Magnus Hedman

Magnus Carl Hedman (pronounced [ˈmǎŋːnɵs ˈhěːdman]; born 19 March 1973) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a football goalkeeper. He played 58 matches for the Sweden national football team, and represented his country at two FIFA World Cup and two European Championship tournaments.

Magnus Hedman
Personal information
Full name Magnus Carl Hedman[1]
Date of birth (1973-03-19) 19 March 1973
Place of birth Huddinge, Sweden
Height 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Playing position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1983–1987 IFK Stockholm
1987–1990 AIK
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–1997 AIK 127 (0)
1997–2002 Coventry City 134 (0)
2002–2005 Celtic 26 (0)
2004 → Ancona (loan) 3 (0)
2006–2007 Chelsea 0 (0)
2013 Frej 1 (0)
Total 291 (0)
National team
1992–1995 Sweden U21 28 (0)
1997–2004 Sweden 58 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Biography

Hedman was born in Huddinge. He started his career with AIK in 1990. He won the 1992 Allsvenskan championship with AIK, and was chosen as a backup for first-choice keeper Thomas Ravelli at the 1994 World Cup. He debuted for the Swedish national team in February 1997, and moved abroad to play for English club Coventry City in July that year. Hedman was chosen for the Swedish squad at the Euro 2000 where he played all Sweden's matches and conceded goals from Bart Goor and Emile Mpenza against Belgium and from Luigi Di Biagio and Alessandro Del Piero against Italy (both lost 2–1). The other match, against Turkey, was 0–0 draw. He won the 2000 Guldbollen award. He also played full-time for Sweden at the 2002 World Cup.

Hedman was replaced by future England international Chris Kirkland in the Coventry City team during their relegation from the FA Premier League in the 2000–01 season. He regained his place following Kirkland's transfer to Liverpool after a single game of the 2001–02 season. His Coventry City career came to an acrimonious conclusion towards the end of that season, when he was approached on the pitch during an away match against Preston North End on 6 April 2002 by a 'fan' who was questioning his commitment to the club and desire to play in the Football League Championship.

Hedman played two further games for Coventry that season before moving on to Celtic in the Scottish Premier League in 2002. He had a loan spell at Italian team A.C. Ancona in 2004, a time in which he later claimed to have witnessed bribery on part of his Ancona teammates.[2] While at Ancona, he was chosen to represent Sweden at the Euro 2004, where he served as a back-up for keeper Andreas Isaksson. He played a further season for Celtic, before being released at the start of the 2005–06 season. He then retired from professional football.

In September 2006, he was rumoured to be making a sensational comeback at English FA Premier League club Newcastle United. According to himself he denied an offer from the club, citing it was too short of a contract to be interesting.[3] The club itself has denied ever contacting the goalkeeper. On 9 November 2006, it was announced that Hedman would join FA Premier League Champions Chelsea on a week's trial, due to Chelsea's current lack of fully fit goalkeepers except for Henrique Hilário and youth team keeper Yves Ma-Kalambay. The move was eventually completed on 14 November 2006, with Hedman taking the number 22 shirt previously worn by Eidur Gudjohnsen. At the end of the season Hedman was released from his contract, having made no official appearances for Chelsea.

In November 2008 he claimed he was approached by Manchester City to provide back up following the injury to their current number 1 Joe Hart. Hedman began training with Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur on 5 January 2009, with a view to gaining a contract with Spurs until at least the end of the 2008–09 season, of which he did not achieve. According to BBC Sport, Hedman has begun working with the backroom staff of Weymouth F.C, with a view to training goalkeepers at the club.[4]

He was the goalkeeping coach for then third-tier club IK Frej. On 21 June 2013, he made a one-match comeback and played 90 minutes in Frej's 3–1 victory against Selånger FK.

Personal life

He is divorced from Magdalena Graaf, a Swedish author, former model and pop singer. The couple have two sons together.

Notes
  1. "Magnus Hedman". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  2. (in Swedish) Magnus Hedman: Mina lagkamrater var mutade Archived 26 April 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Aftonbladet, 11 September 2004
  3. Tuesday's football gossip, BBC, 26 September 2006
  4. "HEDMAN CLAIMS CITY APPROACH". Sporting Life. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
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