Hanna Ljungberg

Infobox Football biography
playername = Hanna Ljungberg


fullname = Hanna Carolina Ljungberg
nickname = Ljungan
height = height|m=1.6
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1979|1|8
cityofbirth = Umeå
countryofbirth = Sweden
currentclub = Umeå IK
clubnumber = 10
youthyears = 1986-1994
youthclubs = Mariehem SK
position = Forward
years = 1994-1998
1998-
clubs = Sunnanå SK
Umeå IK
caps(goals) = 0
200 (186)
nationalyears = 1996-
nationalteam = Sweden
nationalcaps(goals) = 0126 (72)

Hanna Carolina Ljungberg (born January 8, 1979 in Umeå, Västerbotten) is a Swedish football player, playing the position of forward. She plays for the club side Umeå IK and for the Swedish national football team. She debuted for Sweden, at age 17, on February 6 1996 where Sweden won 8-0 against Spain.

Career

Hanna Ljungberg is one of several professional players in the Swedish women's league, Damallsvenskan. She was chosen as Swedish Player of the Year in 2002, winning the Diamond Ball (Diamantbollen). She also scored a record setting number of goals that season with 39 goals (roughly 1.78 goals per game). [cite web | title='Publik & Skytteliga 2002' | author=Thorsten Frennstedt | publisher=Svenskfotboll.se | url=http://www.svenskfotboll.se/t2dam.aspx?p=7188&x=1&a=46959 | accessdate=2007-11-20]

As a world class forward, Ljungberg was instrumental in the Swedish side that were runners up in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2003 held in the United States, scoring three goals and assisting another. She was also voted 3rd best World Player of the Year by FIFA in 2003. Ljungberg is the goal leader of the Swedish national team with 72 goals. During the UEFA Women's Cup 2002-03, Ljungberg was the top goalscorer in the tournament with 10 goals. [cite web | title='UEFA Club Championship (Women) 2002/03 | author=Sébastien Duret | publisher=rsssf.com | url=http://www.rsssf.com/ec/ec-wom03.html | accessdate=2007-12-07] Italian men's football club Perugia contacted Hanna to hire her for their Serie A roster, but the deal aborted. [cite web | title='It's a man's game' | author=Jo Tuckman | publisher=Guardian.co.uk | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/gender/story/0,11812,1383457,00.html | accessdate=2007-10-17] [cite web | title='Ljungberg off to Serie A' | author=Dave Thrilling | publisher=Squarefootball.net | url=http://www.squarefootball.net/article/article.asp?aid=416 | accessdate=2007-08-15]

She debuted as a goalkeeper on May 17, 2007 for Umeå IK when they played against AIK in the Swedish Cup because of Carola Söberg's injury at the 70th minute. She ended the game with a clean sheet. [cite web | title='Målsprutan blev målvakt – höll nollan' | author=Stefan Persson | publisher=Aftonbladet.se | url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/damfotboll/article492078.ab | accessdate=2007-02-20] Her fame in Sweden has led to stamps commemorating her and several other Swedish footballers for the Swedish Football Association's 100th year anniversary. [cite web | title='Liedholm, Ljungberg and Ravelli featured on stamps celebrating 100 years of Swedish football' | author=Lukas Muller | publisher=BvDP.de | url=http://www.bvdp.de/files/briefe-kep/9AB4A09AF886419A9E1CA6A4AECCF821.htm | accessdate=2007-09-22] She is not related to Fredrik Ljungberg, a male Swedish footballer.

Awards

*Diamond Ball: 1:2001-02
*: 1:2004-05
*Top Goalscorer: 1:2001-02: 39
*FIFA World Player of the Year: 3rd Place:2002-03

International Tournaments

*Algarve Cup: 12:1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 (Champions), 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 ,2007
*FIFA Women's World Cup: 3:1999, 2003 (2nd place), 2007
*Summer Olympics: 3:1996, 2000, 2004
*UEFA Women's Cup Champion: 2:2002-03, 2003-04
*Swedish Cup Champions: Umeå IK: 6:1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2005-06, 2006-07

References

External links

* [http://www.uik.se/player.php?uid=hanlju Club Profile] (in Swedish)
* [http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=462275&root=womensworldcup2007&&cc=5901 Ljungberg and Svensson]
* [http://www.svenskfotboll.se/t9.aspx?id=10&p=1402513 National Team Profile]