Mikael Hellström
Personal information
Date of birth (1972-03-11) 11 March 1972
Place of birth Stockholm, Sweden
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Defender, Midfielder
Youth career
–1981 Västerhaninge IF
1982–1989 Hammarby IF
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–2005 Hammarby IF 301 (18)
International career
1991 Sweden U20 1 (0)
1999 Sweden 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mikael "Hella" Hellström (born 11 March 1972) is a Swedish retired footballer. Throughout his whole professional career he represented Hammarby IF, as a one club man.

Early life

Mikael Hellström started playing football at the local club Västerhaninge IF, before joining Hammarby IF as a youth player in 1982, at age 10.[1] As a youngster, he mostly played a central defender.[2]

Club career

He advanced through the ranks at Hammarby and made his senior debut for the club in Allsvenskan in 1990, aged 18.[3] His first competitive appearance came as a substitute in a local derby on August 13 in a shocking 1-9 loss against Djurgårdens IF.[2]

He soon established himself as a regular starter during the 1990s, a period when Hammarby was known as a yo-yo club bouncing between the first and second tier. He usually played at a central midfield position, being known as a technically gifted player with a great set of leadership and work rate.[1]

During the later years of his career he repositioned himself playing as a left full back. His biggest achievement came in 2001 when Hammarby won Allsvenskan for the first time in the club's history.[4]

During the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League qualification stage, he featured in both games as Hammarby got knocked out by the Serbian side Partizan Belgrade in the second round (1-5 on aggregate).[2]

Mikael Hellström was forced into retirement in 2005, aged 33, due to a hip injury.[5] In total, he made 301 league appearances for Hammarby IF and scored 18 goals. Hellström also captained the side in the seasons of 1999, 2000 and 2002.[2]

In 2004, Hellström was voted as Hammarby Fotboll's twelfth biggest profile throughout the history of the club.[6] Between 2007 and 2008, he worked as a scout for said club during the reign of manager Tony Gustavsson and director of football (as well as former teammate) Lars Eriksson.[7]

International career

Hellström was a part of the Swedish under-20 national team during the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship in Portugal. He won his first, and single cap, for the side in a 0-2 group stage loss against Brazil on 20 June in said tournament.[2]

In May 1999, he won his first and only cap for the Swedish national team, playing the whole game in a 2–1 friendly win against Jamaica on Råsunda Stadium.[5]

Honours

Hammarby

References

  1. 1 2 "Mikael Hellström från Hammarby 12 säsonger". Svenska Fans. July 15, 2005. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Mikael Hellström" (in Swedish). Hammarby Fotboll. Archived from the original on 2011-05-13. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
  3. ↑ "Trotjänaren. Mikael Hellström är allsvenskans mest lojale spelare. Har gjort 22 säsonger i Hammarby". Dagens Nyheter. July 6, 2004. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Intervju: Guldmedaljören från 2001 Mikael "Hella" Hellström". Hammarby IF. January 23, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Hellström lägger skorna på hyllan". Sveriges Radio. September 10, 2005. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Historik" (in Swedish). Hammarby Fotboll. Archived from the original on 2011-03-26. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
  7. ↑ "Hammarby kartlägger Sverige". Idrottens Affärer. March 10, 2008. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
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