the players are on their own they ask me where I bought my shirt! Some people like to be like everyone else but I am not like that."

That individualism means that he has reached icon status back in Sweden with his performances on the field and his appearance off it.

"The people in Sweden like the way I am playing because it is not very common over there. Again, I have to thank that coach I had when I was younger," he said.

The fact that London is not short of people who look a little different also appeals to Ljungberg. Once he adjusted to his new environment and then assembled a circle of friends, he grew to love life in the capital.

"You can be yourself in London. If you are a bit different in the way you dress or look it is no problem."

Ljungberg's Highbury stock rose when he was sent off two seasons ago against Tottenham. He was accused of head-butting a Spurs player but was later cleared by video evidence. He cannot, however, plead his innocence to making a V-sign as he left the White Hart Lane pitch or opening the dressing room door without the aid of a key. To Arsenal fans, the red card was like a red badge of courage awarded during the heat of battle with the old enemy.

Ljungberg said: "I learned from that incident. I learned never to react. If there had been no reaction, I would not have been in trouble. But I must say I like the relationship I have with the fans. I think they like the way I play, the way I give everything when I am out there. I am proud of the way they like me."

Ljungberg and England's other favourite Swede, Herr Eriksson, come head to head on 10 November at Old Trafford when England play Sweden in a friendly but the Arsenal player clearly sets little stall by the outcome of that encounter and prefers instead to hope the two teams will meet in the World Cup next summer.

"I have played against England twice in competitive games but I haven't managed to score yet. I almost scored at Wembley but David Seaman touched my shot on to the bar.

"It would be great if we could play each other next summer. In the Swedish team, we have something to prove. We qualified for Euro 2000 but didn't play well at all. We want to make up for that next summer in the World Cup."

If Sweden do play England, we'll all be able to spot him.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in