Henrik Larsson Tells Us The Most Gifted Footballers He's Played With

Henrik Larsson picks his all-star eleven dream team from the players he's played with for club and country.
Henrik Larsson is a Swedish professional football coach, manager, former player and formerly an assistant manager of Barcelona. In this episode, Larsson chooses his European dream team made up of the best footballers of all time that he played with and against throughout his career.
Timecodes:
0:00 Edwin Van Der Sar (Ajax) was the best goalkeeper of all time
0:30 Roland Nilsson (Sweden) and Ronald Koeman (Feyenoord)
1:06 Marc Rieper (Celtic FC)
1:36 Giovanni Van Bronckhorst (Barcelona FC), Xavi (Barcelona FC) and Wayne Rooney (Man United)
2:10 Ludo Moravcik (Celtic FC) and Zlaten Ibrahimovic (Sweden)
3:02 Ronaldinho (Barcelona FC) and Chris Sutton (Celtic FC)
About Henrik Larsson:
Playing as a striker, Larsson began his career with Högaborgs BK. He moved to Feyenoord in November 1993, staying for four years before leaving in 1997. During his time in the Dutch Eredivisie, he won two KNVB Cups with Feyenoord. He also broke into the Swedish national football team and helped them finish in third place at the 1994 World Cup.
Manager Wim Jansen signed Henrik Larsson for Celtic FC in July 1997. Larsson played an important role in Celtic winning their first league title in ten years but later suffered a broken leg in a UEFA Cup tie against Lyon in 1999.
Larsson came back stronger, scoring 53 goals in a 2000-01 season that saw him win the European Golden Shoe. He also helped the team reach the 2003 UEFA Cup Final against Porto, scoring both goals in a 3-2 defeat in extra time. Larsson's 242 goals in 315 matches saw Celtic fans nickname him The King of Kings.
Larsson joined Barcelona in 2004, where he won two league titles and the 2005-06 UEFA Champions League, providing the assists for both goals in the final. Following the expiration of his contract at Barcelona, Larsson returned to Helsingborg, although he also had a brief spell on loan at Manchester United in early 2007. He announced his retirement from football on 20 October 2009.
Larsson played for Sweden in three FIFA World Cups and three UEFA European Championships, winning a bronze medal at the 1994 World Cup, and is a former captain of the national team. He ended his international career with 37 goals in 106 matches.
He also won the Golden Ball (Guldbollen), the annual Award for the best Swedish footballer twice, first in 1998 and again in 2004, while in 2003 he was named the Greatest Swedish Footballer of the Last 50 Years as part of the UEFA Jubilee Awards. He is also the all-time leading goalscorer in the UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup.
In 2010, Larsson began his career as a manager at the Superettan club Landskrona BoIS, where he stayed for three seasons. He later managed Falkenberg in Allsvenskan, and he took over at Helsingborg in 2015, where his son, Jordan was one of his players. Helsingborg was relegated to Superettan in 2016 and Larsson left the club.
Three years later he made a brief return in the same role at the club before moving to Barcelona as assistant to Ronald Koeman from August 2020 until October 2021.

[@ReegusReever]

Blink three times if they're holding you hostage, Henrik!

[@eichbienyermaw]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@cullyx2913]

Brilliant

[@kennyp9616]

Great player but naw a party 🥳 dude

[@spiritov69]

😂😂😂😂💥💥💥

[@rica-xd2gd]

😂😂😂

[@RubyMarkLindMilly]

I like the fact he's recognised Sutton he was an incredible forward

[@jamesmcfarlane2382]

So modest with it too. Larsson was a fantastic player. Quick .skillfull.Aggressive.Could tackle.Great in the air.Tireless.Scored goals with both feet.Read the game.S team player Never nasty or disrespectful.Highly respected and admired across football. I think he was the best player ever to grace football in scotland

[@K33f11]

My number 1 Celtic player ever, Henrik Larsson

[@menelaossavvidis3680]

A true legend. Honorable choices!

[@arronblack67]

The greatest player I’ve ever seen in a Celtic strip. As well as the greatest ever to play in Scotland 🍀🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@StaunchWest]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@johnreeveswilliamson7228]

@@pessf400Brian Laudrup won the Italian league and Champions League with AC Milan as well as Euro 92 with Denmark before he signed with Rangers.

[@johnreeveswilliamson7228]

@@pessf400he was on the bench on the final but still got his medal cause he played in the quarter final and semi finals. He also won the Super Cup with Chelsea in 1998.

