Andreas Isaksson

Andreas Isaksson

Isaksson playing for Kasımpaşa in 2014
Personal information
Full nameAndreas Isaksson
Date of birth3 October 1981
Place of birthSmygehamn, Sweden
Height1.99 m (6 ft 6 in)
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Club information
Current team
Kasımpaşa
Number15
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1999Trelleborg11(0)
1999–2001Juventus0(0)
2001–2004Djurgården75(0)
2004–2006Rennes62(0)
2006–2008Manchester City19(0)
2008–2012PSV Eindhoven124(0)
2012–Kasımpaşa81(0)
National team‡
1997–1998Sweden U1619(0)
1999Sweden U181(0)
1999–2003Sweden U2123(0)
2002–Sweden119(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 January 2015.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 27 March 2015

Andreas Isaksson (Swedish pronunciation: [anˈdreː.ˈas ˈɪːsak.ˈsɔn]; born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Kasımpaşa in the Turkish Süper Lig.

He began his career at local Trelleborgs FF, before briefly representing Juventus, and returned to Sweden where he won two Allsvenskan titles at Djurgårdens. After two seasons at Stade Rennais, he was signed for £2 million by Manchester City of the Premier League, where he was not a regular. After four seasons in the Eredivisie at PSV Eindhoven, he joined Kasımpaşa on a free transfer in 2014.

Isaksson has earned 118 caps for Sweden from his debut in 2002, putting him third in their most capped players of all time. He was included in the Swedish squads for two World Cups and three UEFA European Championships.

Club career

Early career

Born in Smygehamn, Isaksson started his career with the team Trelleborg, where he played two seasons 1998 and 1999. He became known as a great goalkeeping prospect and was thus bought by Italian club Juventus in July 1999, but with the likes of Dutch international goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar in the squad, Isaksson never played a first-team game for the Turin club.

In January 2001, he signed with Swedish team Djurgården[1] in order to play first-team football. In his first two full seasons, 2002 and 2003, Djurgården won two straight Swedish titles as well as the cup in 2002. He was voted best Swedish goalkeeper for four consecutive years from 2002 to 2005.[2]

In July 2004, French club Rennes signed him to replace Petr Čech, and he became the starting goalkeeper.

Manchester City

Isaksson in goal for Manchester City in May 2007

After the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Isaksson completed a £2 million move to Manchester City of the Premier League on 15 August 2006. He was expected to replace David James as their first choice keeper, but due to knee and ankle injuries[3] and the form of Nicky Weaver, he did not achieve this. He made his debut on 9 December 2006, when he replaced the injured Weaver at half time in a Manchester derby match which City lost 3–1 to Manchester United.[4] After his second start for City on 14 March 2007, he played all of the remaining ten games of 2006–07, keeping four clean sheets, and saved a penalty kick from Jermain Defoe on the last day of the season, although City nonetheless lost 2–1 to Tottenham Hotspur.[5]

Isaksson played the majority of Manchester City's next pre-season campaign in Sweden and Belgium, but after his thumb was fractured in a training session, he did not play for City in the first two months of 2007–08, picking up a knee injury right afterwards. Isaksson made his first appearance of the season for Manchester City by keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 away win against Bolton Wanderers to put the team into the quarter-finals of the League Cup, on 31 October 2007.[6] In November and December he had a run of five league games in the first team, as part of a rotation used by manager Sven-Göran Eriksson to decide upon his first-choice goalkeeper. However, his run was ended by an injury. While he was out, England U-21 goalkeeper Joe Hart took over in goal and impressed. The youngster kept his place even after Isaksson returned to full fitness and the Swede was once again relegated to the bench.

Manchester City confirmed that they would be willing to sell Isaksson at the end of the season, and his final appearance was in the humiliating 8–1 defeat by Middlesbrough which would have been even worse if not for several excellent saves by Isaksson.[7]

Later career

Isaksson playing for PSV Eindhoven in 2010

Isaksson signed for Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven, thus enabling him to play in the Champions League.[8] He took over the number 1 shirt from Heurelho Gomes who transferred to Tottenham Hotspur. Isaksson tallied 124 league appearances for PSV before leaving the club in the summer of 2012 when his contract expired.

