Jesper Karlström: I want to be remembered as a player who always gave his everything
Meet Jesper Karlström. A 29-year-old Stockholmer now applying his trade in Udinese having enjoyed a stint in Poland with Lech Poznań after his rise with Djurgården. From doubting his own potential, learning to control his temper after a talk with Kim Källström to winning Championships, representing Sweden, playing with Zlatan and earning his big move. This is his story.
Jesper Karlström was born in the capital of Sweden and growing up he had access to great possibilities when it came to developing as a football player. At age six he joined local outfit Hammarby before moving to Brommapojkarna when he was 9. This also meant that it was tough for him to figure out if he had any real talent as he was always in a setting where the level of talent and quality was very high.
- When I was 7 or 8 some parents from other teams came to me and told me that I was a good player. As a kid you perhaps don’t pay too much attention to those kinds of things, but it made an impression.
- I always felt that the other players were better than me. Back then I did not fully realise that I had always been training and playing with so many talents, which is probably why I never really felt that I was any good. It was only when I was selected for the youth national team that I realised I could compete with the best. I made my debut with the U/17 team against the Czech Republic where I felt I was living a dream. To represent Sweden and even score a goal in a 2-0 victory was very special.
It’s better to try and fail than to not even try
Many young players can have moments where they doubt themselves, but Jesper’s advice is to avoid feeling scared and that it’s better to try and fail than failing to dare trying.
- My advice to young players is to have fun and don’t feel scared. The best players when I was young didn’t make it as professionals, so why worry your whole youth? Just have fun and do your best at training. That is my advice. I played a lot of football in my free time as well which I really enjoyed. And I think I also learned a lot from that.
- I also think that young players or anyone playing sport at a high level should not be afraid of making mistakes. Everyone does it and you care more about what other people think than they actually do. Ask yourself; what is the worst thing that can happen? You will see that it probably won’t be that bad. It’s not the worst thing in the world if you make a bad pass. It’s better to try and fail than to not even try.
Best advice to a young Jesper Karlström
A young Jesper Karlström could have benefitted from being mellow which is something he only learned later in his career.
- I think I would talk to a 20-year-old Jesper Karlström teaching him how to avoid losing himself when he doesn't get to play. How to handle being on the bench or not playing. I thought it was a good idea to kick balls away during training to show that I was mad, so they would recognise this and play me. But it’s the opposite; you only push yourself further away from the team. As a 20-year-old I should have surrounded myself with people that could help me develop. Also on a mental level. It’s difficult when you are young to know who to trust.
- For a 14-year-old version of myself, the advice would be to not stress and enjoy football. Believe in yourself. It’s a long career, so you don’t have to be the best in the world when you are 14.
- A final piece of advice for young players: Sleep is very important. And good routines. It’s important to have a normal life; you can go to a party and leave early. If you wish, of course. Don’t be a soldier and cut out everything fun out of your life. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, just try to learn from them. And then focus on the boring stuff. Sleep, food etc. Find good routines and then make some exceptions in special moments, so you also enjoy life.
My parents were always there
Whilst leading to him doubting his talent at times having always been in an elite setting helped Jesper as a young player.
- The discipline and understanding of technical aspects of the game was something that really benefited me in my career. To always be on time, always do your best, sleep well and eat well. All the important things around football that are needed to have a good career and to learn how to be in a team. Even my friends that didn’t go far with football, they have made it really far in their careers, so we all learned a lot from this.
Someone that also helped Jesper a lot was his parents. A support he will always be thankful for. Even though it meant that he had to pay rent for living at home when he signed his first contract.
- My parents have always been an amazing support with driving me to training and to early morning games and always being positive. Finding a good balance between motivating me, but not interrupting too much. Always pushing and supporting me which I really appreciate. They were always there and I am thankful for that.
- I signed my first professional contract with Brommapojkarna where I had a youth contract, but after training with the first team and being on the bench for games I signed a contract in the summer of 2013. The head coach came to me and wanted to give me a contract. I already had an agent at this time, so he negotiated the contract, but it was fairly standard and I was still going to school. It was not a big process. To be honest I can’t even remember the amount, but it was something like 2,000 euro per month which was nice for a 18-year-old in Sweden still living at home. I was very happy, but it meant that my parents started charging me rent, haha. Again something I appreciate as it was not only fair, but also a good learning experience.
Winning a place in the starting 11 at a young age
He was still in school when he made his debut in the best Swedish league. But once Jesper got his chance he caught it.
- I was with Brommapojkarna and had been on the bench a few times without playing and I was training with the first team almost all the time. I was just hoping to get a few minutes one time, but before a game against Kalmar away we had an injury during training and the coach put me in the team that is supposed to play. And then he told me that I would start the game.
