 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael Lennart Svensson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1975-11-25)25 November 1975 (age 50) | ||
| Place of birth | Värnamo, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Centre back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1993–1995 | Skillingaryds IS | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–1998 | IFK Värnamo | 89 | (6) |
| 1998–2001 | Halmstads BK | 78 | (5) |
| 2001–2002 | Troyes | 23 | (1) |
| 2002–2007 | Southampton | 67 | (4) |
| 2008–2009 | Southampton | 4 | (0) |
| 2011–2013 | Halmstads BK | 16 | (0) |
| Total | 277 | (16) | |
| International career | |||
| 1999–2003 | Sweden | 25 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Michael Lennart Svensson (born 25 November 1975) is a Swedish former professionalfootballer who played as acentre back. He representedIFK Värnamo,Halmstads BK,Troyes, andSouthampton during a career that spanned between 1995 and 2013. A full international between 1999 and 2003, he won 25caps for theSweden national team and was part of their squad for the2002 FIFA World Cup.
Svensson started his career in his home country, playing for various Swedish clubs includingIFK Värnamo andHalmstads BK. He began to be noticed by bigger clubs when Halmstads BK won theSwedish championship in 2000.
He was transferred toTroyes AC in 2001, helping the club to seventh position in theFrench First Division in his only season. On 25 June 2002, Svensson was signed byPremier League clubSouthampton F.C. for £2m.[3]
Svensson arrived at Southampton just after being a member of Sweden's squad at the2002 World Cup. He immediately struck up a rapport withClaus Lundekvam at the centre of the Saints defence. He is a tough tackling, no nonsense centre-half but likes to play the ball out of defence and get forward to help out in attack. His nickname with both fans and press is "Killer".[4]
Svensson holds the honour of scoring the last ever competitive goal atMaine Road on 11 May 2003, in a game won by Southampton 1–0.[5]
Due to a serious knee injury sustained at the end of the 2003–04 season, he missed the entire 2004–05 season. He returned to action in October 2005 but, after only seven games, he broke down again and remained out of action for the remainder of the 2005–06 season. He failed to return to full fitness in time for the start of the 2006–07 championship season due to a kick in the knee during anAldershot reserves game in the 2006 pre-season. Since then, he has flown to Germany to continue treatment withFC Bayern Munich doctorHans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt.[6] On 23 May 2007, it was announced that Svensson would undergo further surgery in an attempt to save his career. The procedure was expected to put him out of action for over a year, throwing a major question mark over his future.[4] His contract with the Saints expired on 30 June 2007, and was not renewed as Southampton face up to the financial realities of a third season inthe Championship.
In July 2008, Southampton announced that Svensson "could be on the verge of a remarkable footballing comeback" following a visit to a specialist rehabilitation centre in Italy. Svensson returned to training with a view to being re-signed by Southampton for the 2008–09 season.[7] He completed a pre-season friendly against Winchester City in July 2008 and was in with a chance of making a full recovery from his injury. He captained the Southampton side which drew 2–2 withWest Ham United in the Ted Bates Trophy.
On 7 August 2008 he agreed terms with Southampton and was appointed club captain. Two days later, he completed his remarkable comeback, playing 90 minutes in Southampton's first Championship match of the season, a 2–1 defeat toCardiff City, his first competitive game for the club since a match against Hull City on 22 November 2005.[8] A week later, prior to the home game againstBirmingham City, Southampton and Svensson agreed terms signing a 12 months contract. He played three more league games that month, with his final competitive appearance coming in the League Cup against Rotherham United on 23 September 2008.[9]
On 24 January 2009, Svensson joined new managerMark Wotte's coaching staff as an assistant first team coach alongsideDean Gorré.[10]
On 25 June 2009, Svensson announced his retirement from the playing side of the game, exactly seven years to the day after he was first unveiled at St. Mary's asGordon Strachan's only summer signing of 2002 and thus severed the last remaining link on the playing side with the 2003 FA Cup final, in which he had played the full 90 minutes.[11]
During the2011 season, as Halmstads BK struggled both at the bottom of the table and economically, Michael Svensson decided that he would try one last comeback, stating that he didn't feel any major problems with his earlier injuries, and that he was already training with the team, however limitedly.[12] He made his comeback againstIFK Norrköping on 7 August, as he came on in the 89th minute of the game.[13]
He made his debut in theSweden national team on 17 August 1999 againstAustria. He was a member of the Sweden squad for the2002 FIFA World Cup, where he was not played. He has 25 caps for his country. He was initially named in Sweden'sUEFA Euro 2004 squad but had to withdraw through injury and was replaced byAlexander Östlund.[14]
Following his retirement from playing, Svensson announced that he would return home to Sweden and take up a career as manager, stating that he would prefer to start in Division 2 or 3.[15] Following that, his former club Halmstads BK were looking for a new manager and rumours started that he was going to get the position;[16] on 17 December 2009 he was presented as the club's new assistant manager alongsideLars Jacobsson.[17] As of 2016, Svensson is head coach for Halmstad BK:s U-19 team.[18]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 1999 | 1 | 0 |
| 2000 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 9 | 0 | |
| Total | 25 | 0 | |
Halmstads BK
Southampton
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