Pontus Wernbloom

Pontus Wernbloom
Personal information
Full name Pontus Anders Mikael Wernbloom
Date of birth June 25, 1986 (1986-06-25) (age 25)
Place of birth Kungälv, Sweden
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Central midfielder
Club information
Current club AZ
Number 16
Youth career
1998–2001 Herrljunga SK
2001–2003 Kongahälla
2004–2005 IFK Göteborg
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2005–2009 IFK Göteborg 94 (26)
2009– AZ 57 (7)
National team‡
2006–2009 Sweden U21 24 (6)
2007– Sweden 18 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 May 2011.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 4 September 2011

Pontus Anders Mikael Wernbloom (born 25 June 1986 in Kungälv, Bohuslän) is a Swedish footballer who plays for AZ in the Eredivisie.

Contents

Career

After playing for a local club, he joined the youth team of IFK Göteborg in 2004, before being promoted to the senior team in 2005.[1] He quickly made a name for himself with his hard tackles, fighting spirit and generally fearless playing style. When Håkan Mild retired after the 2005 season, Wernbloom secured a place in the starting line-up. However during the following season he struggled to retain his place as the club changed its playing style under new management. When striker Marcus Berg left to play for FC Groningen in the summer of 2007, Wernbloom switched to forward and was able to be a starter once again.

In April 2009 he signed a contract with the Dutch club AZ,[2] which he joined in June.

International

He debuted for the Swedish U-21 team in 2006, scoring a goal in the 12th minute of the match. On 4 January 2007, he was picked for the Swedish national team's spring tour in South America, and he made his debut on 18 January against Ecuador.[3]

Personal

Wernbloom openly took a stance against Sweden Democrats prior to the 2010 Swedish general election, and stated his support for the socialist side in Aftonbladet.[4]

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 3 September 2010 Råsunda, Solna  Hungary 1–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
2. 3 September 2010 Råsunda, Solna  Hungary 2–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying

References

  1. ^ Pontus Wernbloom: "Svenska spelare är för tråkiga" on www.ifkgoetborg.blogspot.com
  2. ^ "Wernbloom klar för AZ Alkmaar!" (in Swedish). SvenskaFans.com. 2009-04-29. http://www.svenskafans.com/fotboll/artikel.asp?id=294433. Retrieved 2009-04-29. 
  3. ^ "Jag är en maträtt med mycket krydda i" on www.recept.nu
  4. ^ "Bodström: Gör Wernbloom till minister" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. 2010-10-13. http://blogg.aftonbladet.se/politikerkollen/2010/10/bodstrom-gor-wernbloom-till-minister. Retrieved 2011-04-16. 

External links

Sweden squad – 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
AZ – current squad