Halmstad In 1989, at the age of 12, Ljungberg had convinced
Halmstads BK to move him from P12 to P14 which was against Halmstad's policies at the time. At age 14, Ljungberg joined the junior team under coach Robert Nordström. His perseverance paid off because three years later he was moved up to the senior team. Ljungberg made his senior debut on 23 October 1994 in the
Allsvenskan against
AIK. In 1995, Ljungberg played 31 games in which he scored his first goal as a professional player. That same year, Halmstad won
Svenska Cupen. In 1997, Halmstad won the Allsvenskan with Ljungberg netting and assisting goals that season for the club, despite picking up injuries. During his time with Halmstad, he went on to make 139 appearances and score 16 goals for the club. After winning several trophies in his years with Halmstad, Ljungberg's star was on the rise with interest from
Barcelona,
Chelsea,
Aston Villa,
Parma and
Arsenal.
Arsenal in September 2006 Ljungberg was signed by Arsenal in 1998 for £3 million. Arsenal scouts watched him for over a year and Arsenal's manager,
Arsène Wenger, took the unusual step of authorising the signing after watching Ljungberg play for
Sweden in their victory against
England on television, without seeing him play live. Seeing Ljungberg's performance against England only confirmed to Wenger that Ljungberg could cope against English opponents, and he was signed shortly after. Ljungberg proved himself without difficulty and scored on his debut on 20 September after coming on as a substitute against rival club
Manchester United, the match ending 3–0. Ljungberg made 21 appearances across all competitions in his first season, and 43 in his second (1999-2000). He missed the
2000 UEFA Cup Final due to a rib injury. At the end of his third season at Arsenal, 2000–01, they got to the
2001 FA Cup Final. Ljungberg scored to put Arsenal 1-0 up but then Liverpool scored two late goals to win 2–1. This made Ljungberg the first player to score a goal at an
FA Cup final outside England, with the game being the first final at the
Millennium Stadium in
Cardiff. Some of Ljungberg's best form came in the second half of the
2001–02 season, when Arsenal won their second
Premier League and
FA Cup double. Following a knee injury to
Robert Pires, Ljungberg scored in most of Arsenal's remaining games, including a stunning finish for Arsenal's second goal in the 2–0
FA Cup Final win over Chelsea. Ljungberg had scored many important and vital goals for Arsenal throughout the season. He scored an equaliser against Manchester United, in a game where Arsenal went on to win 3–1. He was instrumental in Arsenal's 2–1 win against Liverpool at Anfield where he won a penalty which
Thierry Henry scored and then he slotted in a sweet finish from a Pires cross. He scored a nearly identical goal again against Liverpool at
Highbury three weeks later, where the matched ended up being a 1–1 draw. Ljungberg ended the 2001–02 season scoring 17 goals in all competitions. In the
2002 FA Cup Final he became the first player in 40 years to score in consecutive
FA Cup Finals. In the
2002–03 season Ljungberg helped Arsenal reach
a third consecutive FA Cup final. He scored the winning goal in the semi-final against
Sheffield United, and then started the final as Arsenal defeated
Southampton. It was Ljungberg's blocked shot which set up
Robert Pires to score the winning goal. This season Ljungberg also scored his first hat-trick for Arsenal in a 4–0 win at
Sunderland. In
2003–04 Ljungberg made 30 league appearances during Arsenal's unbeaten
Invincibles season. That season he scored the winning goal against rivals
Tottenham Hotspur at Highbury. The following season (2004–05) Ljungberg played in
his fourth FA Cup final, when he came on as a substitute and scored one of Arsenal's penalties in the shootout as they defeated
Manchester United. He was most comfortable as a
winger on either side of midfield, though he could also play centrally in a
4–5–1 formation, or even as a
second striker. Ljungberg became a regular in Arsenal's starting line-up following the departure of
Emmanuel Petit and
Marc Overmars in the summer of 2000. For several seasons he played a major role for the club including being a member of the
unbeaten 49-game run for Arsenal. He had to fight with constant injury problems and occasionally severe bouts with
migraines; in 2005 a persistent hip injury led to fears he may have contracted cancer, which were unfounded. It transpired that he was suffering from blood poisoning caused by his large tattoos. Despite a persistent
ankle injury, Ljungberg played for Arsenal in the 2–1 defeat by Barcelona in the
Champions League Final in Paris on 17 May 2006. It was speculated in January 2007 that Ljungberg was being forced to leave Arsenal, after bosses became tired of a run of injuries restricting his play. "Ljungberg still has a lot to offer to Arsenal," Arsène Wenger said, on 13 January 2007, at a
Blackburn Rovers pre-match press conference, stressing the fact that Ljungberg will stay at Arsenal until the end of his contract in 2009. Ljungberg came back after a long injury in an
FA Cup match against
Bolton Wanderers, scoring a goal thirteen minutes before the end of
extra time, earning Arsenal a place in the fifth round tie of the FA Cup against Blackburn Rovers. In a game away at rivals Tottenham Hotspur on 21 April 2007 Ljungberg limped off with an injury in the first half, and this proved to be his final appearance for the club. In 2008, Ljungberg placed eleventh in Arsenal.com's Gunners' Greatest 50 Players.