- I was really nervous and excited and it was really big for me. Trying to sleep that night was tough! I have always followed the Swedish league and to play in it myself was incredible. I was still in school and now I had to play a game. Regarding the game I did pretty well if I have to say it myself even though there of course was a difference between youth football and Allsvenskan. I got substituted with 15 minutes again and it was an amazing feeling.
“After just two minutes I did a really bad pass and soon after I tackled a guy and got a yellow card.”
- It was Gabriel Petrović that I had replaced and as he returned I was benched. But just before a match against Djurgården away he got injured again and the coach called me up to let me know I would be starting. It was wild to start away against Djurgården which is a team I grew up with and was always watching.
- After just two minutes I made a really bad pass and soon after I tackled a guy and got a yellow card, so I had a horrible start. But we won the game 3-0 and I played pretty well, so it was almost too good to be true as we were fighting to survive in this season. Petrovic was injured for the rest of the season, I played a lot and we managed to stay in the league. Normally you get a slow start, but I got to play a lot early on - and played until I left the club. It went really fast.
Then came Djurgårdens IF
After Brommapojkarna survived in Jesper’s full season they faced relegation the season after. And in came Djurgårdens IF.
- I was with my friends in Thailand on vacation after the season and I got a call; Djurgården was interested. My friends and I celebrated the interest that night even though it was just the first call. We had a blast. In this season Brommapojkarna went to the second best division, so it was either to stay there or move to Djurgården and maybe play a little bit less.
- I had calls with my agent that was talking to Djurgården and then the clubs had to make an agreement. There was a period where I didn’t know if it was going through and I couldn’t do anything besides hoping, but I got updates from my agent. Then the clubs agreed and then there was negotiations regarding my contract where the agent and the club discussed. And then finally the agent and the club was satisfied, andI was just so happy to join Djurgården.
- I had a phone call with Pelle Olsson who was the coach, but it was quite quick. I of course knew that I wasn’t a dream signing, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to go there and show what I could do.
- I went to the office with the sporting director at Stockholm Stadion and read the contract, signed it and took some pictures with the shirt. Back then they didn’t do so much regarding transfers, so it was quite simple. But I was so happy; it was like a dream. It felt too good to be true. I had never expected to play for such a big club. I always dreamed about it, but it felt a little bit too good to be true. I was living one of my dreams.
The best day of my life
Jesper had already achieved his debut in the best Swedish league and now he had signed for Djurgården. But things were about to get even better. After a thrilling season Jesper could become Champion on the last day and after a rollercoaster of a game away to Norrköping it happened.
- The game was quite a rollercoaster as we were down 0-2 just 14 minutes into the game. At that moment I felt that everything had slipped away and I didn’t know how to get over this. We just needed a draw to become champions, but now we are here in this situation. In the second half I scored and at 1-2 the stadium went on fire. At that point I knew we would do it and we got 2-2, held the game and won the championship.
- To lift the cup was the best day of my life. I’d followed the Swedish league since I was a kid and it was always in my dreams to win it, but it seemed unrealistic. Djurgården had been in a slump the years before and now I was standing there.
- In the moment I felt that I had achieved everything that I worked for. I could quit football at that moment and be happy. That feeling was worth every single sacrifice I had made during my whole career.
- It was euphoric to lift that trophy. Pure happiness. There is no way I can explain in words what that meant and how it felt. An incredible feeling.
If a guy like Kim Källström talks to you, you listen
During his time with Djurgården a young Jesper Karlström got to play with Swedish profiles such as Andreas Isaksson, Jonas Olsson, Kim Källström. Players that Jesper learned a lot from and especially Kim Källström had an impact.
- I think these guys have amazing football skills. You try to watch and learn, but Kim Källström can never teach me how to pass like him, haha. An amazing level of football.
- What I learned most was about their leadership. How they acted in the changing room, how they performed on and off the pitch and how they were always fighting for the best of the team. So the leadership of these guys was amazing for a young player to absorb from.
- Kim Källström helped me with my temper as I got angry really easily and he helped me by coaching me and telling me not to get too angry. If a guy like that wants to talk to you and help you, you just listen and do it, you know? Today he is the boss of the Swedish football federation, so it’s really nice that we meet each other when I am with the Swedish team and our paths cross again.
Debut for Sweden was a dream come true
Representing your country is something of the greatest for any football player. For Jesper his dream was achieved in early 2018 as he faced Denmark in Abu Dhabi for a friendly with players from the regional leagues.
- It was a winter tournament where they brought players from the Scandinavian Leagues and I was called up as a reserve because someone got injured. An amazing moment for me; even though it’s maybe not the biggest tournament, it still counts as the national team. And it was really special. It’s something that I’ve always dreamed about and still to this day it fills me with pride every time I get to put on the jersey of the national team. It’s something that I would never believe if you would have told me as a child.
