Connect with us

Sport

Who are the best English players to play in Sweden?

It’s not too common to see English players venture overseas for multiple seasons. When they do, they often head to Europe to find their success. Out all of Europe’s leagues, it is the Allsvenskan in Sweden that has surprisingly proven to be the most popular overseas destination for English players.

With over 50 English players having headed north for their careers, Sweden has become a flourishing home for players to enjoy professional football since Englishman Ron Powell became the first overseas player in the league in 1974. But just who are some of the greatest English footballers to play in the Swedish Allsvenskan?

 

6 best English players to play in Sweden

 

Teddy Sheringham

Before becoming a top striker in the Premier league, Teddy Sheringham had a brief foray overseas whilst developing his trade with Millwall. This included a productive one-year loan spell in Sweden with Djurgardens in 1985.

During his short stint in Stockholm, Sheringham showcased his finishing abilities scoring 13 goals in 21 games in the Swedish top flight. It proved to be a turning point in Sheringham’s career as he allowed him to build a consistent string of performances for the first time in his career and establish himself as a high-calibre player.

 

James Keene

After his youth career with Portsmouth stalled in 2006, James Keene decided to head overseas in a bid to continue his professional career. The end result was a move to Elfsborg in 2007 after a successful loan spell with GAIS in 2006.

It proved to be a smart decision as Keene became a regular at the Boras Arena regularly spearheading their attack and helping them to regular European competition for consecutive seasons. He also spent a season on loan with Djurgardens in 2012 scoring six goals in 26 games earning the club’s player of the year award, making him one of the finest English players to appear in top flight in Sweden.

 

Kenny Pavey

Kenny Pavey never experienced any real success in English football so the versatile winger took an opportunity to move to Sweden to pursue a professional career in 1998. After several years in the lower leagues, his break came in 2005 where he joined AIK becoming a key member of their squad.

Pavey’s versatility made him a vital cog in their midfield and he enjoyed success with the Stockholm side being part of the 2009 squad that won both the Allsvenskan and the Swedish cup that season. A brief dally away from Stockholm featured for two seasons but a return in 2014 saw Pavey become a regular once again in the twilight of his career before dropping back down to the lower divisions before retiring in 2019.

 

Brian McDermott

Despite being known for his managerial spells with Reading, Brian McDermott was a handy player in his day too. After a promising youth career with Arsenal stalled in the early 1980s, McDermott was sent on loan to Sweden in 1984 with IFK Norrkopping.

As a tenacious midfielder, McDermott drew on his experience to make a major impact for his side scoring 5 goals from 17 games. Whilst it wasn’t enough to earn the team major honours, McDermott was crowned Sweden’s domestic Player of the Year for the 1984 season. The form earned him a move away from Highbury to Oxford where he would fight for spots and cement his presence in the lower reaches of English football for much of the 1980s and early 1990s but he remains one of the best players from England to appear in Sweden..

 

Jamie Hopcutt

After floundering around English non-league football for several seasons, Jamie Hopcutt ditched English football and joined Swedish second-tier side Ostersund in 2012. The creative presence of Hopcutt helped Ostersund slowly transform into a top side who graduated to the Allsvenskan 2016. Despite a horrific leg injury in 2016, Hopcutt returned to help Ostersund win the 2017 Swedish Cup and score 6 goals in 22 games for the club.

He would also become a major part of the side that would reach the last 32 of the 2017/18 Europa League competition and featured in the match where they famously beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates even if they lost 4-2 on aggregate at the end of the night. Hopcutt’s continued success earned him a move back to England in 2021 when he signed for Oldham and become a professional footballer in England for the first time in his career.

 

Curtis Edwards

As a player who can thrive in both defence or midfield, Curtis Edwards is a player who can be deployed almost anywhere on the pitch. It’s this versatility that saw Edwards picked up by Ostersunds in 2016 after struggling in both the English and Swedish lower leagues for several seasons. Edwards’ drive and determination made him an asset to Ostersunds and formed a core contingent of players that helped them win the 2016/17 Swedish Cup and enjoy a strong run in the 2017/18 UEFA Europa League.

After these high profile runs, Edwards joined Djurgarden in 2019 where he enjoyed immediate success winning the Allsvenskan winning the league that season. Since then, Edwards has gone from strength to strength becoming one of the top attractions in Swedish football today.

 


 

You could earn up to £10 (or currency equivalent) in bonus funds by joining Colossus with our New Player Bonus. Click here to join the action.

Recent Posts