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Henrik Larsson has said he wanted to be a soccer player
for as long as he can remember.
As a child he studied the moves of Pele, and while
he may not measure up to the
Brazilian legend, he has grown up to be one of the best
strikers in Europe - one who lets his feet do the talking.
"Henke might say something sometimes. Then everyone
listens," said Mats Olsson, a consultant with the
Swedish team.
Unpredictable with the ball, the Celtic forward's ability
to score on virtually any kind of play has made him
a fixture atop the scoring list of the Scottish Premier
League. Last year he won the Gold Shoe as Europe's top-goal
scorer, netting 53.
He began playing professionally at the age of 17 for
Hogaborg before moving to Helsingborg and later to Feyenoord
in the Dutch league. Brought to Scotland in 1997, he
promptly led Celtic to its first league title in a decade.
Many feared his career was over prematurely when he
broke his leg against Lyon in the 1999 UEFA Cup. But
the Swede overcame his injury and returned stronger
than ever.
He earned his first International cap in 1993, scoring
a goal against Finland in a World Cup qualifying match,
but it was at USA '94 where the rest of the world learned
got a close look at his offensive talents. Larsson won
bronze with Sweden at that World Cup and notched one
of the biggest goals of his career, scoring the winner
against Romania in the quarter-finals.
While some critics have charged that his play has become
uninspired since signing a record contract with Celtic,
Larsson's prolific scoring reached new heights during
qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, as he put away eight
of Sweden's 20 goals.
With files from Reuters
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