Goalkeeper, Peter Schmeichel, Denmark – Although his son made a pretty decent fist of filling his father’s extremely large boots, there is only one choice for keeper in this XI. An inspired signing for Man United in 1991 from Brondby (Alex Ferguson described the £505k fee as the “bargain of the century”), Schmeichel was a physically imposing and aggressive keeper who utterly dominated his six-yard box. He was a crucial ingredient in United’s return to the top of English football, helping them to the PL title in only his second season, and going on to win a further 14 trophies at the club.
Left-back, John Arne Riise, Norway – Over eight seasons at Liverpool Riise helped to redefine the role of the full back in English football, showing incredible stamina and energy to cover the full length of the field in both defence and attack. If not perhaps at the very top rank defensively, he was a frequent threat at the other end of the pitch, with his signature cannon of a left-foot delivering a number of memorable goals and many assists.
Right-back, Henning Berg, Norway – Capable of playing at right back or in the centre, Berg has the distinction of being the first player to win the Premier League with two different clubs – first Blackburn, then Man United. More traditional in approach than modern full-backs, Berg valued defensive solidity over attacking flair. Not super-quick, he relied on his reading of the game and positional sense to cut off passing lanes and force opposing wingers into less harmful positions. In this side he would give a nice balance to the more attack-minded Riise on the left flank.
Centre-back, Olaf Mellberg, Sweden – Mellberg was a quintessential, old-school stopper for Aston Villa for seven seasons at the start of the 2000s. Big, strong and aggressive, Mellberg relished the rough and tumble of top flight football, wrestling for physical supremacy with opposition centre-forwards and throwing his body into tackles and headers with enthusiasm. He generally knew how to stay on the right side of the rules, recording a relatively low number of bookings and only one red card. A club legend to all Villains.
Centre-back, Daniel Agger, Denmark – Like Mellberg, a firm fan favourite, Agger was a different type of centre half. Extremely comfortable on the ball and happy to carry it out of defence, Agger was something of a throwback to all-time Liverpool legend Alan Hansen. Agger relied more on positioning and anticipation to snuff out attacks, but was strong in the tackle when called upon. Heavily tattooed before it was ‘fashionable’, Agger endeared himself to Koppites forever by embedding the letters YNWA (‘You’ll never walk alone”) on his knuckles. Injury robbed him of more appearances and honours, but a fully fit Agger fully earns his place in this XI.
Defensive midfield, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Denmark – Just getting the nod over his slightly more volatile compatriot, Thomas Gravesen, Hojbjerg was a hard-working midfielder who provided structure and stability to both Southampton and Spurs over eight Premier League seasons. If he was never a fan favourite because of his safety-first mindset, his work rate and on-field leadership was valued by managers like Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte as well as successive Denmark national coaches.
Centre midfield, Christian Eriksen, Denmark – A prodigious talent as a youth, Eriksen had the pick of the top teams in Europe, but chose to do his ‘apprenticeship’ at Ajax. It served him well, so when he arrived in the Premier League for Spurs at 21 he was already well-developed as a creative force. Over his seven seasons at White Hart Lane, Eriksen registered over 90 assists and more than 60 goals. Unfortunate not to win any honours with Spurs (ditto Harry Kane) he at last won silverware with Man United in the EFL Cup of 2023 and FA Cup of 2024.
Attacking midfield, Freddie Ljungberg, Sweden – An integral part of Arsene Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’, Ljungberg was a dynamic wide midfielder who not only provided a constant threat to the opposition goal, but also acted as the first line of defence for his own team. Ljungberg was quick, but his real skill was in making off-the-ball runs to find dangerous positions from which to provide assists or score himself. The Swede had a knack for ‘clutch’ goals including two in successive FA Cup finals. In a very strong Arsenal side he stood out enough to be named Premier League Player of the Season in 2001-02.
Central midfield, Martin Odegaard, Norway – A teenage prodigy, Odegaard was poached from his native country aged just 16 by Real Madrid. Denied more than a handful of starts at the Spanish club, he spent most of his time at the club out on loan, before joining Arsenal in 2021. His first league game as a permanent player was not a massive success (a 5-0 defeat at Man City), but Odegaard soon established himself as one of the best midfielders in the league. Blessed with excellent close control and passing vision, Odegaard is not just a creative force, he’s also exceptionally hard-working. He often tops the distance-covered charts for his team, and ranks highly for defensive recoveries and pressing in the front two-thirds of the pitch. The Premier League title in 2025-26 was just reward for a truly world-class performer.
Forward, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Norway – The ‘baby-faced assassin’ will forever be lionised by the Manchester United faithful for his extra-time winner in the epic 1999 Champions League final. Neither particularly quick nor especially big and strong, Solskjaer relied instead on reading the game and identifying defensive weaknesses, often from the bench before he was brought on as a sub. He was uncanny in being in the right place at the right time, and was a cool finisher with either foot. With Haaland in the side, he could be a great provider, finding the short pass to the big man, or could pick up the scraps to slot it in himself.
Centre forward, Erling Haaland, Norway – It’s hard to believe but Erling Haaland, scorer of almost 400 career goals, is still only 26 years old. He is a phenomenon, well on his way to being the greatest centre forward of all time. With Manchester City he’s been nigh-on unstoppable with 162 goals in his first 199 appearances. For Norway he has (at time of writing) more than a goal a game (62 in 55). He is quick, unbelievably strong, has extraordinary positional sense and anticipation, and can finish any which way you can think of. He has no discernable weakness, other than a slightly dodgy hairstyle. Enjoy him while you can – he’s the definition of a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ footballer.
Unlucky not to make the team
There are a few Scandis unlucky not to make this XI, and a handful who would make it if only they were actually Scandinavian. The latter category accounts for the excellent Sami Hyypia – sadly Finland is not actually in Scandinavia – and for both Eidur Gudjohnsen and Gyllfi Sigurdsson – Iceland doesn’t count either. Excluding these, the following would make a competitive, if slightly unbalanced, XI.
Goalkeeper – Kaspar Schmeichel
Defenders – Brede Hangeland, Andreas Christensen, Joachim Andersen, Ronny Johnsen
Midfield – Thomas Gravesen, Sebastian Larsson, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Dejan Kulusevski
Attack – Alexander Isak, Tore Andre Flo
And one or two of the worst to play in the Premier League
- Tomas Brolin – Signed by Leeds after a successful 1994 World Cup, Brolin is widely considered one of the worst PL signings of all-time. He could claim that he was never the same after a foot injury in 1994, but he looked for most of his time in England that he simply could not be bothered, either to work on the pitch or get fit off it.
- Marcus Allback – Allback had a very solid career, scoring over 150 league goals across Europe and getting 30 for Sweden in only 74 appearances. His stint in English football, however, was a career lowlight, with 35 league appearances for Villa in the early 2000s producing only six goals. Proof that English football is not for everyone.
- Andreas Isaksson – A keeper with over 100 appearances for Sweden, Isaksson was signed by Man City in 2006 to replace David James. Plagued by injuries he never established himself and left after only 19 PL appearances. His final game capped his unhappy spell – an 8-1 defeat to Middlesbrough.