Melker Hallberg Explained

Melker Hallberg
Fullname:Charles Melker Otto Hallberg
Birth Date:20 October 1995
Birth Place:Ljungbyholm, Sweden
Position:Midfielder
Currentclub:Kalmar FF
Clubnumber:5
Youthclubs1:Möre BK
Youthyears2:2010–2011
Youthclubs2:Kalmar FF
Years1:2012–2014
Clubs1:Kalmar FF
Caps1:54
Goals1:6
Years2:2014–2018
Clubs2:Udinese
Caps2:4
Goals2:0
Years3:2015
Clubs3:Vålerenga (loan)
Caps3:10
Goals3:2
Years4:2016
Clubs4:Hammarby IF (loan)
Caps4:12
Goals4:1
Years5:2016
Clubs5:Ascoli (loan)
Caps5:7
Goals5:1
Years6:2017–2018
Clubs6:Kalmar FF (loan)
Caps6:40
Goals6:2
Years7:2018–2019
Clubs7:Vejle BK
Caps7:25
Goals7:1
Years8:2019–2022
Clubs8:Hibernian
Caps8:45
Goals8:1
Years9:2022–2023
Clubs9:St Johnstone
Caps9:44
Goals9:2
Years10:2023–
Clubs10:Kalmar FF
Caps10:25
Goals10:2
Nationalyears1:2010–2012
Nationalteam1:Sweden U17
Nationalcaps1:19
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:2012–2014
Nationalteam2:Sweden U19
Nationalcaps2:9
Nationalgoals2:1
Nationalyears3:2013–2017
Nationalteam3:Sweden U21
Nationalcaps3:23
Nationalgoals3:3
Nationalyears4:2016–2019
Nationalteam4:Sweden
Nationalcaps4:3
Nationalgoals4:1
Club-Update:31 July 2024
Nationalteam-Update:11 January 2019

Melker Hallberg (born 20 October 1995) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kalmar FF.[1]

Hallberg began his senior career at Kalmar FF, then in 2014, he signed for Italian club Udinese, and during his time there went on loan to Vålerenga, Hammarby IF, Ascoli and Kalmar FF. He signed for Vejle BK in 2018, where he spent one season. Hallberg then played in three seasons for Scottish club Hibernian. He made his full international debut for the Sweden national team in 2016, and has won a total of three caps and scored one goal.

Career

Early career

Hallberg grew up in the small town of Ljungbyholm, shortly to the south of Kalmar. There he started with the local club Möre BK where he played for the first team in the seventh tier of Swedish football at age thirteen.[2]

In 2010 Hallberg was brought into the Kalmar FF youth section. Two years later he became the youngest-ever first-team player for the club when he made his Allsvenskan debut at the age of sixteen.[3] On July 15, 2012, Hallberg became the fourth-youngest Allsvenskan goalscorer of all time when he scored the game-winning 2–1 goal against IF Elfsborg.[4] In December 2012 he signed a new four-year contract extension.[3] After his second season in Allsvenskan as a seventeen-year-old, Hallberg was ranked as the 14th-best player in the league by newspaper Expressen.[5]

Udinese

In August 2014, Hallberg signed for Italian club Udinese. He made his debut in January 2015.

In 2015, he was loaned out to Norwegian club Vålerenga Fotball, and in 2016 he was loaned out to Hammarby Fotboll in his native Sweden.

Vejle BK

Hallberg joined Danish club Vejle Boldklub in the summer 2018. He left the club at the end of the 2018–19 season.[6]

Hibernian

Hallberg signed a three-year contract with Scottish Premiership club Hibernian in August 2019.[7] He scored his first goal for the club in a Scottish League Cup tie against Celtic on 2 November 2019.[8] He was released from his contract with Hibernian in January 2022.[9]

St Johnstone

Following his release by Hibernian, Hallberg signed an 18-month contract with St Johnstone in January 2022.[10] After prolonged renegotiations, Hallberg left The Saints in July 2023.[11]

Return to Kalmar

In August 2023, Hallberg returned to his first club Kalmar FF on a contract until the end of the season.[12]

International career

Hallberg has featured regularly at all age levels of Swedish youth national teams. In August 2013 he got selected for the first time ever to the Swedish U21 squad in a friendly against Norway.[13] He was selected for Sweden squads in January 2016[14] and January 2019.[15]

Career statistics

[16]

ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupOtherTotal
Division Apps GoalsApps GoalsApps GoalsApps GoalsApps Goals
Kalmar FF2012Allsvenskan1111[17] 03[18] 0151
2013Allsvenskan29420314
2014Allsvenskan14100141
Total546300030606
Udinese2014–15Serie A40100050
2015–16Serie A00000000
2016–17Serie A00000000
2017–18Serie A00000000
Total4010000050
Vålerenga (loan)2015Tippeligaen10200102
Hammarby IF (loan)2016Allsvenskan1214[19] 1162
Ascoli (loan)2016–17Serie B711081
Kalmar FF (loan)2017Allsvenskan2723[20] 0302
2018Allsvenskan1303[21] 0160
Total402600000462
Vejle BK2018–19Danish Superliga251002[22] 0271
Hibernian2019–20Scottish Premiership2013021252
2020–21Scottish Premiership2504061351
2021–22Scottish Premiership0010000010
Total451808200613
St Johnstone2021–22Scottish Premiership140000000140
2022–23Scottish Premiership3021041353
Total442104100493
Career total241162411235028320

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[23] !National team!Year!Apps!Goals
Sweden201621
201700
201800
201910
Total31

Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hallberg goal.

No.! scope="col"
DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
110 January 2016Armed Forces Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates2–03–0Friendly[24]

Honours

Individual

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Melker Hallberg . sv . Svenskfotboll . 14 April 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131007232547/http://svenskfotboll.se/allsvenskan/person/?playerid=7443 . 7 October 2013 . dead.
  2. Web site: Stortalangens första mål sänkte Elfsborg . 16 July 2012 . sv . . 13 August 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140324044552/http://www.expressen.se/sport/fotboll/allsvenskan/stortalangens-forsta-mal-sankte-elfsborg/ . 24 March 2014 . live.
  3. Web site: Fyraårskontrakt för Melker Hallberg . sv . . 13 August 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170924230515/http://www.kalmarff.se/news/2012/10/25/fyraarskontrakt-melker-hallberg . 24 September 2017 . dead .
  4. Web site: Tuffare Hallberg ska slå sig in på mitten . sv . Östran . 13 August 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029205820/http://www.ostran.se/SPORTEN/Tuffare-Hallberg-ska-slaa-sig-in-paa-mitten . 29 October 2013 .
  5. Web site: Här är allsvenskans 50 bästa spelare - år 2013 . 6 November 2013 . . sv . 28 January 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140202124003/http://www.expressen.se/sport/fotboll/allsvenskan/har-ar-allsvenskans-50-basta-spelare---ar-2013/ . 2 February 2014 . live.
  6. https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/vejle-siger-farvel-til-svensk-midt/ Vejle siger farvel til svensk midt
  7. Web site: Melker Hallberg: Hibernian sign Swedish midfielder from Udinese . BBC Sport . 23 August 2019 . 23 August 2019.
  8. News: Hibernian 2-5 Celtic. BBC Sport . 2 November 2019 . 28 January 2022.
  9. Web site: Runar Hauge: Hibernian close to securing 20-year-old Bodo/Glimt winger . BBC Sport . 27 January 2022 . 27 January 2022.
  10. Web site: Melker Hallberg: St Johnstone sign midfielder from Hibs on 18-month deal . BBC Sport . 28 January 2022 . 28 January 2022.
  11. Web site: Hamilton . Sean . 2023-07-05 . St Johnstone pull Melker Hallberg deal off table as Steven MacLean reveals half-time warning v Dunfermline . 2023-08-09 . The Courier . en-GB.
  12. Web site: MELKER HALLBERG KLAR FÖR KALMAR FF. MELKER HALLBERG READY FOR KALMAR FF. Swedish. kalmarff.se. 11 August 2023. 14 August 2023.
  13. Web site: Hallberg tar nu plats i U21-landslagstruppen . 6 August 2013 . sv . . 13 August 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130809211846/http://www.expressen.se/kvp/sport/hallberg-tar-nu-plats-i-u21-landslagstruppen/ . 9 August 2013 . live.
  14. Web site: Hallberg ersätter Olsson i Abu Dahbi . www.svenskfotboll.se . sv . 15 December 2015 . 23 August 2019.
  15. Web site: Sweden vs. Iceland . ESPN . 23 August 2019.
  16. Web site: Eliteprospects.com - Melker Hallberg . 20 August 2014 . Eliteprospects . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029232428/http://www.eliteprospects.com/football/player.php?player=21859 . 29 October 2013 .
  17. Appearances in the 2012–13 Svenska Cupen
  18. Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  19. Appearances in the 2015–16 Svenska Cupen
  20. Appearances in the 2016–17 Svenska Cupen
  21. Appearances in the 2017–18 Svenska Cupen
  22. Appearances in the Danish Superliga Relegation round
  23. Web site: Melker Hallberg - Spelarstatistik - Svensk fotboll. 2021-06-03. www.svenskfotboll.se.. sv.
  24. Web site: Sverige - Finland - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll. 2021-06-03. www.svenskfotboll.se. sv.