- I started the match against Denmark and I got the full experience of lining up with the team and to hear the national anthem as I was wearing the shirt. It gave me so much confidence and I grew a few years by just playing 60 minutes. And then I felt that I needed to become a lot better if I had to play with the real national team which was a dream that again did not seem realistic at the time.
I don’t allow for my inner self to talk in a negative manner
Growing up Jesper had a hard time realising that he was in fact a very good player. And in the start of his career he battled a lot with handling his temper. Today he doesn’t allow for his inner self to talk in a negative manner.
- I believed in myself, but I never thought so much about the future; only the presence. The next step was always something that I have been a bit doubtful about and it always took some time to believe in myself that I could take the next step. This is something that I worked on and now I don’t have that issue. With experience and age I have gained the confidence and I walk into a room with new people holding my chest high.
- When I play I work a lot with myself. I don’t have hard targets or goals of doing a specific amount of passes or tackles or something like that. Instead I focus on being in a good mindset, keeping myself active, and being available for the team. When you do something good, then you get in the zone and you don’t have to think too much. But if I make a mistake or make a bad pass, then I talk to myself and order myself to not go down into a hole or to be afraid.
- I don’t allow for my inner self to talk in a negative manner and I encourage myself and delete the bad sections. I also want to show people watching like my coach and fans that I do not care about mistakes. I want to have the same approach in all situations as it will make me play better instead of keeping my head down or hiding.
Moving to Poland and Lech Poznan
After 178 games, 14 goals, being the captain and winning the cup and the league it was time for Jesper to move abroad. Having lived his entire life in Stockholm he now had to adjust to living in Poland’s fifth biggest city as he signed for Lech Poznań.
- I lived alone in Stockholm moving away from my family when I was 20, so I had experience with living alone. If you move abroad as a young player it’s important to speak to teammates and go out to experience the city. My club was good at helping me, but don’t be afraid to ask for help.
- I was young, but not so young anymore, so I felt ready to move. I had been in Stockholm my whole life, but Mikael Ishak and Thomas Rogne were there so that helped. And there were a bunch of new guys, so it was quite easy to come into the new team. I also played from the start and performed okay which of course made it very easy.
- When you enter a new changing room it’s important to be yourself and try to speak to other people. And on the pitch; don’t apologise for yourself and be too nice. You need to be a bit tough on the pitch. It’s good to be a nice guy in the changing room, make friends and speak to people, but when you enter the pitch you need to switch into a different persona and perform. Many teammates will describe me like two different people with regards to the changing room and on the pitch. My message is not to tell young players to fight, but just show yourself in training, give yourself 100%, give everything and try things with the ball.
The unforgettable passion of the Lech Poznań fans
After a quiet start due to covid Jesper’s adventure in Poznań turned into something he will never forget.
- In the beginning of my spell with Lech Poznań there was still covid, so I didn’t get to experience the fans right away. But when they came back to the stadiums; wow. They are wild! So much passion. Absolutely amazing atmosphere, but it also adds pressure, so you need to be strong. I love this atmosphere and to play in front of the Lech Poznań fans was an honour with the fireworks and the atmosphere. Without this football wouldn’t be the same thing. The emotions when winning together with the fans is amazing and there is a real connection between the fans and the team.
- Lech Poznań has a proud tradition of producing young players from their academy and one player that stood out was Jakub Kaminski. He was so mature at a very young age. Amazing technique, first touch and shooting and always making the right decision at the right moment. It’s not normal to be so mature at such a young age. That really stood out. I think he can go really far! It’s not a matter of skill, so I think he can take another step for sure. And he is always welcome to reach out to me if he wishes to talk about the mental aspect, I don’t think I can help him with his dribbling, haha.
“To the Lech Poznań fans; thank you for all the amazing support during all the games. I will tell people about the celebration of the championship forever.”
- Winning the Championship was amazing. It was a tough fight with the other teams and then we managed to secure the Championship and I have so many fantastic memories. It was like a movie with how dramatic it was in each game. In the end it was a huge relief that we were able to do it. It was ours to lose and people expected for us to win, so it was a huge satisfaction.
- After winning the league the whole team got pretty drunk in the end and we just continued to celebrate. Actually for a few days! In the end my body couldn’t take more celebration, but it was worth it. Everyone was so happy and everyone you met was smiling. To see the happiness in the eye of the fans was amazing and without this and the passion of the fans football would be nothing.
- To the Lech Poznań fans; thank you for all the amazing support during all the games. I will tell people about the celebration of the championship forever. I show videos to my friends to this day and I am grateful to have experienced that. Thank you!
I would never get a chance to play in Serie A again
It came as a bit of a surprise. But in a rather late stage of his career Jesper had the opportunity to move to Serie A with Udinese. And it seems that he has also adapted to this step up in his career with a lot of playing time and wearing the captain’s armband.