[@johnreeveswilliamson7228]

@@pessf400why do Celtic fans always do this compare everything to things that Rangers have done? The Laudrup/Larsson debate is one i don’t usually bother with because am old enough to remember both of them playing for Rangers and Celtic and count myself lucky to have grown up watching these two world class players playing in Scottish football, which is sadly something that Scottish football will never ever see again (a world class player). A video about Larsson and the first thing that comes to some Celtic fans minds is “oh Laudrup wasn’t as good as him”. Yous constantly spend your entire life’s trying to get one over on Rangers. 🤦🏻‍♂️😣

[@johnreeveswilliamson7228]

@@pessf400Andy Robertson is overrated.

[@BluntmanOO7]

Sutton and Larson was a lethal partnership glad he gave him the nod 🍀

[@garymckechnie1013]

Thank God he said Lubo . My favourite Celt ☘☘🍀🍀

[@paulcrawford5437]

Even as a Rangers fan Lubo and Larsson, out of this world players and I reserved a special "hatred" for Celtic having them instead of us :D

[@roblilly8878]

Three Celtic players from a long career in Holland, Spain, Scotland and England, including Barca & Man Utd... Lubo was an enigma and so underrated.... hail hail HL is the king of kings.

[@gavin5631]

I'm a Celtic fan and I like that we've 3 former Celts in the team. My first confusion however is Rooney in midfield! Perplexing.

[@felina7849]

I'm going to go with the professional footballer on this one.

[@morohs3027]

great mix of hard working and great passers, and great finishers

[@stevenorourke9012]

You played with Ronaldo and messi and you picked Sutton....that Scandinavian beer must be strong

[@arnestodenz2929]

I couldn’t believe my ears too.. Make it 2 beers..🍻

[@martinkennedy2400]

...ace selection big thanks Henrik

[@TheBighobby]

Thanks for video great player keep going greeting from morocco

[@svedesemilanese]

Henrik Larssons reserve eleven :P Valdez Puyol Ferdinand Vidic Brolin Deco Iniesta Giggs Messi Eto'o C.Ronaldo Bench: Dudek, Marques, Van Bommel, Tevez, Albertini, Giuly, Ljungberg, Scholes

[@FreddieBear1]

Great reserve eleven. However I would replace Victor Valdés with Thomas Ravelli.

[@dennismijac8297]

I actually likes his dream-team. I think they would be hard to beat , and also scoring a lots of goals as well⚽️⚽️ Respect to Henke for not picking the obvious choice of players

[@tracydoyle6]

Moravcic was a magician

[@paulpurves484]

Larsson needs a reality check to even mention Sutton in this group of players.

[@Johnstone72]

Great to see someone who had an amazingly successful career and all the trappings that come with such success come out and openly talk about his depression. Get well soon, yeah?

[@keepsafeandsound6722]

What a team. Shame lambert never made it mind. But i understand why. Hope you are well mr Larson. Always a hero. 🍀💚🍀

[@carlbettis5882]

The background music, pure class

[@TIREX09]

JMJ

[@FADE-AWAY]

what song is this? reminds me of a ps1 game

[@TIREX09]

@@FADE-AWAY Oxygene, Pt. 4

[@FADE-AWAY]

@@TIREX09 thank you!

[@jabber67]

The king of Kings 🍀💚

[@phm1247]

Lubo & Larsson as forwards hammering the Orcs of Govan 5-1 & 6-2! Absolutely epic demolitions! Larsson & Lubo my favourite front 2 of all time watching Celtic!

[@felina7849]

They're from Ibrox not Govan.

[@phm1247]

@@felina7849 These are exactly the type of things orcs debate over.

[@felina7849]

@phm1247 I know you're just a football fan mate, not renowned for their intelligence or anything remotely important really, other than cheering the young boys on, and I have made some allowances for that, however, when I said "they" that was your first clue. Does that make me a Celtic fan? No! Fuck that. I'm not an imbecile. Can't stand football but you've just played right into the stereotype that anyone who says anything against your under achieving little club since 1967, must be a The Rangers fan. You're wrong, I'm neither. I wouldn't if you paid me. You're a male cheerleader riding on the coat tails and successes of other men. All you do is shout while the real men get in about it and achiever their dreams...and take your money 🤣🤣🤣🖕

[@phm1247]

reply then 'edited' by @felina 7849 - archetypal orc - the orc 🐒🎽 said Lubo was a number 8 😆

[@felina7849]

@@phm1247 💤💤💤

[@barryispuzzled]

I laughed when he said Chris Sutton!