West Ham United On 23 July 2007, after nine years at Arsenal, Ljungberg joined London rivals
West Ham United on a four-year contract. Ljungberg made his West Ham debut on the opening day of the
2007–08 season, in West Ham's 2–0 home defeat by
Manchester City on 11 August, a game in which he was also captain. After seven months at the club, Ljungberg finally scored his first goal for West Ham in the home match against
Birmingham City on 9 February 2008, putting West Ham up 1–0, with the game finishing 1–1. Ljungberg also scored what turned out to be his final goal for the club in a 2–1 defeat away at
Sunderland a month later. In his last game of the season,
Newcastle United defender
Steven Taylor accidentally landed on top of him while trying to jump over him, breaking his ribs. The injury sidelined Ljungberg for the rest of the season. In May, it was reported that Ljungberg was offered £3 million to tear up his contract. This was quickly dismissed by both Ljungberg's agents,
Claes Elefalk and Scott Duxbury, West Ham's chief executive. In June 2008, Ljungberg retired from the Sweden national team, saying:"I have decided to concentrate on my football with West Ham. This is where my priority now lies." Following the start of training camp, Ljungberg was nowhere to be seen. Many speculated a transfer was in the works despite Elefalk's claims that Ljungberg was to return. Days later, Ljungberg agreed to terminate his contract only after one year into the four-year deal for a sum of £6 million. Ljungberg stated afterwards: "I gave my all at West Ham and enjoyed my time there but the decision is the best for the both of us. Now, I will take my time to consider my football future."
Football hiatus After Ljungberg's West Ham exit, fans and sport pundits alike speculated about Ljungberg's future. On 8 August, Ljungberg was seen in Los Angeles fuelling rumours of a move to
LA Galaxy which was quickly dismissed. In actuality, Ljungberg went to Los Angeles to get a tattoo done by renowned tattoo artist
Mister Cartoon. While he was in Los Angeles, Elefalk urged Ljungberg to meet with
Joe Roth, a
Hollywood producer and majority stakeholder in the
Major League Soccer expansion team
Seattle Sounders FC. Ljungberg secretly met with Roth but did not want to make any rash decisions. At the same time, there were rumours of four Italian clubs being interested in Ljungberg including
Lazio,
Milan,
Roma, and
Fiorentina. By the end of August, Ljungberg was linked to
Portsmouth. On 28 August, Ljungberg's agent told the Swedish press that Ljungberg was continuing to train at his old football club Halmstads BK but was unsure of his football future. At the end of the transfer window, Ljungberg was linked to
AS Monaco. When Ljungberg declined to join Monaco after the transfer window closed, many believed Ljungberg was finished with football. In early September, Ljungberg was seen in New York City during
New York Fashion Week. At this time, the
Daily Star reported that Ljungberg was looking to become a furniture designer. Shortly after, Ljungberg was seen in London with
Natalie Imbruglia.
Seattle Sounders FC On 17 October 2008, the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that Ljungberg might be a part of the new Major League Soccer franchise
Seattle Sounders FC. On 28 October 2008, the club officially announced they had signed Ljungberg as their
designated player for the 2009 season. The terms of his contract saw Ljungberg earn $10 million over two seasons with the Sounders. Much like the contract of
David Beckham and as is the norm for professional sports stars in the US, Ljungberg's contract assured that he kept all of the money derived from his private endorsements. Because of this, Grahame L. Jones of the
Los Angeles Times was quick to compare Ljungberg with Beckham.
Alexi Lalas stated: "
Eddie Vedder, I think, would have a better chance of making an impact at Seattle than Freddie Ljungberg". However, after the 2009 regular season Lalas acknowledged his initial skepticism but admitted he had changed his mind. "For me he's the best DP signing, because of the way he plays in MLS." In December 2008, it was announced that Ljungberg would undergo surgery to repair a persistent hip injury that has plagued him throughout his later career. Surgeons repaired a slightly torn
hip labrum and shaved a small amount of bone where the hip meets the
femur to prevent future injury.
