Roger Ljung

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Roger Ljung

| image =

| fullname = Roger Ingemar Ljung

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|1|8|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Lomma, Sweden

| height = 1.88 m

| position = Left back

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Lunds BK

| years1 = 1983–1984

| clubs1 = Lunds BK

| caps1 = 47

| goals1 = 9

| years2 = 1985–1989

| clubs2 = Malmö FF

| caps2 = 53

| goals2 = 4

| years3 = 1989–1990

| clubs3 = Young Boys

| caps3 = 29

| goals3 = 4

| years4 = 1990–1991

| clubs4 = Zürich

| caps4 = 21

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 1991–1993

| clubs5 = Admira Wacker

| caps5 = 90

| goals5 = 26

| years6 = 1993–1994

| clubs6 = Galatasaray

| caps6 = 15

| goals6 = 2

| years7 = 1994–1995

| clubs7 = MSV Duisburg

| caps7 = 13

| goals7 = 0

| totalcaps = 268

| totalgoals = 45

| nationalyears1 = 1984–1988

| nationalteam1 = Sweden U17

| nationalcaps1 = 2

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1988–1995

| nationalteam2 = Sweden U19

| nationalcaps2 = 20

| nationalgoals2 = 4

| nationalyears3 = 1984–1988

| nationalteam3 = Sweden U21/O

| nationalcaps3 = 14

| nationalgoals3 = 1

| nationalyears4 = 1988–1995

| nationalteam4 = Sweden

| nationalcaps4 = 59

| nationalgoals4 = 3

| medaltemplates = {{MedalTeam|{{fb|SWE}}}}

}}

Roger Ingemar Ljung (born 8 January 1966) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a left back. He played for clubs in Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Turkey, and Germany during a career that spanned between 1983 and 1995. He won 59 caps for the Sweden national team, and represented his country at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 1992, as well as the 1994 FIFA World Cup where Sweden finished third.

Club career

Born in Lomma, Scania, Ljung started his football career at the age of six, with lowly Lunds BK. In 1985, he was purchased by Malmö FF, being mostly used as a substitute in his early years{{cite web | url = http://sydsvenskan.se/sport/fotboll/mff/article435918/Fran-reservlaget-till-landslaget.html | title = Från reservlaget till landslaget | trans-title = From the reserve team to the national team | publisher = Sydsvenskan | language = Swedish | date = 24 June 2009 | access-date = 12 May 2012 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100701071134/http://www.sydsvenskan.se/sport/fotboll/mff/article435918/Fran-reservlaget-till-landslaget.html | archive-date = 1 July 2010 | df = dmy-all }} and being on the roster as the club won five Allsvenskan championships in a row, with the player contributing regularly in the 1987 and 1988 editions.

In the summer of 1989, Ljung transferred to BSC Young Boys in Switzerland, moving in the following season to another side in the Swiss Super League, FC Zürich. He enjoyed his best individual years in Austria with FC Admira Wacker, scoring 26 Bundesliga goals in 67 games in his first two years combined, albeit without team silverware.

In 1994, after some months in Turkey with Galatasaray SK, Ljung signed with MSV Duisburg from Germany.{{cite web | url = http://www.tyskfotboll.se/bundesligan/svenskar.html | title = Svenska fotbollsspelare i Tyskland | trans-title = Swedish footballers in German | publisher = Tysk Fotboll | language = Swedish | date = 18 May 2009 | access-date = 12 May 2012 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120302091744/http://www.tyskfotboll.se/bundesligan/svenskar.html | archive-date = 2 March 2012 | df = dmy-all }} After appearing in less of half of the games during the campaign and also suffering relegation from the Bundesliga, he decided to retire from football at only 29.

International career

Ljung played 59 international games for Sweden, scoring three goals. He was picked for the squad that appeared in the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, playing only once in an eventual group stage exit.

Ljung was also selected for the team in UEFA Euro 1992, in Sweden played on home soil. His contribution to the final third-place was again minimal, as he only featured in the 2–3 semifinal loss against Germany.

In the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Ljung opened the national team's scoring account in a 2–2 group stage draw against Cameroon.{{cite web | url = https://www.rsssf.org/tablesk/kam-wc.html | title = Cameroon – World Cup | publisher = RSSSF | access-date = 1 July 2016}} This time, he was an undisputed first-choice – playing in six of seven games – and the country eventually finished third.

