Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane, Jill Scott, and Ian Wright are joined by special guest Henrik Larsson as he reflects on his remarkable career, from his iconic time at Celtic to spells at Manchester United and Barcelona. Larsson opens up on life at some of Europe’s biggest clubs, the pressures of playing at the highest level, and why his relationship with the modern game has changed. The discussion offers a candid insight into one of football’s most respected figures and his views on the sport today.
00:00 – Intro
19:38 – Celtic and Memorable Moments
33:53 – Discussing Career Low Points
42:28 – Joining Barcelona and Playing with Legends
52:57 – Returning to Sweden and Joining Manchester United
58:23 – Thoughts on Modern Football
01:06:09 – Quick Fire Questions and Final Thoughts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQxpL-rNAhE
CREDIT – “This week’s Stick to Football podcast is available now on YouTube and all leading podcast platforms”
Larsson on rumours linking him with Manchester United…
‘I didn’t want to move. I’d come from Holland where I wasn’t playing week in, week out, and the family was starting to get settled in Glasgow. We were happy. We were playing in Europe with Celtic, in the Europa League or the Champions League, and I was playing with Sweden at the Euros and World Cups. For me, the most important thing for a football player is to play week in, week out. I like to play 90 minutes, every week.’
Larsson on why his time at Manchester United came to an end…
“I’d promised Helsingborg I would go back, and they invested a lot of money in me, so I felt it was the right thing to do. The family was a big part of it, for the kids. I kept playing until I was 38 maybe a little bit too long but I don’t regret it”
Larsson on his injuries at Celtic & Barcelona…
“I already had a stress fracture in my left leg. It wasn’t a hard kick, it was just the angle. It was waiting to happen. I found myself on the grass and I told the referee in Dutch, ‘I think I broke my leg’. I didn’t really feel anything until they put me on the stretcher. It was close to being an open leg break. I had a cruciate at Barcelona as well and that was when I was really close to saying, you know what, I’m not going to do this rehab anymore.’
Larsson on Lionel Messi’s rise and his time at Barcelona…
“I was playing with Ronaldinho at the time and he was great. He could do anything with the ball, but he was also efficient. At the time, I didn’t see anybody being that good. The technique, the left foot, the speed everything was there but it was hard to see anyone surpassing Ronaldinho because you didn’t think it was possible. Afterwards when you see it [Lionel Messi in training], it’s just crazy.”
Larsson on losing passion for the modern game…
“It’s the cautiousness. I love good possession, but to score goals you need to put the ball in dangerous areas. It can be wide, it can be in the box with a cut-back, but I like the good old-fashioned way when wingers go past players and cross or make something on their own. I like possession when you can control the game, but when you control it, you want a bit more risk.”
Larsson on his enduring connections to the Celtic squad…
“I had a lot of connections such as Chris Sutton, John Hartson, and Mark Viduka. They were great target players even though I could play target myself. They were great because I mean the ball is coming up high you’ve never seen a striker bring it down on his head have you then that’s a sign you have to go in behind or a little bit on the side.”
Larsson on his disappointments at Celtic…
“Whenever we didn’t win the league. I think the biggest one you know is the European Cup final against Porto. It’s still tough to talk about. I don’t think anybody will really ever get over it. I think that the fans and us as a team were worth more, but it doesn’t work like that.”
Larsson on the reasons behind his departure from Celtic…
“It was time. I mean if you don’t score in two games, it’s not the same old Larsson anymore. I actually had a meeting with the gaffer because I decided already in the summer that I would. I will run the year out. I just want to get out when I’m still ahead. The gaffer was always nice to me. I was good for him as well. I told the supporters early as well. I will go after the season. I tried to do that in order to be transparent to be honest, so nobody was kept in the dark.”
Stick to Football is brought to you by Arne Clothing – to watch the full podcast episode with Henrik Larsson, Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane, Ian Wright, and Jill Scott visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQxpL-rNAhE
