"Seb Larsson is an Arsenal-educated player."
That was Arsene Wenger's assessment of the talented Swede who, like so many youngsters, started out in North London and then headed elsewhere in search of first-team football.
Larsson joined Arsenal from his home town side Eskilstuna in 2001 and went on to make 12 first-team appearances for the Club after making his debut in the Carling Cup victory at Manchester City in October 2004.
The Swede played at left-back on that occasion but carved a niche for himself as a stylish midfielder with an eye for a pass and a talent for dead-ball situations. Regular watchers of Arsenal Reserves may recall some top-class free-kicks from Larsson, even if he could not quite repeat the trick for the first team.
After joining Birmingham on loan in the summer of 2006, Larsson made his move permanent the following year. He endeared himself to Arsenal fans after his departure with a stunning winner against Tottenham at White Hart Lane and earned international recognition with Sweden.
The Blues were relegated from the Premier League in the 2010/11 season and Larsson joined Sunderland on a free transfer.
Larsson made his debut for Sweden in February 2008 in a friendly against Turkey and was named in his national squad for that summer's European Championships. He continued to hold down a regular place in the side and also played at Euro 2012.
