Johan Elmander

Johan Erik Calvin Elmander (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈjûːan ɛlˈmǎnːdɛr]; born 27 May 1981) is a Swedish former professional footballer who last played as a striker for Swedish team Örgryte IS.[4] Elmander scored 20 goals in 85 games for the Swedish national team, and was chosen to represent his country at the 2006 World Cup, Euro 2008 and Euro 2012, before retiring from international duty in 2015. His 2–0 goal away to Wolverhampton Wanderers on 13 November 2010 was voted the greatest Premier League goal ever in a poll by The Guardian.[5][6]

Johan Elmander
Elmander playing for Galatasaray in 2012
Personal information
Full name Johan Erik Calvin Elmander[1]
Date of birth (1981-05-27) 27 May 1981[2]
Place of birth Alingsås, Sweden
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[3]
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–1998 Holmalunds IF 23 (5)
1999–2000 Örgryte IS 39 (4)
2000–2004 Feyenoord 39 (3)
2002–2003 → Djurgårdens IF (loan) 19 (12)
2003–2004 → NAC Breda (loan) 31 (7)
2004–2006 Brøndby IF 58 (22)
2006–2008 Toulouse 64 (22)
2008–2011 Bolton Wanderers 92 (18)
2011–2014 Galatasaray 52 (16)
2013–2014 → Norwich City (loan) 28 (1)
2014–2016 Brøndby IF 48 (6)
2017 Örgryte IS 23 (4)
Total 490 (116)
National team
1997–1998 Sweden U16 27 (3)
1999 Sweden U18 7 (1)
2000–2004 Sweden U21 30 (12)
2002–2015 Sweden 85 (20)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Early career

Elmander was born in Alingsås, Alingsås Municipality.[2] He started his career as a striker for Swedish clubs but changed to a centre midfielder Holmalunds IF and Örgryte, before making the move to Dutch club Feyenoord at the age of 18, where he continued to be used as a midfielder. Although never a first team regular, he came on as a substitute in the 2002 UEFA Cup Final 3–2 win against Borussia Dortmund.[7]

Elmander was subsequently put on loan back in Sweden with Djurgården, where he won the double of both Allsvenskan championship and Swedish Cup title in 2002 and Allsvenskan in 2003, however he wasn't awarded any medal since he played too few matches. He also debuted for the Swedish national team, in a February 2002 friendly match against Greece. In 2003, he was loaned out to Feyenoord's Dutch league rivals NAC Breda.

Brøndby IF
Elmander's personalized boot at Brøndby

Before the 2004–05 season, he was bought by Danish Superliga outfit Brøndby. Despite not scoring as many goals for the club as was expected, he was the playmaker and creative spark of the Brøndby team in the 2004–05 Superliga season, playing mainly as the free-roaming forward behind the sole striker in manager Michael Laudrup's 4–3–3 formation. The team won the double of both the Danish Superliga and the Danish Cup title, and Elmander was voted Brøndby's Player of the Year.

In his two seasons at Brøndby, Elmander scored 22 goals in 58 Danish Superliga games, attracting the attention of several clubs throughout Europe. He was called up to represent Sweden at the 2006 World Cup, where he played two games. Elmander signed a four-year contract with French side Toulouse for an undisclosed fee of around €4,500,000 on 7 July 2006.

Toulouse

Elmander scored 11 goals in his first season with Toulouse and was nominated as player of the year by his fellow players; the award ultimately went to Lyon winger Florent Malouda. The season was very successful, with Elmander helping lead Toulouse to a third-place finish and a berth in the qualifying rounds of UEFA Champions League. The second season, much like that of his team, was much more irregular, and though he scored the same number of goals as he did the previous season, he was less decisive.

Bolton Wanderers

On 27 June 2008, Elmander completed a move to Premier League club Bolton Wanderers[8][9] for an £8.2 million fee, the club's record signing, with the deal including Daniel Braaten moving to Toulouse. Elmander signed a three-year deal, wearing the number 9 shirt by manager Gary Megson.

Elmander's first Premier League goal, a header, came on his competitive debut, against Stoke City on 16 August 2008 in a 3–1 win.[10] Elmander played 30 games in the 2008–09 season, scoring five goals and creating two assists.[11]

From December 2008 to September 2009, Elmander went on a nine-month goal drought, which ended during the League Cup fixture against West Ham United as he scored in extra-time.[12] His first league goal in 11 months came in a 5–1 defeat to Aston Villa.[13]

Elmander finally found his goalscoring form in the 2010–11 season, scoring six goals in the opening 13 games, all away from the Reebok Stadium. His first home goals of the season came against Newcastle United, giving him a joint lead as top scorer in the Premier League. However, his goalscoring form dipped and he scored just three goals between December and a goal on 12 March against Birmingham City in an FA Cup Sixth round tie.[14] This brought his goal tally for all competitions to eleven for the season.