[@petertordjunehag1055]

King Henrik ❤❤❤

[@andym28]

Used to watch this guy as a Hearts fan thinking he was world class and should be playing at the highest level. He would be an all time great if he did.

[@ottohannesgrandin6280]

He is. Before football became individual, Henrik Larsson is the G.O.A.T. Henrik best teamplayer ever!

[@lmac8]

Winning la liga and the champions league at barcelona not the highest level then?

[@alexkerr8770]

Ha ha come on mate. All respect

[@felina7849]

What's higher at club level than a champions league medal and playing in the premiership?

[@chrisYcsc]

A Team worthy of winning any league

[@johnavernia1026]

All amazing players. But im glad he also has Chris Sutton on the team. Great player.

[@peterwattam5463]

Chelsea legend not😊

[@ciaranmarkey6371]

Love way he says Sutton

[@felina7849]

Meatrider

[@seabassmastermatt80]

That is an erudite selection and tough AF!!

[@BS23]

The King of Kings.

[@OnochieAfigbo]

Nice. Please... Who knows the title of the music playing in the background? I remember it from my childhood days in the 80s.

[@markovan]

Oxygen Pt. IV Jean-Michel Jarre

[@OnochieAfigbo]

@@markovan Many thanks! 👍👍👍

[@lavodvince150]

My dream team: Buffon, Cannavaro, Agger, Zanetti, Srna, Gerrard, Prosinečki, Ronaldinho, Baggio, Del Piero, Larsson

[@relentero8547]

Agger 😂

[@agfi88]

Liverpool fan?

[@sand9374]

Thought he might have included Paul Lambert

[@andynewall8025]

Well picked king Henrik hh 🍀🍀🍀🍀

[@jeanferguson9063]

great team.

[@rosaliehagart1888]

Would be some team to beat

[@rabbitman2002]

How can you misspell Zlatan?

[@alexandersonceltic]

What a fantastic team

[@ottohannesgrandin6280]

HENKE!!!

[@melirving5653]

💚💚

[@absoaa]

imagine leaving Iniesta and Messi from the starting 11 in your team

[@felina7849]

Maybe he just didn't want to be a cliche

[@absoaa]

@@felina7849 what cliche? Messi is the best football player of all time , how is that cliche to pick the best one to ever play the game ? All Basketball players would put MJ in their dream team for instance. Facts are facts , opinions can never change that

[@jimbombadill]

well he did play with Brolin in the swedish national team..would pick him before roney all day long

[@am32ireland]

My favourites 11 1. GK Schmeical 2. RB. Zanetti 3. LB. R. Carlos 4. CB. Desailly 5. CB. Sammer 6. Cm. Keane (C) 7. Lm. Zidane 8. Rm. Seedorf 9. St. Ronaldo 10. LF. Ronaldinho 11. RF. CR7

[@pato2200]

The inly surprise is he did not pick paul lambert, a truly world class player, though xavi also was. Everyone who played with/aganst moravcik rated him top class.

[@jamiecoogan7034]

had to be sutton.. what a duo.. larrson sutton. and then add big john hartson.. what a trio. and they proved it

[@mitchellmcdonagh3615]

I loved watching henrik as a vid but after watching that,the bloke has the personality of a rock 😂😂😂

[@user-bi1yw1du7q]

Three busdrivers from Scotland and didn`t find room for Tomas Brolin.

[@PLZSoccer]

Brolin! Seriously?

[@EdmondForster68]

Roxette sings it, listen to your heart . A Swedish group.

[@Southpaw101]

No Ronaldinho thats crazy

[@HunsAreGoingBust]

Regi Blinker will be fucking ragin!

[@hanheter6690]

Snubben skippade både messi o Christiano . Vilken legend

[@GeorgeUK84]

Nice team! What year is this from?

[@jamesham7472]

What bout messi

[@qulex9844]

2015, I think

[@rastafari4341]

"Zlaten"

[@donalddank9070]

He clearly said Zlatan

[@iraq.sometimessunnisometim1981]

They are both from the same country I would think Henerik knows what he said...

[@rastafari4341]

It's the text that says Zlaten u f'ing buffoon.

[@gold6813]

No young Messi ? Who missed the champs league final with a hamstring injury against Arsenal? Or an Accending Ronaldo? One year prior to winning his Balon d’or. Henry too.

