Whether you’ve seen him with or without hair, you definitely witnessed the greatness of Freddie Ljungberg at least once in your lifetime.
Ljungberg was signed for only £3 million as a right winger: A cheap amount of money if you consider all the great things he’s done as an Arsenal player.
The Swede proved himself to be pretty fast on that right wing, when he scored on his debut after he came on as a substitute against Manchester United on 20th September 1998, playing in a match that ended 3-0 in the favour of the Gunners.
Ljungberg had a particular specialty in the FA Cup and became only the third player in the history of the competition to score in consecutive finals. In 2001, he scored in the defeat by Liverpool and then netted one of the Cup final goals as Arsenal defeated Chelsea 2-0. The following year he claimed the only goal of the semi-final victory over Sheffield United.
Often described as a “big game player”, always scoring important goals here and there – he was the main man for Arsenal in that 2001 Juventus UEFA Champions League encounter, scoring a brace, and helped 10-man Arsenal to a win at Anfield. Oh, and he just loved scoring against bitter rivals Manchester United.
Ljungberg played a major role in the 2002 double win, scoring 17 times in all competitions. He made Arsenal fans forget about Robert Pires when he suffered a serious knee injury. Ljungberg shone and proved he was up to the challenge when he netted six times in five games as the title race entered its final phase, helping the Gunners to 15 vital points. He concluded his season as the Barclaycard Player of the Season.
Injuries hurt the Swedishman pretty badly and in 2007, he left for West Ham United. Freddie was definitely a fan favorite and nothing proves that more than his emotional return with his new club to the Emirates on New Year’s in 2008 where, after yet another injury that resulted in him being subbed, he was given a warm standing ovation as he left the pitch.