The Seattle Times reported that Ljungberg was expected to miss ten to twelve weeks of training and possibly be sidelined for the team's inaugural game, but he recovered from his hip injury sooner than expected. Although Ljungberg did not take part of Seattle's preseason in Argentina, he did however do light training with
IS Halmia. Once the Sounders returned to Seattle, Ljungberg joined in training. Despite his speedy recovery, Ljungberg did not participate in the inaugural game against
New York Red Bulls. He made his debut one week later on 28 March 2009, coming on as a 61st-minute substitute in a 2–0 victory over
Real Salt Lake. The following week he made his first start on 4 April 2009 against
Toronto FC, where he also scored his first MLS goal. Ljungberg played his first full game against
Chivas USA in Los Angeles in which they lost 2–0. While some noted that
Fredy Montero and Ljungberg were not cohesive on the pitch, due to Ljungberg's absence in the preseason and few practices with one other, coach
Sigi Schmid answered: "That's just something that takes some time. But they're both quality players and it will get sorted out I think a lot sooner than later." Ljungberg missed two games against
FC Dallas and
Colorado Rapids due to a migraine attack. He quickly recovered to play against Chivas USA. On 30 May 2009, the Sounders drew their fifth match in a row, this time against the
Columbus Crew, after Ljungberg missed a penalty kick in the 31st minute. Ljungberg scored his second goal for the season against the
San Jose Earthquakes on 13 June 2009 as a result of beating
Joe Cannon to the ball, lofting it over him and into the center of the net. In the 59th minute, Ljungberg's corner kick set up Montero's goal which led the Sounders to a 2–0 victory. After playing
D.C. United, Ljungberg suffered from some hamstring tightness. Ljungberg did suit up for the New York Red Bulls game on 20 June 2009, but he did not play as a result of the injury. On 28 June, Ljungberg assisted Montero's 23rd-minute goal against the Colorado Rapids. He was subbed out toward the end of the game, in which he received a standing ovation. Ljungberg sat out for the US Open Cup game against the
USL side
Portland Timbers and focused on training during the four-week vacation in July. Following the brief holiday vacation, Seattle defeated
Houston Dynamo, a game in which Ljungberg was heavily targeted and fouled. Despite this, Ljungberg outmaneuvered his opponents and assisted a goal to
Patrick Ianni. As is so, the
Bleacher Report thus dubbed him the man of the match. During his
2009 season, the
Daily Express noted rumors that Ljungberg was poised to return to a European club, but Ljungberg assured fans that he would stay to fulfill his two-year contract. The Swede also gave the insight that he might even extend his contract beyond 2010. In July 2009, Ljungberg was selected for starting MLS'
All-Stars along with teammate
Kasey Keller. Selection for the All-Star team is based upon votes from players, coaches, general managers, members of the media and an online fan voting system. Ljungberg received the most votes among fans, a testament to his popularity in the MLS. Ljungberg was also appointed captain of the 2009 MLS All-Star Team in their game over
Everton. Due to receiving a red card in the previous game, Ljungberg was ineligible to play the next Sounders game. As a result, All-Star coach
Dominic Kinnear played Ljungberg for a full 90 minutes. At the end of the game, Ljungberg started to have impaired vision. When the game went to
penalty kicks, he chose to sit it out due to his loss of vision after an on-set migraine. Unfortunately for Ljungberg, the initial five kicks ended in a draw. Kinnear, not fully understanding Ljungberg's condition, sent him out as the sixth kicker. Ljungberg, unable to see, took a chance and just tapped the ball in the center of the net. However,
Tim Howard saved it, resulting in Everton winning. Immediately following the game, Ljungberg was removed from the field on a stretcher. Later, Ljungberg told reporters that he ingested trace amount of red wine while in Utah, resulting in his second migraine within months. Ljungberg went on to win the
U.S. Open Cup of
2009 with Seattle in September of that year. He made his team debut as a substitute in the club's 3–2 victory over the LA Galaxy the following Sunday. Ljungberg's first start for the Fire came against the New York Red Bulls in a match that featured five designated players. After 15 league appearances, Ljungberg announced that he would be leaving Chicago Fire at the end of the
2010 season.
Celtic Ljungberg returned to Europe on 27 December 2010, when he joined
Scottish Premier League outfit
Celtic on a week-long trial. After a successful trial, Ljungberg officially signed a contract with the club on 30 December 2010. Ljungberg made his debut for Celtic away to
Berwick Rangers in the
Scottish Cup on 9 January 2011, playing over 60 minutes and helping his team to a 2–0 victory.
Shimizu S-Pulse On 6 September 2011, Ljungberg signed for Japanese team
Shimizu S-Pulse. He left the club by mutual consent on 14 February 2012. Upon his release, Ljungberg was linked to Australian club
Central Coast Mariners and South African team,
Orlando Pirates. Meanwhile, he became a Premier League ambassador in which he promoted the league. He also participated in charitable events such as
Soccer Aid 2012 and
McDonald's Player Escort Program in
Kyiv.
Retirement On 24 August 2012, Ljungberg announced his retirement from football.
Mumbai City On 25 July 2014, Ljungberg announced a comeback to promote the launch of the
Indian Super League. On 2 September, he was signed by
Mumbai City, becoming their marquee signing. Due to injury, he missed their involvement in the league's opening match, a 3–0 defeat at
Atlético de Kolkata on 12 October. Ljungberg's comeback was cut short due to persistent back problems. After only four games played, he decided to end his contract and return to his home in London. ==International career==