Andersson goes from kit man to keeper to save Helsingborgs

Former kit man Daniel Andersson was the goalkeeping hero for Swedish side Helsingborgs on Saturday as he stole all the headlines in his side’s 0-0 draw with Kalmar.

The 42-year-old was pressed into emergency action for his side’s Allsvenskan season opener after injuries to first choice duo Par Hansson and Matt Pyzdrowski, and he kept a clean sheet.

Andersson, who was capped once for Sweden during more than two decades as a shot-stopper and has more recently been acting as Helsingborgs’ goalkeeping coach, was forced to make a string of saves to earn his side a point, in new coach Henrik Larsson’s first league match in charge.

“It was absolutely wonderful,” Anderson told TV station C More afterwards, as reported by Swedish newspaper Expressen. “It was a scenario that I never could have prepared myself for. Going from kit man, to goalie coach, to playing.”

When asked if he was considering a full-time playing comeback, Andersson joked: “I am a goalie coach first and foremost. But now I have set the standard.”

Larsson, meanwhile, was full of praise for his unlikely hero.

“You have to be impressed,” said the former Celtic and Barcelona striker. “He [Andersson] is almost 43 and didn’t make a mistake in this game. I’m very happy to have Daniel Andersson multi-tasking for our club.”