The former prolific Sweden goalscorer described his stint at Aston Villa as one of the toughest periods of his career.
Being a first choice for the national team does not always guarantee a place at club level. That was probably the best way to describe Marcus Allback’s spell in the West Midlands in the early 2000s.
The former Sweden international was a regular starter for Blågult. He was capped 74 times, scoring 30 goals and providing seven assists from 1999 to 2008. Allback also played in two World Cup editions and three European Championships.
However, he could not replicate his form while playing for Aston Villa. He shared his thoughts on his spell at Villa Park with the press, as reported by Sky Sports.
“This season has been a tough one for me. If I am honest, I do not know whether I will be here with Villa next season.
“I hope I am because I have settled in the area with my family, and I like Villa and the players here. But I’m in a situation where I have had more minutes on the pitch for Sweden than I have had for Villa.”
Allback was signed to provide competition for Juan Pablo Angel, the young Peter Crouch, and Darius Vassell at the time.
Before sealing his move to Villa Park, he had built a reputation as a fine goalscorer at Heerenveen, where he bagged 30 goals and provided six assists. Villa, who bought him for £2 million, expected the Swede to replicate his Eredivisie form following the slow start of Juan Pablo Angel.
Unfortunately, Allback experienced the same difficulties as his Colombian teammate. He struggled to open his account and remained goalless in the first six games of the 2002/03 Premier League season. He was even left out of the squad for the next five matches before eventually finding the back of the net and providing an assist against Fulham in November 2002.
Allback also struggled with consistency. He failed to add to his tally until April 2003, when he netted a brace against Chelsea, helping Villa secure a 2-1 win over the Blues.
Overall, he only registered seven goals and two assists in 44 appearances for the Clarets and Blue between 2002 and 2004.
The forward, who moved to Villa after the 2002 FIFA World Cup, even lost his place during his second season. Juan Pablo Angel was thriving under David O’Leary, scoring 23 goals, while Allback only managed one.
The Göteborg-born striker did not live up to expectations at Villa. Surprisingly, he remained a first-choice player for Blågult. During the same period, despite playing fewer matches, he managed to contribute 10 goals and one assist.
Among his contributions for the Lions, his brace against Chelsea was probably the most memorable. It was Villa’s first victory after a seven-match winless run during the 2002/03 season.
Previously, his first major contribution came when Graham Taylor’s side defeated Fulham 3-1. Allback scored once and provided an assist after coming off the bench in the second half.
His final notable performance probably came in May 2003, when Villa secured their final win of the season against Sunderland. Allback scored the only goal of the game in the 80th minute.
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