[@iisamcglashan5265]

Be a MANAGER please Henrik and come home to CELTIC you know its meant to be PLEASE we/i need u at CELTIC.

[@davidwaldermar6222]

It was all believable then he finishes with Chris Sutton

[@bonjovi7120]

This is hilarious😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@stuartpurvis8127]

Chris Sutton 😂😂😂

[@ShawnS14]

Moravcik and Sutton over etoo and iniesta is craaaazy 😂

[@ns3429]

2:25 Zlaten🐐

[@rigatone]

Just saw this. To be fair, he's actually picked quite a balanced team. Although I'd maybe put Lennon, Scholes, Petrov or Iniesta instead of Rooney. Wouldn't pick holes in the rest though. He's clearly thought about the balance and not just the best 11 players he has played with

[@snaggiz]

rigatone There's a reason he'd go on to manage I guess haha!

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

Iniesta wasn't even 1st choice when he was at Barca. It was Xavi and Deco.

[@rabbieburns2501]

Paul Lambert

[@arfenmalik1717]

@@cockoffgewgle4993 he might not have been first choice but he was also important

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

@@pessf400 No, not until Pep took over. It was Xavi/Deco. Iniesta was on the bench for the 2006 CL final against Arsenal.

[@marcusgehlin]

Good old Zlaten.

[@Relias]

No Messi, incredible

[@jota55581]

The music with his bored as hell tone Is good comedy.

[@zakisarker]

The proper dream team 11 of players that Henrik played with should be Edwin Van der Sar Gary Neville - Rio Ferdinand - Carles Puyol - Giovanni van Bronckhorst Paul Scholes - Mark van Bommel - Xavi Cristiano Ronaldo - Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Ronaldinho Nearly missing out: Nemanja Vidic, Deco, Samuel Etoo and Wayne Rooney. Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi had not had their breakthrough yet when Henrik played with them.

[@bertieyoung3827]

Surely Henrik decides, not you or me you clown.

[@rory6089]

I think Henrik stuck a few in there thinking with his heart and not his head.

[@davidfairbairn8]

Rory M that's allowed, just a dream team.

[@neeps9596]

It would still work - imagine each of those players in their prime. I would have put Henrik in place of Sutton but even so....Sutton was a beast of a footballer.

[@crackajack4535]

Hardly mate Sutton is way better than Messi haha, Only joking!! On a serious note though Hail Hail Bhoys, We done the scum 2-1 on home soil and 2-1 on their scummy away soil! Bye Bye Lazio, Facism disgrace!! Theres only ONE Neil Lennon 🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀 Btw Moravcik is such an under rated Footballer worldwide, we had him in his 30's and wow he was Incredible!! A pure magician and im sure anybody who has watched him will agree! I was at a Celtic vs Dundee Utd game and the ball was somehow kicked up in the air during a 50/50 and Moravcik, as the ball came down actually looked like he was sitting but he was hovering just enough for the ball to bounce off the grass, let the ball hit his ass and stopped the ball dead, then as a Dundee Utd player approached he nutmegged him and crossed for Larsson to score! Always sticks in my mind that goal! Fantastic player and a world beater on his day, Lubo Lubo Lubo, A gift from God 🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

[@BeatPoet67]

I love Henrik and I liked Sutton but...Messi, Ibrahimovic, Ronaldhino sounds a lot better.

[@dannymartin6206]

Richard Smith messi was just starting out his career at Barcelona when Larsson signed for them and hardly played with him

[@gramar7878]

this video is used as torture in Guantanamo

[@kfmscience]

couldn't disagree... but Rooney...hmmm woulda had a barca player in there... maybe Iniesta along with Xavi and Moravcik... SCRAY midfield 3

[@connorobrien4105]

Ghod💚

[@jp3622]

Chris Sutton

[@Tarek_ElMaddah]

I thought he would mention Martin Dahlin.

[@seeteasea5497]

Just think, he missed out Ferdinand, Vidic, Ronaldo and Messi! Oh and Rab Douglas hahaha what a bench

[@guinnessharvey4476]

Did he not play with Messi at Barca?

[@wakstar1]

Chris Sutton was a lot better player than he’s given credit for.

[@tonron888]

How can you pick a dream team without brasilian ronaldo as st

[@stephen7434]

This football god just picks his freinds...you know why..cause he fucking can....they all pick him inclufomg henry and Ronaldinho. But thats school boy stuff because the great jinky johnstone loves and respects him. Of the best strikers in the WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD of his time. The imortal king of kings. You will never walk alone

[@chomskybhoy]

Nae Rab Douglas?