Ljung also participated in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, with Sweden ousted in the quarter-finals.{{FIFA player|44320}}

Post-retirement

After retiring from professional football in 1995, Ljung became a sports agent. He started his own agency in Lomma, Roger Ljung Promotion AB, being at the time one of only three licensed agents in the country;{{cite web|date=25 April 2005|title=Marknaden mättad på agenter|trans-title=The market is saturated with agents|url=http://sydsvenskan.se/sport/article18746/Marknaden-mattad-pa-agenter.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810181903/http://www.sydsvenskan.se/sport/article18746/Marknaden-mattad-pa-agenter.html|archive-date=10 August 2011|access-date=12 May 2012|publisher=Sydsvenskan|language=Swedish|df=dmy-all}} newspaper Aftonbladet considered him to be Sweden's most successful agent.{{cite web|date=18 April 2001|title=Dahlins nya jobb – agent|trans-title=Dahlin's new job – agent|url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/allsvenskan/article17900.ab|access-date=12 May 2012|publisher=Aftonbladet|language=Swedish}}

Ljung's most notable client was Freddie Ljungberg, who played several years in the Premier League. He brokered his deal with Arsenal for a £3 million transfer fee, and the pair parted ways in December 2006 when the player signed with mega-agency Creative Artists.{{cite web|date=12 January 2007|title=Arsène acts over movie star Freddie|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/arsene-acts-over-movie-star-446477|access-date=12 May 2012|publisher=Daily Mirror}}

Other players Ljung worked for included Marcus Allbäck,{{cite web|date=12 January 2007|title=Saints interest in Allback confirmed|url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11700_2217837,00.html|access-date=12 May 2012|publisher=Sky Sports}} Patrik Andersson, Erik Edman,{{cite web|date=20 January 2005|title=One-third of Spurs' fee for Edman went to agents|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2005/jan/20/newsstory.tottenhamhotspur|access-date=12 May 2012|work=The Guardian}}

Andreas Isaksson,{{cite web|date=11 August 2006|title=City let James go to Pompey|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2006/aug/11/newsstory.sport12|access-date=12 May 2012|work=The Guardian}} Kim Källström{{cite web|date=18 October 2002|title=Villa complete Scandinavian signing|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/oct/18/newsstory.sport6|access-date=12 May 2012|work=The Guardian}} and Teddy Lucic.{{cite web|date=12 December 1998|title=Teddy Lucic: Jag får mycket bra betalt|trans-title=Teddy Lucic: I get very well paid|url=http://wwwc.aftonbladet.se/sport/9812/12/lucic.html|access-date=12 May 2012|publisher=Aftonbladet|language=Swedish}}

Career statistics

= International =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+Appearances and goals by national team and year{{Cite web\|title=Roger Ljung - Spelarstatistik - Svensk fotboll\|url=https://www.svenskfotboll.se/spelarfakta/roger-ljung/3d3f8e81-f687-40ef-8312-0872f0552ea9\|access-date=2020-12-28\|website=www.svenskfotboll.se.\|language=sv}} !National team !Year !Apps !Goals
rowspan="8" \|Sweden \|1988 \|7 \|0
1989 \|9 \|2
1990 \|6 \|0
1991 \|7 \|0
1992 \|6 \|0
1993 \|9 \|0
1994 \|11 \|1
1995 \|4 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !59 !3

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+Appearances and goals by national team and year{{Cite web|title=Roger Ljung - Spelarstatistik - Svensk fotboll|url=https://www.svenskfotboll.se/spelarfakta/roger-ljung/3d3f8e81-f687-40ef-8312-0872f0552ea9|access-date=2020-12-28|website=www.svenskfotboll.se.|language=sv}}

!National team

!Year

!Apps

!Goals

rowspan="8" |Sweden

|1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

|11

1995

colspan="2" |Total

!59

:Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ljung goal.

class="wikitable sortable"

|+List of international goals scored by Roger Ljung

! scope="col" |No.

! scope="col" |Date

! scope="col" |Venue

! scope="col" |Opponent

! scope="col" |Score

! scope="col" |Result

! scope="col" |Competition

! scope="col" class="unsortable" |{{Abbr|Ref.|References}}

align="center" |1

|7 May 1989

|Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden

|{{fb|POL}}

| align="center" |1–0

| align="center" |2–1

|1990 FIFA World Cup qualification

|{{Cite web|title=Sverige - Polen - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll|url=https://www.svenskfotboll.se/matchfakta/sverige-polen-landskamper-herr-senior/1568987|access-date=2020-12-28|website=www.svenskfotboll.se|language=sv}}

align="center" |2

|16 June 1989

|Parken, Copenhagen, Denmark

|{{fb|BRA}}

| align="center" |2–0

| align="center" |2–1

|1989 Tri Tournament

|{{Cite web|title=Brasilien - Sverige - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll|url=https://www.svenskfotboll.se/matchfakta/brasilien-sverige-landskamper-herr-senior/1568994|access-date=2020-12-28|website=www.svenskfotboll.se|language=sv}}

align="center" |3

|19 June 1994

|Rose Bowl, Pasadena, United States

|{{fb|Cameroon}}

| align="center" |1–0

| style="text-align:center" |2–2

|1994 FIFA World Cup

|{{Cite web|title=Sverige - Kamerun - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll|url=https://www.svenskfotboll.se/matchfakta/sverige-kamerun-landskamper-herr-senior/1569357|access-date=2020-12-28|website=www.svenskfotboll.se|language=sv}}