Anders Limpar

Football player infobox


playername = Anders Limpar | nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1965|9|24
cityofbirth = Solna
countryofbirth = Sweden
currentclub = "Djurgårdens IF (Youth team coach)"
position = Midfielder
years = 1981-1986
1986-1988
1988-1989
1989-1990
1990-1994
1994-1997
1997-1997
1998-1999
1999-2000
2000
clubs = IF Brommapojkarna
Örgryte
Young Boys
Cremonese
Arsenal
Everton
Birmingham City
AIK
Colorado Rapids
Djurgårdens IF
caps(goals) = 077 0(20)
047 00(9)
027 00(7)
024 00(3)
096 0(17)
066 00(5)
004 00(0)
022 00(2)
036 00(3)
000 00(0)
363 0(63)
nationalyears =
nationalteam = Sweden
nationalcaps(goals) = 58 (6)

Anders Limpar (born September 24, 1965 in Solna) is a Swedish former footballer of Hungarian origin, who played as a winger. He has played for clubs in Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, England, and the United States.

He was part of one of the best Swedish sides ever, the Sweden team that finished third at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, but did not have a large role during the tournament. In total, he won 58 caps for Sweden, scoring 6 goals.

Despite being Swedish, he started his professional club career in Switzerland with the Young Boys club of Bern. This was followed by a one season spell in Italy with Cremonese during the 1989-90 season.

His club career peaked when he signed for Arsenal in the summer of 1990 from Cremonese, going on to win the Football League in 1990-91, and the FA Cup and League Cup in 1992-93. He played a particularly notable part in the 1990-91 campaign, scoring some important goals, and impressing in his first season with exciting wing play and crowd-pleasing displays.

In March 1994, Limpar transferred to Everton for £1.6m [ [http://www.squarefootball.net/article/article.asp?aid=5052 Premiership transfer history] ] , and while there he won the FA Cup a second time with Everton in 1995. Indeed, he played a vital role, his run from inside his own half leading to the winning goal by Paul Rideout. He also hit a memorable 50-yard reverse-pass which led to an Everton break-away that BBC commentator Barry Davies described as the 'pass of the match'.

However, Anders fell out of favour at Goodison Park, making only two appearances for the club during the 1996-97 season, and was sold to Birmingham City in January 1997 for £100,000. This move proved unsuccessful as he made only 4 appearances before moving back to his homeland on a free transfer to AIK Stockholm in the summer of 1997.

After two years in Stockholm, he signed for Major League Soccer side Colorado Rapids in February 1999. He stayed until November 2000, before returning to Sweden and signing for Djurgårdens IF. He failed to make an appearance for them, however, as he retired from the game in March 2001 at the age of 35 due to his declining physical condition and is now the youth team coach at Djurgårdens IF.

After retiring from football in 2001, Limpar opened a bar, "The Limp Bar", in central Stockholm, although it has since closed.

He won the Guldbollen (the "Golden Ball" - Sweden's player of the year award) 1991. He also won the Swedish championship (Allsvenskan) with AIK in 1998.

Anders is currently the Assistant Coach for the Swedish lower division team Sollentuna United.

Clubs

*Spårvägen (Sweden)
*Hagalund (Sweden)
*AIK (Sweden)
*Brommapojkarna (Sweden)
*Örgryte (Sweden)
*Young Boys (Switzerland)
*Cremonese (Italy)
*Arsenal (England)
*Everton (England)
*Birmingham City (England)
*AIK (Sweden)
*Colorado Rapids (U.S.)
*Djurgårdens IF (Sweden)
*IF Brommapojkarna (Sweden)

Trivia

Anders Limpar was Wayne Rooney's childhood hero when Rooney was growing up. Limpar played for the forward's former club, Everton in the 1990s. [cite web
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/gossip_and_transfers/5397938.stm
title = Monday's football gossip
accessdate = 2006-10-02
date = 2005-10-02
work = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1
publisher = http://news.bbc.co.uk]

References

http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0877550.html

http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0780672.html