Johnny Ekström

A product of the Göteborg youth system, Ekström was promoted to the first team in 1983 and made his debut in the Swedish top flight in 1984. He could play as a striker or a winger and was known for his speed; He earned the nicknames “Kallebäcks-Expressen" (the express train from Kallebäck) and “Johnny Bråttom”(Johnny-in-a-hurry). He scored 13 goals in 1986, enough to be the top goal scorer of the Allsvenskan. He became the most expensive Swedish transfer when he moved to newly promoted Empoli in 1986 for an undisclosed fee. He received the nickname “Il Ciclone” (the cyclone) and became a fan favorite at the Italian club. Empoli were relegated in his second season which resulted in the club selling off players. Ekström was sold to Bayern for €1.1 million in the summer of 1988. He was joining an attack that already featured Jürgen Wegmann, Ludwig Kögel, and Ronald Wohlfarth. Ekström featured in 23 league matches for the Bavarians (12 starts and 11 appearances off the bench) scoring 7 goals and notching 3 assists. He played in 8 UEFA Cup matches contributing 2 goals and 1 assist. He also played in 3 Pokal matches and scored 2 goals. With his contributions, he helped Bayern win the league and reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup. Bayern sold him to Cannes for €1 million the very next year after bringing in Scottish international Alan McInally from Aston Villa. Ekström went on to play until 1999 for a variety of clubs in Germany, Spain, Italy, and had two more stints with his boyhood club, Göteborg.

Ekström retired in 1999 and never got into coaching.

The picture is from August 1988.