'Dream come true' says kitman-turned-keeper started by Henrik Larsson

Helsingborg kitman-turned-goalkeeper Daniel Andersson is ready if once again thrust into the starting line-up by manager Henrik Larsson.

Andersson, who turns 43 at the end of the year, was a kitman who also assisted young players after deciding to “stick around” at Helsingborg when he called time on his playing career in 2013.

Ex-Celtic, Barcelona and Manchester United striker Larsson saw one goalkeeper break a finger and another suffer a suspected broken ankle leaving him without a stopper for the Swedish Allsvenskan season-opener at Kalmar.

Andersson filled the breach, and after making a string of saves to keep a clean sheet, he once again finds himself in the squad for Helsingborg’s first home game of the season against Falkenberg on Wednesday.

“I’m in the squad for the game so we’ll have to wait and see what happens when the manager picks the team,” Andersson told Sky Sports.

“But it’s unbelievable what happened and I’m still on a high from the last game that’s for sure. I don’t think anyone could have imagined it would happen but it did.

“When I signed my players licence papers last it was only in case of extreme emergency, so that if the moon and sun came down and everything just crashed I could participate in a game.

“But when both of our goalkeepers got injured the week before the start of the season the nightmare scenario actually occurred. I told Henrik he didn’t have to worry that I could play one game, but after not playing for a few years, to come in and have one of those days when you perform like that is unbelievable.

Henrik is the son of Helsingborg and everyone loves him here. He’s managing his hometown club in Helsingborg for the first time on Wednesday night. The match is also against the club he was coaching last season so it is definitely going to be very special.

“You never know how things are going to turn out but it turned out to be a dream game for me. A clean sheet and some crucial saves in the game made it an altogether magical story.

“If you’re Manchester United or Real Madrid you have a lot of goalkeepers in your squad but we don’t have more than two senior goalkeepers here. I didn’t imagine this would happen and it turned out to be a dream come true.”

Andersson has known Larsson for a number of years and says the Sweden great’s first match as manager of his hometown club is bound to be an emotional occasion.

“Henrik is the son of Helsingborg and everyone loves him here,” Andersson said.

“He’s managing his hometown club in Helsingborg for the first time on Wednesday night. The match is also against the club he was coaching last season so it is definitely going to be very special.”