[@hamishbrooks6933]

Henrik Larsson wants a player Hail Hail thank you YNWA

[@kexmannen400]

Zlaten

[@charleslouden6600]

Chris Sutton,ask a Chelsea fan.

[@omarsharif8272]

Chris Sutton lmao

[@doubiltroubil2680]

Leaving out iniesta dude What you been smoking 😂

[@scottyman-ey6bf]

as a Rangers fan , only us in Scotland know how good Lubo was … an incredible player , who nobody outside Scotland has heard of … but picking Sutton … cmon Henrik , you’re taking the piss there 😂

[@jooohan]

You do realize some Slovak people also read English and visit KZbin, right?

[@scottyman-ey6bf]

@@jooohan i think its obvious what i meant .. but let me rephrase it then , nobody else in the UK would know who he was . If you met any EPL fan on holiday and said Lubo was your all time favourite Celtic player .. id say 99.9% of them wouldn’t have a clue who he was .

[@jooohan]

@@scottyman-ey6bf I know what you meant. I like reminding you English speaking folks there’s a world beyond your language or Premier League. Scottish or English. And I don’t mean it in a mean, condescending way. Btw Lubo certainly was under-appreciated back home (I have been living away from Slovakia for the past 20 odd years…). He’s not the easiest character to live with and, too bad for him, there were even more volatile characters at the top of national football team at the time. He is maybe the best attacking midfielder Slovakia has ever produced. Peter Dubovsky was also a phenomenon (Real Madrid player for a while), too bad he died young. Marek Hamsik and his Napoli exploits are worth mentioning as well.

[@scottyman-ey6bf]

@@jooohan no offence taken , and i appreciate there’s a whole big world out there , but all i was getting at was , he’s not a household name , unlike Larsson but he was every bit as big , in that Celtic team . Probably because Larsson played for Man utd and Barca . Similar to my favourite Rangers player ( Davie Cooper ) …. nobody has heard of him outside of Scotland , but what a player .

[@jooohan]

@@scottyman-ey6bf I agree. Plus pre - internet times :) Even back home people noticed how good he was maybe only after that Juventus (4-3 Celtic) UCL game.

[@Jessicalightowler11]

Chris sutton ...really

[@stonedscotsman8359]

Henrik and sutton were deadly together and sutton was a great player through his own merit, deseves his place in the team.

[@ed1x613]

The man himself was a better player than Zlatan

[@ImDembe]

Hahahah never in a million years.

[@garymckechnie1013]

@@ImDembe yes he was

[@TobbeRocks]

Yep he was.. In a trillion years.

[@MultiJoe84]

Agree

[@sugs1191]

Imo Zlatan was better

[@trublu72lewis77]

Is he sedated?

[@marcuskingstanley9522]

I dont know why he couldnt put himself. Everybody has played with themselves.

[@glenngastonjonsson7954]

That's almost a fact, sir. We'll never know for sure, but if I would set up a team to score goals, Mr Henrik Larsson would have been in it for sure.

[@oldskoolordie]

Rieper ahead of Rio Ferdinand or pique or puyol? LooooL

[@rigatone]

Reiper was one of those players you'd never rate unless you played with him or watched him a lot. He was very gifted but injury cut his playing career short quite abruptly. He was similar to Jaap Stam in the no compromise style of play but as his career was Celtic and Denmark he won't be as well known as the ones you mention. Pique was too young at the time Larsson played with Barca, Puyol was too old and Ferdinand was good but not great

[@fifagoalz904]

lubo

[@pmurpy061]

No Messi iniesta or Henry

[@Chimpa307]

Rooney on that position?????

[@arfenmalik1717]

Messi Ibra N finally the great Ronaldinho

[@theSimpleCatholicMan]

Champions league winning side! even now

[@alexanders4911]

Sutton, who?

[@alanz3497]

Chris Sutton ahead of Lionel Messi. Sure.😂

[@ljd6711]

Perhaps he was going with playing ability at the time he actually played with them messi was Young when Larsson was at Barcelona and hadn’t reached The quality of play he was later known for

[@theredgauntlet6370]

mate you forgot Neil Lennon!!!......

[@garymckechnie1013]

@@thomasjones2415 so is your maw

[@truebluebears76]

Don’t talk shite he was a good player no doubt but he couldn’t lace Gazza ,s boots or Laudrup for that matter

[@johncarroll772]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@jixuscrixus1967]

And managed by Jean-Michel Jarre…