Glenn Hysén-The Daily Ledger

Glenn Ingvar Hysén (; born 30 October 1959) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a defender. Starting off his career with IFK Göteborg in 1978, he went on represent PSV Eindhoven, Fiorentina, and Liverpool before retiring at GAIS in 1994. A full international between 1981 and 1990, he won 68 caps for the Sweden national team and represented his country at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He was awarded Guldbollen as Sweden's best footballer of the year in both 1983 and 1988.

Early life

Glenn Ingvar Hysén was born in Gothenburg to a football family. His grandfather Erik Hysén played for IFK Göteborg as did his great-uncle Carl Hysén. Hysén's father Kurt Hysén also played for IFK Göteborg's B-Team. Hysén started playing football at IF Warta when he was a boy. As a child, he wanted to become a member of Swedish pop group ABBA.

Glenn Hysén

Club career

IFK Göteborg

Hysén started his professional career with IFK Göteborg and made his competitive debut for the team on 14 May 1979 in an Allsvenskan game against IFK Norrköping that ended 2–2. During his first stint with Göteborg, he helped the team win the 1982 and 1983 Swedish Championships, and the 1981–82 UEFA Cup.

Glenn Hysén

PSV Eindhoven

He was named Sweden's Footballer of the Year in 1983 and his form earned him a move to PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands. He was often forced to play out of position, midfielder and even as a forward, and did not enjoy his time in the Netherlands.

Glenn Hysén

Return to IFK Göteborg

In 1985, he returned to IFK Göteborg and helped the team reach the semi-finals of the 1985–86 European Cup before being eliminated by FC Barcelona on penalty kicks. He also helped the club win another Swedish Championship in 1987 and win their second UEFA Cup title in 1987.

Fiorentina

Following his success with IFK Göteborg and the Sweden national team, Hysén turned down an offer from Manchester United and their manager Alex Ferguson to instead join his former IFK Göteborg manager Sven-Göran Eriksson at Fiorentina in Serie A.

Liverpool

Manchester United again expressed an interest in signing Hysén in 1989, and invited the player over to England for a tour of Old Trafford and buffet lunch. He returned to Italy with the deal all but sealed; Manchester United chairman Martin Edwards even rang Alex Ferguson to report that Hysén had shaken hands on the deal. Negotiations stalled on the £300,000 transfer, and Edwards and Ferguson flew out to Italy to conclude matters in person. However, upon arrival in Florence, they were told by Hysén's agent that the player had signed for Liverpool a few days previously, prompting the United management to make a move for Gary Pallister instead.

Hysén made a sensational debut against Arsenal in the 1989 Charity Shield win at Wembley which made him an instant hero. Hysén settled in immediately at Liverpool, scoring his first Liverpool goal in their club record 9–0 mauling of Crystal Palace soon afterwards. He scored Liverpool's eighth goal in this game, which was notable for having eight different players score for the same side.

Alongside veteran club captain Alan Hansen and, in Hansen's injury-enforced absence, the young defender Gary Ablett, Hysén was a major part of Liverpool's success in the League championship of the 1989–90 season, when the Reds fought off a late challenge from Aston Villa and sealed their 18th top division title by a margin of nine points.

It went slightly downhill for Hysén thereafter, with Hansen out with a long-term injury (which led to his retirement). Manager Kenny Dalglish's resignation in February 1991 heralded the beginning of Hysén's end. The new manager Graeme Souness did not really share Dalglish's views on football which led to many changes being made upon his arrival, changes that did not suit the entire team and created some tension between him and some of the players, Hysén being one of those players. This tension together with some minor injuries made Souness less keen to keep him. Hysén did recover fitness for the 1991–92 season, but made just five league appearances, the last a 3-0 loss to Norwich City 22 February 1992, before being given a free transfer.