Daniel Sjölund Explained

Daniel Sjölund
Fullname:Henrik Daniel Sjölund
Height:1.80 m[1]
Birth Date:1983 4, df=yes
Birth Place:Finström, Åland, Finland
Currentclub:IFK Mariehamn (assistant)
Position:Attacking midfielder
Youthyears1:–1998
Youthclubs1:IF Finströms Kamraterna
Years1:1998–1999
Caps1:27
Goals1:11
Clubs1:IFK Mariehamn
Years2:1999
Caps2:9
Goals2:0
Clubs2:IF Brommapojkarna
Years3:1999–2000
Caps3:0
Goals3:0
Clubs3:West Ham United
Years4:2000–2003
Caps4:0
Goals4:0
Clubs4:Liverpool
Years5:2003
Caps5:19
Goals5:3
Clubs5:Djurgårdens IF (loan)
Years6:2004–2012
Caps6:186
Goals6:24
Clubs6:Djurgårdens IF
Years7:2013–2014
Caps7:51
Goals7:6
Clubs7:Åtvidabergs FF
Years8:2015–2018
Caps8:88
Goals8:6
Clubs8:IFK Norrköping
Years9:2019
Caps9:23
Goals9:0
Clubs9:IFK Mariehamn
Years10:2020–2021
Caps10:10
Goals10:2
Clubs10:FC Åland
Manageryears1:2021–2023
Managerclubs1:FC Åland
Manageryears2:2023–
Managerclubs2:IFK Mariehamn (assistant)
Nationalcaps1:18
Nationalgoals1:5
Nationalteam1:Finland U21
Nationalyears2:2003–2012
Nationalcaps2:37
Nationalgoals2:2
Nationalteam2:Finland
Totalcaps:380
Totalgoals:41

Henrik Daniel "Daja" Sjölund (born 22 April 1983) is a Finnish football coach and a former footballer who played as a midfielder. Sjölund is currently working as an assistant coach of Veikkausliiga club IFK Mariehamn. He is best remembered for his stints with Djurgårdens IF and IFK Norrköping. He won 37 caps for the Finland national team.

Career

Daniel Sjölund was born in the municipality of Finström, based in Åland which is a Swedish-speaking autonomous region that belongs to Finland. Sjölund started his career at IF Finströms Kamraterna, when he was a child.[2] Afterwards he went to IFK Mariehamn[3] and IF Brommapojkarna, before being signed by West Ham at the age of just 16, after impressive displays for Finland's youth teams. In 2000 Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier agreed to pay £1 million for the talented forward[4] in a deal that also saw Rigobert Song going the other way.[5] After failing to get into the first team at Liverpool, Sjölund joined Djurgården for the 2003 season, first on loan[6] and later on a permanent deal.[7] He has won two Swedish championships and two Swedish Cups with Djurgården. The 2005 season finally saw Sjölund become a regular in the Djurgården team, and he scored seven goals in the league.

A regular for the Under-21s since the age of 17, Sjölund made his senior international debut for the Finnish national team on 22 May 2003 against Norway.[8] Good performances in the 2005 season have seen him promoted to the senior team on a regular basis. Sjölund was also a part of the Finland squad at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship.

In September 2012 Sjölund played his 200th league game for Djurgården wearing a number 200 shirt.[9] But only a couple of months later the club announced that they would not be extending his contract.[10]

Sjölund signed with Åtvidabergs FF on 4 February 2013 and stayed with the club for two seasons.[11] He signed a pre-contract with local rivals IFK Norrköping during the 2014 season, and joined the squad for the 2015 season.[12]

Sjölund re-signed with IFK Mariehamn for the 2019 season.[13] In mid October, it was announced that Sjölund had retired from football.[14]

Sjölund returned to playing after less than a year of retirement, this time with Finnish fourth-tier club FC Åland.[15]

Coaching career

In November 2021 Sjölund announced that he had signed a three-year contract to manage FC Åland.[16] In September 2023, he was appointed as the assistant coach of Veikkausliiga club IFK Mariehamn for the rest of the 2023 season.[17] After the season, his contract was extended for two more years for same position.[18]

Personal information

His sister Annica Sjölund is also a Finnish international who competed in Women's Euro 2009.

Career statistics

Club statistics
ClubSeasonLeagueCupLeague CupEuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
IFK Mariehamn1998Kakkonen184184
19999797
Total2711002711
Brommapojkarna19999 0 9 0
Total 9 0 0 0 0 0 9 0
West Ham1999–000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2000–010 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Liverpool2000–01Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2001–020 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2002–030 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Djurgården200319 3 3 1 1 0 23 4
200417 1 4 3 2 0 3 0 26 4
200522 7 6 6 2 0 6 1 36 14
200626 2 3 0 2 0 1 0 32 2
200723 5 1 0 24 5
200810 1 0 0 3 0 13 1
200919 3 0 0 0 0 19 3
201014 0 0 0 14 0
201128 2 2 1 30 3
201227 3 1 0 28 3
Total 205 27 20 11 10 0 10 1 245 39
Åtvidaberg2013Allsvenskan 28 6 4 1 32 7
201423 0 3 1 26 1
Total 51 6 7 2 0 0 0 0 58 8
IFK Norrköping2015Allsvenskan 28 2 5 0 33 2
201627 2 5 0 2 0 34 2
201725 1 4 0 3 0 32 1
2018810081
Total 84 6 14 0 5 0 0 0 103 6
IFK Mariehamn2019Veikkausliiga17020190
FC Åland20203 1 0 0 3 1
20217 1 0 0 3 0 10 1
Total 10 2 0 0 3 0 13 2
Career total 380 41 43 13 0 0 15 0 13 1 451 55

