New Celtic recruit Lagerbielke gets non-royal seal of approval
As one of his first acts as a Celtic player, Gustaf Lagerbielke could hardly have offered up a better nugget to endear himself to his new support. The most anti-monarchist of all fanbases in British football.
In the course of the Scottish champions’ pursuit of the 23-year-old who has been recruited from Elfsborg in a £3 million deal, it was reported that the Swedish centre-back was a real blueblood. No less than 254th in line to the throne in his homeland, with his own barony and coat of arms.
Part of that was true, but not the part that would be considered most awkward for the Celtic legions, as Lagerbielke revealed in effectively being able to renounce true royal heritage.
“I saw something on social media, that someone had dug it up about my family,” he said. “It’s not something I was aware of. I asked my dad and he said the part about being in line for the throne wasn’t true. I knew if it was, I’d have heard about it. So I knew it [wasn’t the case].
“It was fun that some people believed it for a second. The family does have a barony and we have a coat of arms and all that stuff. I did get a pair of shin guards with the coat of arms on them. I got them as a gift when I was maybe 11 or 12, but I don’t wear them now. I certainly didn’t grow up in a castle…”
Indeed, Lagerbielke isn’t a player whose upbringing in the game was of the silverspoon variety as he effectively dragged himself up by his bootstraps in electing to scrap it out with the hoi polloi to develop a rounded football education.
A product of AIK’S youth team, instead of hanging around with the then Swedish champions he decided to drop down to third-tier Sollentuna FK five years ago in order to avoid a cosetted life. Two and a half years there gave way to a spell with Vateras SK before Elfsborg came calling in 2021. A loan spell at fellow topflight club Degerfors IF ensued before he established himself with the current Allsvenskan leaders.
“I maybe did it the hard way, but I think it toughened me up. When I was younger I always felt we were a bit too careful with the training and that limited me,” he said. “I wanted to take a step down and focus on my development for the long run. It was hard in the beginning but when I started playing I moved quickly to the next steps – and really fast to here.
“I rose quickly. It was a big decision to move down the levels but I wanted to play senior football rather than in the youth teams. I wanted to see real football, while taking more control over my training. Was it wild? Maybe a little, as I guess it’s similar in Sweden to a lot of places when you go down the leagues. But you also play against better players, which makes it easier to develop.
"It was a big step going to Elfsborg.
I made my debut against Feyenoord in the Europa Conference League [in August 2021] and that was a big step up to adapt to. But I managed to play a lot when I was on loan. I got to develop my leadership skills by taking responsibility. I have taken that with me to Elfsborg and now here.”
Eager to do everything he can to be a success, Lagerbielke added: “I put a lot of time and effort into optimising how I am on the pitch - sleep, nutrition and everything around that.”