Anders Limpar

Anders Limpar

File:Anders Limpar.jpg Limpar in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Anders Erik Limpar
Date of birth	(1965-09-24) 24 September 1965
Place of birth	Solna, Sweden
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Sollentuna Fotbollsklubb (Assistant coach)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1981–1986	IF Brommapojkarna	77	(20)
1986–1988	Örgryte	47	(9)
1988–1989	Young Boys	27	(7)
1989–1990	Cremonese	24	(3)
1990–1994	Arsenal	96	(17)
1994–1997	Everton	66	(5)
1997	Birmingham City	4	(0)
1998–1999	AIK	22	(2)
1999–2000	Colorado Rapids	36	(3)
2000	Djurgårdens IF	0	(0)
2001–2002	IF Brommapojkarna
2008	Sollentuna United	0	(0)
Total		399	(66)
International career
1987–1996	Sweden	58	(6)
Managerial career
2008–	Sollentuna United (Reserve Team)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Anders Erik Limpar (born 24 September 1965 in Solna) is a Swedish former professional footballer and assistant coach of Sollentuna Fotbollsklubb.

As a player he was a winger from 1981 until 2000. He has played for clubs in Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, England, and the United States, appearing for IF Brommapojkarna, Young Boys, Cremonese, Arsenal, Everton, Birmingham City, AIK, Colorado Rapids and Djurgårdens IF. He was capped 58 times by Sweden, scoring 6 goals.

Club career

Early career

He started playing football in Brommapojkarna, famous for its production of footballing talent. He then played for Örgryte, joining in the wake of its sensational Swedish championship title in 1985. Although the team was not that successful, Limpar quickly became one of the hottest properties in Swedish football, which meant he was offered the chance to moved abroad to 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.

Arsenal

His club career peaked when he signed for Arsenal in the summer of 1990 from Cremonese, when he went on to win the Football League in the 1990–91 season, and the FA Cup and League Cup during the 1992–93 season. He played a particularly notable part in the 1990–91 season, scoring some important goals, and impressing in his first season with exciting wing play and crowd-pleasing displays. These included a hat-trick against Coventry City a 6–1 win on the final day of the league season, by which time Arsenal were already champions. He managed a total of 13 goals that season, 11 of them in league. His efforts that year won him the Guldbollen (the Golden Ball – Sweden's player of the year award) 1991.

Everton

On transfer deadline day in March 1994, Limpar transferred to Everton for £1.6 million, 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, Limpar fell out of favour at Goodison Park after 1995–96, making only two appearances for the club during the 1996–97 season.

Birmingham City

On 20 January 1997, Limpar was signed by Birmingham City for a fee of £100,000. He made his league debut on 1 February 1997, in a 1–2 away defeat against Bolton Wanderers. The move proved unsuccessful, as he made only four appearances, before the club later cancelled his contract in April 1997.

Later career

Moving back to Sweden on a free transfer to AIK in the summer of 1997, he won the Swedish championship (Allsvenskan) in 1998. After two years in Stockholm, he signed for Major League Soccer side Colorado Rapids in February 1999. He stayed until November 2000. He returned to Sweden, 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.

International career

In total, Limpar won 58 caps for Sweden, scoring 6 goals. He was a member of one of the most successful Sweden squads ever – the team that finished third at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States. However he did not have a large role during the tournament, making just one substitute appearance, in the 3rd-place match.

Coaching career

Limpar began coaching the youth team at Djurgårdens IF. He was later appointed assistant manager for the Swedish second division team Sollentuna United. In October 2008, aged 43, he played a one-off game for Sollentuna United's reserve side in the position of left back.

Personal life

Limpar was the victim of TV hoax in 1997, where he was duped into believing that he had traveled two years into the future via a time machine. After retiring from football in 2001, Limpar opened a bar, The Limp Bar, in central Stockholm, although it has since closed. In 2012 Limpar, together with colleague Mikael Crona, founded Swedish company Super Lock which produces plastic boxes. He currently is the CEO of betting site BestBetToday.com.

Honours

Arsenal

Winner:

• First Division (1): 1990–91
• FA Charity Shield (1): 1991

Runner-up:

• FA Charity Shield (1): 1993

Everton

Winner:

• FA Cup (1): 1995
• FA Charity Shield (1): 1995

AIK

Winner:

• Allsvenskan (1): 1998
• Svenska Cupen (1): 1999

Runner-up:

• Allsvenskan (1): 1999

Djurgårdens IF

Winner:

• Superettan (1): 2000

International

Winner:

• Maspalomas (1): 1988
• West Berlin Tournament (1): 1988
• Joe Robbie Cup (1): 1994
• Nordic Cup (1): 1994
• Carlsberg Cup (1): 1996
• King's Cup (1): 1996

Runner-up:

• UEFA European Championship: 1992 semi-finalist
• FIFA World Cup (1): 1994 third place