- My target was to continue in Lech Poznań, but the new coach of Udinese really wanted me. When I was presented with this opportunity I was ready right away. It was a big chance for a player like me to get a transfer to Serie A fairly late in your career. Lech Poznań really wanted me to stay and I was really appreciated, so I felt thankful for that, but in the end we all agreed that I would never get a chance to play in Serie A again and it was also important for me that Lech Poznań secured an acceptable deal.
- Udine is an amazing city and I am really loving life here. To play in Italy and Serie A was a great opportunity, the club is really professional and it’s a huge step in my career. The coffee is amazing and the pasta and food is even better. The culture and language is something I really like to explore and I am taking lessons and really trying to immerse myself in the life here and to be part of it. I am okay now in Italian and will be better soon. The fans are really good and supportive and I enjoy my relationship with them. I really enjoy everything about my new life here in Italy.
Proud to have represented Udinese as the captain
With a lot of playing time it has been a good start for Jesper in Udinese. Something that he is thankful for and wearing the captain’s armband was special.
- I am really thankful for my great start at Udinese. The level is so high here and you really need to perform to stay in the team. I am humble, but I have learned to believe in myself and to adapt as soon as possible to a new league. We got a good start with a few wins which gave a lot of confidence. I feel that I have shown myself and my game and I am ready to improve.
- There have been a lot of big experiences and one of them was playing against Inter. Watching Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martínez get ready for kick-off and seeing Hakan Çalhanoğlu in the middle. To play in San Siro was a childhood dream as it’s something you have dreamed of. I will tell my grandkids about playing in that stadium, but next time I want to win!
- Wearing the armband was a positive surprise and really nice feeling. The trust from the coach gives you confidence and I am very proud to have represented Udinese as the captain. I will respect it and if I ever get the armband again I will do my best. I am ready for anything. I always want to take new steps as a player and a person.
- I want to be as good as I can be and take my career as far as I can. I believe that Udinese can have the best season in many years and that is what I focus on and I feel that we can perform well despite being in a very strong league.
Playing in the World Cup and a possible return to Djurgården
Going forward Jesper has one clear goal; to represent Sweden in the 2026 World Cup. He is also open to returning to Djurgården.
- I want to continue to be in the national team and to go to the World Cup 2026. That is my goal. And a huge dream and ambition for me.
- I would like to return to Sweden at a later point. And if I could play in Djurgården again it would be amazing to finish my career there. I played there for six years and I still follow the team. But I also know that in football you can’t predict anything.
I want to be remembered as a player who always gave his everything
Jesper turns 30 on the 21st of June, 2024. He is about to enter the peak of his career and he is very clear about how he wants to be remembered.
- I want to be remembered as a player who always gave his everything. A player you want to have in your team. Maybe not the most goals or assists, but a player that is very valuable for his team.
- I feel like I have a lot to give to other football players and I feel that with my experience and journey I think I can make people listen. It’s easier to get people to listen when you have done it yourself. I had a lot of difficulties in my career, but I managed to get through them. I have to work with football in some way I feel. Respectfully, it would be a waste of knowledge otherwise.
- Personally I had some very important coaches when I was young, so I was lucky in that sense. I really appreciate Andreas Engelmark who today is a coach for Sirius and Magni Fannberg who are now the Sporting Director in IFK Norrköping. They were very important to me and there are a lot of people that I respect and appreciate.
Zlatan is the best I’ve ever played with
When talking about the best players Jesper has faced or played with there can only be one.
- Zlatan Ibrahimović. I can’t say anyone else. I met him with the national team and he sat on a couch in the reception when I walked in. I said hello and I was just taken back by how big he is. This moment of realising that I am in the same team as him was one of the biggest for me in my career as he is the greatest player in Swedish history. It was incredible to play with him and he was a really nice person. On the pitch he was the Zlatan that we know, but outside he was very friendly and relaxed.
- After one training session a few of us were staying behind to have some shots and Zlatan was just firing rockets. It was unreal to see live how hard he could hit the ball. Five or six shots after each other like rockets straight in the corner, it was unbelievable to see. Even the best keeper in the world would have had no chance!
- I have also played against Haaland in a national team game in 2022 and he was very good. He was in the box, so I didn’t get involved too much with him and unfortunately he scored two in that game. In Serie A I have also faced really good opponents and I admire Hakan Çalhanoğlu.
- So far I have only swapped shirts with players I know, so I don’t have any shirts from big players. I cannot do it when we lose a game as I would feel humiliated. SoonI want to get a really good win with Udinese against a big team and then maybe I can swap a shirt as it would be a nice memory.
Thank you for reading my story.
Best,
Jesper Karlström