Bolton manager Owen Coyle said in an interview on 20 May that he expected Elmander to join Galatasaray,[15] and Elmander confirmed later in the month that he would be leaving the club.[16]

In total, Elmander made 92 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 18 goals; 11 appearances in the FA Cup, scoring three goals; and five appearances in the League Cup, scoring once.

Galatasaray
Elmander in a September 2011 match against Eskişehirspor

On 27 May 2011, Elmander arrived in Turkey on his birthday, and on 30 May 2011, Elmander joined Galatasaray in a three-year deal on a free transfer after his contract expired at Bolton in the same month.[17] He debuted on the second week of the Süper Lig season, coming on in the 61st minute and scored his first goal in a 3–1 home win over Samsunspor on 18 September. Due to his great performance, Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim changed the team's formation to a 4–4–2, allowing Elmander to play together with fellow striker Milan Baroš simultaneously. On 26 February 2012, he scored the opening and the winning goal of the game against Beşiktaş in a 3–2 win, and also scored goals in all derby matches, including against Fenerbahçe and Trabzonspor. He scored 12 goals in 36 league matches in a season which saw Galatasaray crowned league champions.

Elmander began the 2012–13 season in a match against Kasımpaşa and scored his first goal of the season in a 3–3 draw with Beşiktaş the following week. In the league's fourth week, he scored the opener against Antalyaspor in a 4–0 away win for Galatasaray. and on 19 October 2012, he scored an amazing goal against Gençlerbirliği in a 3–3 away draw and maintained the lead of the Süper Lig. He left in August 2013 to join Premier League side Norwich City on a season-long loan.

Loan to Norwich City

Elmander returned to England, joining Norwich on a season-long loan. He made his debut for Norwich against Hull City and scored his first two goals for the club against Bury in the League Cup on 27 August 2013.[18] His first league start came against Southampton on 31 August 2013. Elmander scored his first league goal against Southampton in a 4–2 away loss for the Canaries on 15 March 2014.[19] Elmander failed to impress during his loan spell at Norwich, though he did win the hearts of many fans with his hard-working performances and eagerness to play.

Return to Brøndby

On 24 June 2014, Elmander returned to Brøndby in Denmark on a free transfer, signing a two-year contract after his contract with Galatasaray had expired. He was handed the number 11 shirt on his return to the club.

Return to Örgryte

Elmander spent his last season as a professional footballer at Örgryte, scoring 5 goals in 25 appearances in all competitions.[20]

International career

Elmander represented Sweden at the 2006 World Cup, Euro 2008, and Euro 2012. He retired from the national team in November 2015, having won 85 caps and scored 20 goals.[21]

Career statistics

Club
As of 17 July 2018.
Club Season Division League Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals Apps GoalsAppsGoals
Holmalund 1997 Division 2 Västra Götaland 40——— —40
1998 Division 2 Västra Götaland 195——— —195
Total 235——— —235
Örgryte 1999 Allsvenskan 182——— —182
2000 Allsvenskan 212——— —212
Total 394——— —394
Feyenoord 2000–01 Eredivisie 162——— —162
2001–02 Eredivisie 221——— —221
2002–03 Eredivisie 10——— —10
Total 393——— —393
Djurgården (loan) 2002 Allsvenskan 8520—42 —147
2003 Allsvenskan 11720—— —137
Total 191240—42 —2714
NAC Breda (loan) 2003–04 Eredivisie 317——— —317
Total 317——— —317
Brøndby 2004–05 Danish Superliga 279——— —279
2005–06 Danish Superliga 3113——— —3113
Total 5822——— —5822
Toulouse 2006–07 Ligue 1 321100—— —3211
2007–08 Ligue 1 321100—61 —3812
Total 642200—61 —7023
Bolton Wanderers 2008–09 Premier League 30510—— —315
2009–10 Premier League 2534131— —325
2010–11 Premier League 37106220— —4512
Total 921811351— —10822
Galatasaray 2011–12 Süper Lig 361200—— —3612
2012–13 Süper Lig 164211060 —255
Total 5216211060 —6117
Norwich City (loan) 2013–14 Premier League 2812032— —333
Total 2812032— —333
Brøndby 2014–15 Danish Superliga 20121—— —222
2015–16 Danish Superliga 25541—83 —379
Total 45662—83 —5911
Örgryte 2017 Superettan 23411——— 1 0255
Total 23411——— 1 0255
Career total 51312026793163 1 0573136

International

[22]

Sweden national team
YearAppsGoals
200220
200343
200441
200563
200691
200763
200880
200971
201051
2011113
201262
201362
201480
201530
Total8520

