PLAYER PROFILE

Olof Mellberg

Position: Defence

Height: 6'1

Weight: 12st 12lbs

Date of Birth: 1977-09-03 Amncharad, Sweden

Olof Mellberg

Defender Olof Mellberg made his name in his native land, Sweden, playing for Swedish clubs Degerfors and AIK Solna between 1996 and 1999.

He then spent two seasons at Racing Santander, making 97 appearances for the Spanish Primera Liga club until they were relegated in the 2000-2001 season. He was then sold to Aston Villa for £5,000,000 on 19 July 2001.

He made his debut against Tottenham on the opening day of the 2001/02 season, and has not looked back, although he missed seven games in the autumn through injury. He has soon become a fans' favourite at Villa Park.

Mellberg is still learning as a player but is developing into a highly sought-after defender. He has won numerous international caps with Sweden and was included in their World Cup 2002 squad, making headlines before the tournament, for a training ground punch-up with Arsenal's Freddie Ljungberg

Mellberg was ever present for Villa during the 2002/2003 season. The defender's stong tackling made him one of the most reliable defnders in the Barclaycard Premiership, and he has most definitely become a rock in the Villa defence.

However, new boss David O'Leary made the surprising decision to leave him on the bench for their first game of the 2003/04 season, leaving Mellberg and the Aston Villa fans bemused. Fortunately, he was soon restored to action and helped guide Villa to sixth in the league.

He was fully involved in Sweden's run to the Euro 2004 quarter-finals, but the tournament ended in heartbreak when he failed to score a crucial penalty in the shoot-out against Holland.

The 2004/05 Barclays Premiership campaign proved to be happier for Mellberg as he made 33 appearnces and even scored three times. He remains one of the most reliable defenders in the league.

He also returned to international action to help his country build up a head of steam in their World Cup 2006 qualifying campaign.

A knee injury prematurely ended his season in April 2005, but he returned in the 05/06 season to take his place in the heart of the Villa defence. He performed this duty again in 06/07 and once again proved a stern and unmovable presence.