Jesper Karlström joins Lech 

Karlström was born in Stockholm and he spent all his football career in the Swedish capital. His adventure with the sport started in the youth teams of Brommapojkarna. Karlström represented the club for years and debuted in the senior team at the age of 18. His consistently good performances in Allsvenskan got him a transfer to a bigger Swedish club – Djurgardens IF – 1.5 years later. Karlström appeared in 170 league matches for the club and even got to represent Djurgardens in European tournament qualifications three times.

“I can assure Lech’s fans that I am the kind of player that always fights until the very end and never gives up. I like to do that. I like to fight with my opponents but, at the same time, I know how to play with the ball at my feet and I am hoping to show Lech’s supporters what I am capable of soon,” explained the defensive midfielder.

Throughout the past season, which ended in November 2019 (in Sweden, seasons run from spring to late autumn), the 25-year-old wore the captain armband. Under his lead, Djurgardens IF won the championship title; Karlström’s club had to fight until the very end to be crowned champions and they achieved that, inter alia, thanks to the midfielder’s goal against Norrköping (2:2) in the last match of the season. “I wanted to take another step in my career and Lech is the right club to do that. I have had the chance to play alongside Keeba Ceesay who had a lot of great stuff to say about Lech, hence, I knew it was the right decision. I also know that Lech has brilliant fans and I cannot wait to present myself to them,” emphasised Karlström.

The 25-year-old also has multiple caps on his account. He represented Swedish youth national teams regularly in the past and even got to play for the senior side once. Karlström’s senior debut took place on January 11th, 2018 against Denmark. The defensive midfielder won a spot in the starting line-up and helped his team win 1:0.

“Apart from the classic characteristics of a good defensive midfielder such as great ball interception or smart support of the offensive line, he also knows how to skilfully to join in on the offence and send a precise long ball. He is a fighter with great stamina and the ability to intercept the opponent’s crucial pass, hence he is surely going to help us maintain a healthy balance between the offence and the defence. Jesper also has a lot of good qualities when it comes to mentality – he can step up to be the leader which is why he was the captain at Djurgardens IF. Last season, he led his team on to win the championship title which is a great achievement,” explained Tomasz Rząsa, Lech’s Sporting Director.