International goals

! Goal !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition !! Reports
1. 12 November 2005Olympic Stadium, Helsinki 1–0 2–2 https://web.archive.org/web/20090918062312/http://www.palloliitto.fi/viestinta/?num=67096
2. 10 September 2008 Olympic Stadium, Helsinki 3–2 3–3 https://web.archive.org/web/20090918081156/http://www.palloliitto.fi/viestinta/?num=129050

International

Finland national team
YearAppsGoals
200320
200420
200541
200610
200760
200831
200940
201040
201150
201260
Total372

Honours

Djurgårdens IF

IFK Norrköping

Individual

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Daniel Sjölund . Liverpool F.C. . 17 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20010502010243/http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/sjolund/ . 2 May 2001.
  2. Web site: Daniel Sjölund . svenskfotboll.se . . 23 January 2010.
  3. Web site: Daja bästa IFK-are genom tiderna . Thomas Jonsson . 7 October 2009 . alandstidningen.ax . . sv . 23 January 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110706131458/http://www.alandstidningen.ax/article.con?id=19179 . 6 July 2011 . dmy .
  4. Web site: Daniel Sjolund . soccerbase.com . 23 January 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070302024848/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=17982 . 2 March 2007 . live . dmy-all .
  5. Web site: Rigobert Song . soccerbase.com . 23 January 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060528234107/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=14269 . 28 May 2006 . live . dmy-all .
  6. Web site: Vänsterfoten är Sjölunds vapen . Johanna Lundeberg . 15 January 2003 . dif.se . . sv . 23 January 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100823051640/http://www.dif.se/sidor/nyheter/nyheter.asp?action=view&id=2542 . 23 August 2010 . dmy .
  7. Web site: Daniel Sjölund kvar i Djurgården . 15 November 2003 . dif.se . Djurgårdens IF Fotboll . 23 January 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100823050950/http://www.dif.se/sidor/nyheter/nyheter.asp?action=view&id=3896 . 23 August 2010 . dmy .
  8. Web site: Daniel Sjölund . palloliitto.fi . . fi . 23 January 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20030622212542/http://www.palloliitto.fi/maajoukkueet/miesten_a-maajoukkue/pelaajat/sjolund_daniel/ . 22 June 2003 . dmy-all .
  9. Web site: Sjölunds jublimeum blev ingen succé . dif.se . Djurgårdens IF . sv . 3 December 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121101060839/http://dif.se/2012/09/27/sjolunds-jubileum-blev-ingen-succe/ . 1 November 2012 . dmy .
  10. Web site: Daniel Sjölund och DIF går skilda vägar . dif.fi . Djurgårdens IF . fi . 3 December 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121110094830/http://dif.se/2012/11/05/daniel-sjolund-och-dif-gar-skilda-vagar/ . 10 November 2012 . dmy-all .
  11. Web site: Daniel Sjölund nästa nyförvärv. 4 February 2014. 28 March 2015. sv.
  12. Web site: IFK Norrköping värvar från ÅFF. 21 July 2014. 28 March 2015. Norrköpings Tidningar. sv.
  13. http://www.ifkfotboll.ax/nyheter/avtalet-mellan-gronvitt-och-daja-undertecknat Avtalet mellan Grönvitt och Daja undertecknat
  14. https://www.hbl.fi/artikel/daniel-sjolund-lagger-skorna-pa-hyllan/ Daniel Sjölund lägger skorna på hyllan
  15. https://www.fotbollskanalen.se/finland-1/sjolund-gor-ovantad-comeback-forstarkning-for-slutspurten/ Sjölund gör oväntad comeback: "Förstärkning för slutspurten"
  16. https://alandsradio.ax/sport/daja-ny-tranare-fc-aland/ ”Daja” ny tränare för FC Åland
  17. https://www.veikkausliiga.com/uutiset/2023/09/07/ifk-mariehamn-vahvistaa-valmennustaan-daniel-sjolund-kakkosluotsiksi-loppukaudeksi IFK Mariehamn vahvistaa valmennustaan – Daniel Sjölund kakkosluotsiksi loppukaudeksi
  18. https://svenska.yle.fi/a/7-10046787 En pusselbit klar i IFK Mariehamns tränarteam – Daniel Sjölund fortsätter i klubben: ”Får bra kontinuitet”
  19. Web site: Stats . difarkivet.se . 2019-05-19 . 30 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190630143919/http://www.difarkivet.se/dif_sm_guld_seniorer.pdf . dead .