World Cup South Africa 2010

Favorite Players by Country (Germany 2006)

Group B - Sweeden:

Henrik Larsson

Place of Birth: Helsingborg, Sweden
Date of Birth: September 20th, 1971
Position: Forward
Clubs: Barcelona, Celtic, Feyernoord

Henrik Larsson is popularly known as one of the most dangerous strikers in Europe. At age 17, he made his league debut at third-division Hogaborg. In 1992 he moved to Helsingborg in the Swedish second division, where he struck 10 goals that helped take them up to the first division. Larsson scored 16 times in his first season in the top flight, which made him a star.

He won his first international cap in October 1993, typically seizing the opportunity by bagging a goal in Sweden's 3-2 victory over Scandinavian rivals Finland in a FIFA World CupTM qualifier.

Larsson left Helsingborg for Feyenoord in the autumn of 1993. He only scored once in 15 appearances in his first year, but hit a rich vein of goal scoring form in 1994 and 1995. His lethal finishing wasn't quite enough to earn the team from Rotterdam the Dutch league title, but did help Feyenoord to consecutive Dutch Cup successes.

In 1997, after almost four years in the Netherlands, Larsson signed for legendary Scottish club, Celtic. He got off to a cracking start, hitting 16 goals in his very first season in Glasgow, and helping the Green and Whites to their first league title in a decade.

A rude awakening followed in 1999, though, when a horrific leg-break threatened to end his career. But he made a remarkable comeback just seven months later with the goals that secured Sweden a place in the UEFA European Championship 2000 in Holland and Belgium.

It was at Celtic - who extended his contract by four years in 1999 - that Larsson scored his 100th goal in January 2001. He continued to score a remarkable number of 35 goals in the Scottish Premier League last season, which was enough to win him Europe's Golden Shoe.

He tallied eight times in nine appearances for Sweden, with seven of them coming in the final four matches.