In football terms, any mention of the country Sweden would see most football fans remember a particular special footballer. That player is none other than Zlatan Ibrahimovic. This article however, will be about another Swedish player who established himself as an all-time great.
The player in reference is Ronnie Hellström, who was one of the world's best goalkeepers during the 1970's. Let us pay tribute to the legend by looking back at his career.
Made in Hammarby
Following a 4 year spell in Hammarby IF's youth academy, Ronnie Hellström made his professional club football debut in a 3–1 away win against Avesta AIK in Division 2 Svealand. It was the 17 year old's only appearance in that season as well.
This was only the beginning of his rise, as Hellström shortly became the club's first-choice goalkeeper. By 1967, the team were back in Sweden's first division (Allsvenskan). However, they suffered relegation and dropped back to the second division. Despite this setback, Sweden's dominating sports magazine Idrottsbladet named Hellström as the best goalkeeper in the league.
Hammarby was a club that got promoted and relegated often at the time, and they went on to play their next 2 seasons in the second division. The year of 1969 saw them achieve promotion once again, as they beat Sandåkerns SK in the final. Hellström was instrumental for the victory, as he saved a penalty in the match.
Hellström and Hammarby returned to the Allsvenskan in style, as they managed to finish 5th in the following season. The Swedish keeper continued his magnificent form, conceding only 26 goals in 22 fixtures during the year of 1971. Those heroics eventually saw him win the Guldbollen, given to Sweden's best footballer. To this date, he still remains as the only Hammarby player to win the title.
Even though Hammarby failed to challenge for the league during those years, Hellström always stood out as arguably the best goalkeeper in the league.
The Kaiserslautern years
After his magnificent performance at the 1974 FIFA World Cup, Hellström was signed by Bundesliga side 1. FC Kaiserslautern. He was on the brink of winning his first ever major silverware, as he helped the side reach the 1975-76 season DFB-Pokal final. However, they ended up losing the final 2-0 to Hamburger SV.
This was a time when Hellström was at the peak of his powers, which was clearly evident by the goalkeeper finishing 6th in the 1978 Ballon d'Or rankings. Hellström also won the Guldbollen for the second time in his career, being the first and only goalkeeper to do so.
Even though the Swedish goalkeeper didn't win any silverware at Kaiserslautern, both club and player were going through a promising period at the time. Hellström and Kaiserslautern Finished third in the 1979 Bundesliga, followed up by a fourth place in 1980, 1981 and 1982. The Swedish keeper also managed to reach yet another DFB-pokal final in 1980-81, but suffered a 1-3 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt. Kaiserslautern's golden period at this time saw the club quality to the 1981–82 UEFA Cup and even reach till the semi-finals, where they were beaten by eventually champions IFK Göteborg.
After 10 years in the Bundesliga that saw him make 266 league appearances, Hellström decided to retire from professional football. The Swedish international was loved immensely both by the fans and club hierarchy, which saw him become the first non-German player to be granted a testimonial match. His farewell match took place on 21st April 1984, and it involved the likes of Sepp Maier, Franz Beckenbauer, as well as his former long-time teammate from Hammarby, Kenneth Ohlsson.
International legacy
In addition to his heroics at club level, Hellström was a part of 3 World Cups for Sweden. The 1974 World Cup in particular would stand out as one of his greatest tournaments, as he excelled on the world stage with exceptional performances against Cruyff's Netherlands (0-0) and Beckenbauer's West Germany (2-4). His heroics helped Sweden end the tournament in an unexpected fifth place. Sweden's greatest ever goalkeeper lives to this day in the heart of football fans, and will continue to do so.
Also Read | Greatest Swedish Footballers of all time