International goals

[22]

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.16 February 2003Suphachalasai Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand Qatar1–03–22003 King's Cup
2.2–0
3.20 February 2003Suphachalasai Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand Thailand2–04–12003 King's Cup
4.17 November 2004Easter Road, Edinburgh, Scotland Scotland3–04–1Friendly
5.4 June 2005Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden Malta6–06–02006 FIFA World Cup qualification
6.8 June 2005Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden Norway2–32–3Friendly
7.12 November 2005Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea South Korea1–12–2Friendly
8.7 October 2006Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden Spain1–02–0UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
9.28 March 2007Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland Northern Ireland1–01–2UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
10.2 June 2007Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark Denmark1–03–0 *UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
11.3–0
12.12 August 2009Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden Finland1–01–0Friendly
13.3 March 2010Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Wales Wales1–01–0Friendly
14.9 February 2011GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus Ukraine1–01–1Friendly
15.3 June 2011Zimbru Stadium, Chişinău, Moldova Moldova2–04–1UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
16.3–0
17.6 September 2012Olympia, Helsingborg, Sweden China PR1–01–0Friendly
18.16 October 2012Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany Germany3–44–42014 World Cup qualifier
19.7 June 2013Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria Austria1–21–22014 World Cup qualifier
20.6 September 2013Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland1–12–12014 World Cup qualifier

* Match abandoned, see UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier fan attack.

Personal life

Elmander has two brothers Peter and Patrik who also are former professional footballers.[23]

Elmander was married on 27 December 2007 to highschool sweetheart Amanda Calvin in a lavish ceremony in her home town of Hemsjö, Sweden. The couple had over 200 guests including fellow former teammates Kim Källström and Jon Jönsson. At their wedding, Swedish-idol Christoffer Hiding performed.[24] In August 2008, the couple announced the birth of their first child.[25] On 18 November 2010, it was announced Elmander's wife had given birth to a baby girl named Lily.[26]

Honours

Feyenoord

Djurgården

Brøndby

Galatasaray

Individual

References
  1. "Johan Eri̇k Calvi̇n Elmander". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  2. "Johan Elmander". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  3. "Johan Elmander: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  4. https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/QlxywQ/johan-elmander-avslutar-karriaren
  5. "Premier League (Football),Football,Sport". The Guardian. London. 15 December 2011.
  6. "O gol, İngiltere'nin gelmiş geçmiş en iyi golü oldu – Hürriyet Futbol". Hürriyet. 19 December 2011.
  7. "UEFA Cup results and team details". Telegraph. 8 May 2002. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  8. "Wanderers land Swede". Bolton Wanderers F.C. 27 June 2008. Archived from the original on 13 January 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
  9. "Bolton sign £10m-rated Elmander". BBC Sport. 27 June 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
  10. Phillips, Owen (16 August 2008). "Bolton 3–1 Stoke". BBC News. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  11. "Johan Elmander 08-09". ESPN. 22 August 2009. Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  12. "Bolton 3–1 West Ham (aet)". BBC News. 22 September 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  13. "Aston Villa 5 Bolton 1: Five-Star Villa Thrash Bolton For Third Year Running – FanHouse UK". Football.fanhouse.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 November 2009. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
  14. "Birmingham 2–3 Bolton". BBC News. 12 March 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  15. "Owen Coyle expects Johan Elmander to leave Bolton for Galatasary". The Guardian. London. 20 May 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  16. "Elmander: Time For A Fresh Challenge". Bolton Wanderers F.C. 24 May 2011. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  17. "Istanbul Stock Exchange". Kap.gov.tr.
  18. "Norwich 6 - 3 Bury". BBC. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  19. "Southampton 4 - 2 Norwich". BBC. 15 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  20. http://fotboll.ois.se/johan-elmander-avslutar-sin-spelarkarriar/
  21. https://www.fotbollskanalen.se/sverige/johan-elmanders-besked---slutar-i-landslaget-naturligt/
  22. Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Johan Elmander". National Football Teams. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  23. Zendry Svärdkrona (1 July 2007). ""Jag vill testa spel i England" | Aftonbladet". Aftonbladet.
  24. "Elmander fångad av en stormvind – fick sin Amanda | Aftonbladet". Aftonbladet. 28 December 2007.
  25. Sanna Casson (28 January 2009). ""Så är det att leva med en kändis" | Nöjesbladet | Aftonbladet". Aftonbladet.
  26. "Bolton boss Coyle confident flying Elmander will pen new contract | Premiership News". tribalfootball.com. 20 November 2010.
  27. http://www.difarkivet.se/dif_sm_guld_seniorer.pdf
  28. "Trophées du mois". Footballeurspros.fr.
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