Mumbai City FC on Thursday announced the signing of former Sweden and Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg as tehir marquee player for the inaugural season of the forthcoming Indian Super League.
Ljungberg, a former Swedish captain, was an integral part of Arsenal's feared line-up in the early part of the last decade. He also played a key role in the North London club's record-breaking 49-game unbeaten run in 2003-04.
The 37-year-old said he is excited at getting an opportunity to play in India.
"Mumbai City FC presents a thrilling opportunity to play in India and I'm glad to be part of the team in the very first Indian Super League season. I look forward to contributing to the team's success," he said.
Ljungberg is placed 11th in the list of 50 Gunners Greatest Players, which was determined by tens of thousands of Arsenal fans from across the world.
At the international level, Ljungberg has earned 75 caps for Sweden scoring 14 times.
Team owner and Bollywood superstar Ranbir Kapoor said having a world class player like Ljungberg in the squad would prove vital for Mumbai in the ISL.
"Mumbai City FC is immensely proud to sign a player like Freddie Ljungberg today. As a former Sweden captain and Arsenal great, the world football fraternity understands what he is worth and I'm sure Mumbai's football fans will be delighted with his presence in the team.
"He will enrich us with his talent and experience and we look forward to seeing him making Mumbai proud in the coming season," Kapoor said.
Ljungberg was signed by Arsenal in 1998 for three million pounds, which at the time was the highest transfer fee ever for a Swedish player.
He made an instant impact as he scored on his debut after coming on as a substitute against rivals Manchester United in a convincing 3–0 victory for Arsenal. Some of Ljungberg's best form came in the second half of the 2001–02 season, when Arsenal won their second Premier League and also competed the double by winning the FA Cup.
The Swede became a regular in Arsenal's starting line-up following the departure of Emmanuel Petit and Marc Overmars in the summer of 2000.
After his nine years at Arsenal, Ljungberg went on to play for West Ham United, Seattle Sounders FC, Chicago Fire, Celtic Glasgow and Shimizu S-Pulse.