On 9 July 2012 it was confirmed that Isaksson had left PSV after four seasons to join newly promoted Turkish side Kasımpaşa S.K. on a free transfer.[9] On joining the club, Isaksson signed a three-year deal and became the Turkish side's sixth signing during the summer transfer window.[10]

International career

While at Djurgården, Isaksson established himself as the second-choice goalkeeper after Magnus Hedman for the Swedish national team, making his international debut against Switzerland in March 2002.[11] An injury to Hedman allowed Isaksson the opportunity to play for Sweden on a regular basis, playing in all but one of Sweden's qualifying matches for Euro 2004, and all of Sweden's matches during the tournament.

Isaksson playing for Sweden at UEFA Euro 2012.

Isaksson has remained the first-choice goalkeeper for his national team since Euro 2004, making three appearances in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. An injury prevented him from playing in more games. By July 2006, he had amassed 42 caps for his country.

Isaksson was selected for Sweden's Euro 2008 squad, and appeared in all three of Sweden's group games. He kept a clean sheet in Sweden's first match against Greece, which ended 2–0,[12] but Sweden were unable to reach the quarterfinals.

Isaksson was also first choice goalkeeper through Sweden's disappointing qualification campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa as well as the qualifying rounds for UEFA Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. On 29 May 2012, national team manager Erik Hamrén announced his final 23-man squad for the Euros, including the vastly experienced Isaksson.[13] Isaksson again appeared in all three group games as Sweden failed to make it out of group play, although he did keep a clean sheet in their 2–0 victory over France in the final match.[14]

On 12 October 2012, in a World Cup qualifier in Tórshavn, Isaksson earned his 100th international cap while Sweden defeated the Faroe Islands 2–1.[15]

Career statistics

As of 27 February 2012
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Sweden League Svenska Cupen League Cup Europe Total
1999TrelleborgAllsvenskan110110
Italy League Coppa Italia League Cup Europe Total
1999–2000JuventusSerie A00
2000–0100
Sweden League Svenska Cupen League Cup Europe Total
2001DjurgårdenAllsvenskan22010230
20022005060310
20032602020300
2004700070
France League Coupe de France Coupe de la Ligue Europe Total
2004–05RennesLigue 1380301000420
2005–06240200020280
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
2006–07Manchester CityPremier League140000000140
2007–085000100060
Netherlands League KNVB Cup League Cup Europe Total
2008–09PSVEredivisie3304060430
2009–1034040120500
2010–1134000110450
2011–122300010240
Turkey League Türkiye Kupası League Cup Europe Total
2012–13Kasımpaşa S.K.Süper Lig340300000370
2013–14320300000320
2014–15140300000140
Total Sweden 8608000801020
Italy 0000000000
France 620501020700
England 190001000200
Netherlands 107080003001450
Turkey 800300000830
Career total 3500240204004100

Honours

Club

Djurgården
PSV Eindhoven

Country

Sweden

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Juventus Turyn 2000/01". Sklady.hostmix.pl. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  2. ↑ "Previous winners". SvenskFotboll. Retrieved 21 June 2007.
  3. ↑ "Isaksson faces fight with Weaver for No 1 shirt". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 10 December 2006.
  4. ↑ McNulty, Phil (9 December 2006). "Man Utd 3-1 Man City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  5. ↑ Lyon, Sam (13 May 2007). "Tottenham 2-1 Man City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  6. ↑ "Bolton 0-1 Manchester City". BBC Sport. 31 October 2007. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  7. ↑ Bevan, Chris (11 May 2008). "Middlesbrough 8–1 Man City". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  8. ↑ "Galatasaray sk sign Man City keeper Isaksson". BBC Sport. 2 July 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2008.
  9. ↑ "Isaksson joins Kasimpasa". ESPN. 9 July 2012.
  10. ↑ "Isaksson leaves PSV for Kasımpaşa". UEFA. 9 July 2012.
  11. ↑ "Andreas Isaksson". 2006 FIFA World Cup official website. Archived from the original on 13 January 2007. Retrieved 10 December 2006.
  12. ↑ "Sweden hand holders reality check". UEFA. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
  13. ↑ "Sweden include Mikael Lustig in 23-man squad for Euro 2012". STV. 29 May 2012.
  14. ↑ "Sweden 2 France 0: Ibra-cadabra! Zlatan magic condemns Les Bleus to Spain clash". Daily Mail. 19 June 2012.
  15. ↑ Dutt, Sujay (12 October 2012). "Ibrahimović saves Sweden in Faroe Islands". UEFA. Retrieved 19 November 2014.

External links

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