Lennart ''Nacka" Skoglund
Position: Left winger(Secondary position: Inside left)
Height: 1.70m
Weight: 68 kg
Achievements:
World Cup Silver: 1958
World Cup Bronze: 1950
Serie A: 1952-53, 1953-54
Swedish Cup: 1950
World Cup 1958 XI: Best left winger of the tournament
Career Statistics
Team--------Matches-------Goals-------
Club------------449----------.100--------
Sweden--------11------------1---------
Peak Statistics - 1950-59
Team--------Matches-------Goals-------Goals per game
Club------------241-----------55-------- 0.23
Sweden--------11------------1----------.0.09
Total-----------252-----------56---------0.22
In the 1958 World Cup he was named in the team of the tournament as the best left winger which came as no surprise as he with his 1 goal and 3 assists was more productive than Garrincha himself who had 3 assists.
Most countries had some player whos talent was overpowered by something outside of the pitch turning them from legends to myths. The likes of Ronaldinho, Duncan Edwards and in Swedens case - Nacka Skoglund.
To this day, when the Swedes celebrate christmas, on christmas eve fans and admirers gather at his statue in Nackas corner - a play of word on when he scored directly on a corner. Even fans from other countries have been known to participate.
Gren himself considered Nacka to be the greatest Swedish talent of the time. "Us three weren't the greatest Swedes in Italy, that was Nacka Skoglund. The people were mesmerized by his way to play and live. Nobody will ever be greater than Nacka was, I still remember when his Inter beat us with 3-2 and he scored two on his own".
He was such a creative entertainer and gifted dribbler that it is said the opponents at times were left behind with their jaws dropped from what they had just seen.
Style of play
He was beyond a world class dribbler, he was an artist, who entertained the entire audience with his tricks and plays. His crossing was pin point accurate and he was the heart of so many of the plays for Inter and Sweden. Many times outshining Hamrin in terms of pure skill and in the 1958 World Cup he was included in the all star XI as the tournaments best left winger. He was extremely explosive and could accelerate past most players and had great pace as well.
Superbly talented, he was described as a "soloist", a player who played to the gallery and had an array of tricks allied to a fierce shot. He did little to help out his team-mates on the field, but he was no mere show pony and helped Inter to two league titles during a playing career that catapulted him to international stardom.
Even the Brazilians were in awe of his dribbling and Ronnie Hellström said "He did stuff that nobody else could. I used to stand in goal while he'd take shots and ball after ball went in. And his passes, he'd set the teammates free on goal over and over through out the match."
He was a complete classic winger who would consistently beat his full back through out the game and set up his team mates as well as known for his great off the ball runs when cutting inside to score or find space behind the defensive line.