Lika som bär [f.d. VM 2006]

Lasse Nilsson - Pride from the North

Lasse Nilsson, born on the 3rd of January 1982 in Borlange, Sweden, got the love, passion and talent for football from his father. Father Thomas Nilsson played football with IK Brage and represented the Swedish National team 15 times.

Lasse with his long blonde hairs started his football career at IK Brage too. In 2001 he scored even 13 times in 27 games, and it was time for a first league club. Lasse moved to Borås where he started to play for IF Elfsborg. He played in the Swedish first league for 3 years and he even played for the Swedisch national team once (on the 22nd of January 2004 against Norway). Then he left for the Dutch SC Heerenveen. It's the 17th of January 2005 when he signed his contract for "Our" SC Heerenveen.

He played 14 games in the Dutch competition 2004/2005 and scored 3 times. But SC Heerenveen had a talented forward line and it's hard for Lasse to gain a place in the starting line-up, but as a reserve he shows he's talented and fast.

Lasse wasn't lucky at the start of the season 2005/2006, he played, but got injured and it took a while before he had recovered. And with both Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Georgios Samaras in the ine-up, it was hard to get some time to play, let alone a place in the line-up of sc Heerenveen. When both Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Georgios Samaras, decided to leave SC Heerenveen halfway the 2005/2006 competition, it's Lasse's moment to grab his chance and to show he deserves a place in the line-up of SC Heerenveen. He plays some good games in January and when they meet ADO Den Haag on the 5th of February, Lasse surprises everyone and even himself with three goals in a row. "I'm not a real striker, not a goal getter. I'm more of a forward who has to make the action and I'm fast."

But Lasse is improving and works hard to reach his goal, the national Swedish team, just like Marcus Allback, Erik Edman and Petter Hansson did before him at Heerenveen. A dream which very likely could come true. He's right orientated, but is training hard to improve his left side. "I'm working on becoming a more complete forward, not only right orientated, but I'm working on my left leg as well. “Very often defenders don't know what to expect from me, "Lasse says very down to earth. And in the season 2006-2006 Lasse becomes a "golden pair" with Afonso Alves, together they are very dangerous and every club in Holland fears the pair, who scored 43 of the 60 goals in the competition. Lasse also delivered the most assists in the Dutch Premier league. But at the end of the season Lasse announced that he wanted to leave. There were some private problems and he said he couldn't learn more at sc Heerenveen, so he wanted to leave.

In August 2007 - after 2,5 years of SC Heerenveen - Lasse signed for St. Etienne, also known as ASSE, France. Although coach Roussey wanted to add Lasse to his team, he never got a real chance to play. Not only Lasse became desperate of Mr. Roussey's attitude, also the ASSE fans, who saw ASSE losing more and more points. In December Lasse mentioned he wanted to leave ASSE. He would never get his chance under Roussey, and if he would have a chance to make it into the Swedish Team for the EC in Austia, he needed to play. It was all very frustrating for Lasse who saw his dream going up in smoke. And then at the end of January the Danish Aalborg came and wanted Lasse on a loan to July 1st.

Lasse grabbed his chance and after 2 months Aalborg - Aab - and several matches he showed in Denmark what he wanted to show in France. That he was still that great player, who showed attractive football and knew how to score. Aab lost their forward Prica and feared their future, but already experienced that Lasse is a very good replacement for Prica and is even the cause now for a better and more attractive playing style.

This about lasse. I hope everyone that visits this site will enjoy it and will find where he's looking for.

© lassenilsson.nl 2005