Larsson returns for Sweden again

Henrik Larsson has been included in Sweden's Euro 2008 squad - his third comeback in international football.

Helsingborg's former Celtic, Barcelona and Manchester United striker, 36, is a surprise choice after retiring from his national team in 2002 and then in 2006.

"When I last retired, I didn't think I'd be playing this long and that it would go this well," he said after coach Lars Lagerback named his squad.

"It will be tough to make the first team but I'll do my best."

Larsson, who announced his last international retirement during the 2006 World Cup, has not played in the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign but has shown impressive form in the Swedish league this season, notching six goals in 11 appearances for Helsingborg.

"We've been playing well in Helsingborg, playing in the UEFA Cup in the autumn and also playing good football in the Swedish league," he added.

606: DEBATE
"It's a bit like The Boy Who Cried Wolf - only Sweden will not turn their back on Henrik Larsson..."
CW

"We've been playing football that has given me a taste for more... football is so much fun. It's a joy."

Larsson has said that he wants to carry on playing for Sweden even after Euro 2008, which takes place from 7-29 June in Austria and Switzerland.

He is one of five strikers in the squad, with Inter Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Toulouse's Johan Elmander, Copenhagen veteran Marcus Allback and Werder Bremen's Markus Rosenberg also included.

Sweden's Group D opponents are Spain, Greece and Russia.

After the 2002 World Cup, Larsson announced his retirement only to return the following year for what was billed as a one-off appearance during the Euro 2004 qualifying campaign.

Yet he was named in the squad for the tournament in Portugal and emerged as Sweden's top scorer.

SWEDEN SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Andreas Isaksson (Manchester City), Rami Shaaban (Hammarby), Johan Wiland (Elfsborg)

Defenders: Olof Mellberg (Juventus), Petter Hansson (Rennes), Fredrik Stoor (Rosenborg), Daniel Majstorovic (Basle), Mikael Dorsin (CFR Cluj), Andreas Granqvist (Helsingborg)

Midfielders: Mikael Nilsson (Panathinaikos), Niclas Alexandersson (IFK Gothenburg), Tobias Linderoth (Galatasaray), Freddie Ljungberg (West Ham), Anders Svensson (Elfsborg), Kim Kallstrom (Lyon), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham), Daniel Andersson (Malmo), Christian Wilhelmsson (Deportivo de la Coruna)

Forwards: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan), Johan Elmander (Toulouse), Henrik Larsson (Helsingborg), Marcus Allback (FC Copenhagen), Markus Rosenberg (Werder Bremen)

Reserve: Kennedy Bakircioglu (Ajax).

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