Jordan Larsson


Jordan Larsson is a Swedish footballer who plays for Russian club Spartak Moscow as a forward. He is the son of Swede international player Henrik Larsson.
A youth product of FC Barcelona, he began his career at fourth-tier Högaborgs BK in 2012. Two years later, he signed for Helsingborgs IF in the Allsvenskan. He became a first-team regular at the club under the management of his father, but was assaulted by fans after their relegation in 2016. Larsson then signed for Dutch club NEC in January 2017, and after their relegation from the Eredivisie he returned to Sweden with IFK Norrköping a year later. In August 2019, he signed for Spartak.
Larsson has represented Sweden at various youth levels and made his senior international debut in January 2018. He was selected for the 2016 Olympics but was withdrawn by his club team.

Personal life

He is the son of Henrik Larsson, who played in the same position for Högaborgs BK, Helsingborgs IF, Feyenoord, Celtic, Barcelona, Manchester United and the Sweden national team. The elder Larsson won trophies in the Netherlands, Scotland, Spain and England, totalling 242 goals for Celtic alone. Larsson was born in Rotterdam, while his father played for Feyenoord. He is named after basketball player Michael Jordan. He is Cape Verdean Swedish, through his paternal grandfather. Jordan Larsson was regularly seen at Celtic Park when his father played there, and accompanied him on the pitch in trophy celebrations.

Club career

Early career

While his father played for Barcelona between 2004 and 2006, Larsson played for the team's La Masia academy. He began his senior career at Högaborg in the Swedish Football Division 2, the fourth level of the sport in the country. On 19 June 2013 in a match against Tenhults IF, 15-year-old Larsson played alongside his 41-year-old father, who was making a comeback due to an injury crisis at Högaborg.
Aged 16 in January 2014, Larsson was tracked by another of his father's former employers, Manchester United. Instead, he signed a four-year deal for the city's main club Helsingborgs IF, the same transfer that his father had made 22 years prior.

Helsingborgs IF

Larsson made his first team debut in the Allsvenskan on 27 July 2014, coming on as a substitute for Mattias Lindström in the 73rd minute of a 1–1 home draw against Örebro SK. On 26 August, he made his first start away to Division 2 team Torslanda IK in the second round of the Svenska Cupen, scoring in each half of a 4–1 away win. That November, his father took over as the team's manager, and assured the public that he would not practise nepotism. The following 4 March in the group stage of the competition, Larsson opened a 2–2 draw against Superettan team Syrianska FC with a goal that received attention abroad for the quality of its technique, reminiscent of his father.
Larsson scored his first league goal for Helsingborg on 6 June 2015 in the second minute of a 3–0 win against Åtvidabergs FF, two weeks before his 18th birthday. On 19 July, he added two more in a 3–1 win over AIK at Olympia, and a further two on 20 August in an 8–1 win at fifth-tier Lunden ÖBK in the second round of the cup, which led to interest from IFK Göteborg.
After Helsingborg lost their relegation play-off to Halmstads BK in November 2016, Larsson, who scored a late goal that would have kept them up, was attacked by his own team's fans, who rushed onto the pitch and tore off his shirt. His father subsequently planned to send him on holiday for his protection.

NEC

On 2 January 2017, Larsson transferred from Helsingborg to the Dutch Eredivisie as his father did in 1993, and signed for NEC. He made his debut eleven days later in a 1–0 win at Willem II, replacing Kévin Mayi after 59 minutes. He scored his first goals in Dutch football on 18 August, one in each half of a 3–1 home win over Almere City FC on the first game of the season. NEC finished the season with relegation to the Eerste Divisie via the play-offs.

IFK Norrköping

Larsson returned to the Allsvenskan on 2 January 2018, when he signed a three-year deal with IFK Norrköping. Mainly a substitute in his first season back in the league, he scored just once, in a 3–1 win over Kalmar FF on 15 April. Two weeks later he was sent off as the VitBlå suffered a first home defeat of the season to Trelleborgs FF, for a high challenge on Robin Nilsson. On 23 August, in the second round of the Svenska Cupen, he scored a hat-trick in a 10–0 win at sixth-tier Brottby SK.
In July 2019, in his first European tie, Larsson scored in a 2–1 win over Ireland's St Patrick's Athletic in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.

Spartak Moscow

On 2 August 2019, Russian Premier League club FC Spartak Moscow announced the signing of Larsson for around €4 million. He scored his first goal for Spartak on 25 August in a game against PFC Krylia Sovetov Samara. On 27 October 2019, he scored twice after coming on as a substitute in the second half in a 3–0 victory over FC Lokomotiv Moscow.

International career

On 7 October 2015, in the first game of 2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, Larsson assisted and then was assisted by Gustaf Nilsson as Sweden won 2–0 against Belarus. They advanced from the qualifying round but were eliminated in the elite round.
He made his under-21 debut on 3 June 2016, coming on in added time for Arber Zeneli and scoring the winner in a 3–2 victory over Georgia at Rimnersvallen, in qualification for the 2017 European Championship.
Larsson was one of three forwards chosen by coach Håkan Ericson for the team at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. However, he was withdrawn by his father and club manager, as Helsingborg only had one other striker available.
On 7 January 2018, he made his debut for the senior national team playing 64 minutes in a 1–1 friendly draw with Estonia in Abu Dhabi. Two years and two days later he scored his first international goal, the only one of a friendly win against Moldova in Qatar.

Career statistics

Club

International

International goals

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.9 January 2020Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Qatar1–01–0Friendly
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