Birmingham City and Sunderland struck gold with Sebastian Larsson: View | OneFootball

Seb Larsson enjoyed fruitful spells with both Birmingham City and Sunderland as he became a household name in English football

Highlights

It's fair to say that during his 17-year stay in English football, Swedish midfielder Sebastian Larsson became a household name thanks to his performances in the Premier League.

He arrived at Arsenal in 2001 as an unknown quantity, joining the Gunners' academy from IFK Eskilstuna, and it proved a top bit of scouting from the North London side, even if he never really made an impact at the club.

It was at the likes of Birmingham City and Sunderland where the 133-cap Swedish international would really make an impact, and when he departed English football for a move back to AIK in his homeland back in 2018, Larsson was arguably a modern-day Premier League cult-hero.

After 282 appearances in the Premier League, coupled with a further 121 in the Championship, there's no disputing that Larsson was a huge success in English football, and it's fair to say that both Sunderland and Birmingham City struck gold with him.

Birmingham City's punt on Sebastian Larsson paid off

After struggling for regular playing time at Arsenal, having made just 12 appearances for the club, Arsene Wegner made the decision to send Larsson out on loan, and he joined Birmingham City on a season-long loan ahead of the 2006/07 season.

Birmingham, who were a Championship side at the time, immediately benefited from Larsson's arrival after he scored a late winner against Crystal Palace, and he became a regular starter as the Blues won promotion to the top-flight.

In January 2007, halfway through his loan spell, Birmingham signed Larsson on a permanent deal, forking out £1million to sign him on a four-year deal.

After finishing his first season with nine goals and five assists in 50 appearances, Larsson made the step-up to the Premier League, but his six goals and three assists weren't enough as they were immediately relegated to the Championship, but he emerged with credit after making the right-midfield spot his own, playing 35 times.

The 2008/09 season wasn't Larsson's best in terms of goals and assists, as he only scored once and registered six assists, but it was enough to help his side back to the Premier League after a second place finish in the Championship.

The Swedish international was quickly becoming a standout player at St Andrew's, and he scored another four goals and registered three assists during the 2009/10 campaign as Blues secured their Premier League status with a very impressive ninth place finish.

However, the crowning moment in Larsson's time at Birmingham would come during the 2010/11 season, when he helped the club to the League Cup title, beating Arsenal 2-1 in the final.

The midfielder played an important role on their way to cup success, and he scored in the quarter-final win over Aston Villa, before registering two assists in the semi-final against West Ham.

Despite their cup success, Blues were relegated in the summer of 2011, and Larsson left as a free agent. It wasn't a fairytale ending, but after 205 appearances which saw him score 26 goals and register 26 assists, it's fair to say that signing him from Arsenal was a punt worth taking.

With Larsson a free agent following Birmingham's relegation, Sunderland swooped to bring him to the Stadium of Light.

His time at Sunderland couldn't have got off to a better start, and he scored an equaliser on his debut as the Black Cats drew 1-1 away to Liverpool.

That set the tone for a successful first season in the North East, and Larsson scored seven times and registered two assists in 32 Premier League appearances.

Despite playing for a side that was usually battling for survival at the wrong end of the Premier League table, Larsson continued to prove his worth, and he was one of the first names on the teamsheet no matter who was in charge, with the club going through a number of managers during his time at the club.

He played every single game during the 2012/13 Premier League season, starting 36 of them, showing just how important a player he was.

Larsson continued to be a regular feature in the Sunderland team throughout the 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons, helping the club reach the League Cup final in March 2014, but he was unable to add another title to his CV as his side were defeated by Manchester City.

However, for the first time since joining four years prior, Larsson had an injury-ridden 2015/16 season, and managed just 18 league appearances, although he did return towards the end of the season, helping the club stay up at the expense of bitter rivals Newcastle United.

After a number of seasons flirting with the relegation zone, Sunderland were finally relegated at the end of the 2016/17 season, Larsson playing just 21 games thanks to injury and suspension, and just like he had with Birmingham following their relegation, he left Sunderland at the expiration of his contract.

Just like his time at St Andrew's, Larsson didn't have a fairtytale ending, but the Sunderland faithful could have no complaints after six years of service from the Swedish international. His signing made even more impressive given the fact he was a free transfer.

Following his Sunderland departure, Larsson remained in English football as he joined Hull City for one season, before spending four years in his homeland with AIK before announcing his retirement in 2022.

After a combined 408 appearances for the two clubs, it's fair to say that both Birmingham City and Sunderland struck gold with Larsson, and he certainly won't be forgotten in a hurry.