Henrik Larsson in Sweden Squad for Euro 2008

Here’s a shock for you. Henrik Larsson is in Sweden’s 23 man squad for Euro 2008.

The 36 year old striker has already retired from international football twice. Once in 2002 and again in 2006. It’s been two years since he wore the Swedish Blågult. And after that brief (impressive) spell with Man Utd last season, Larsson was supposed to be in semi-retirement at Helsingborg.

But apparently six goals in eleven games for Helsingborg was just an apetizer for an international comeback.

“We’ve been playing well in Helsinborg, playing in the UEFA Cup in the autumn and also playing good football in the Swedish league,” Larsson said. “We’ve been playing football that has given me a taste for more… Football is so much fun. It’s a joy.”

Not enough of a joy to play any role in Sweden’s Euro 2008 qualifying campaign though. And this isn’t the first time Larsson has pulled this trick. He retired after the World Cup in 2002, only to return for the Euro 2004 finals. Seems maybe Larsson just can’t be arsed with Euro qualification but likes playing in the finals. I wonder what fellow 36 year old striker Hakan Şükür thinks about all this.

Still, I’ll be happy to see him at the tournament and I’m pretty sure Sweden fans feel the same way. And don’t be too surprised if we see Larsson’s tongue at some point in June.

Full squad:

Goalkeepers: Andreas Isaksson (Manchester City), Rami Shaaban (Hammarby), Johan Wiland (Elfsborg)

Defenders: Olof Mellberg (Aston Villa), Petter Hansson (Stade Rennes), Mikael Nilsson (Panathinaikos), Niclas Alexandersson (IFK Gothenburg), Andreas Granqvist (Helsingborg), Daniel Majstorovic (FC Basel), Fredrik Stoor (Rosenborg Trondheim), Mikael Dorsin (CFR Cluj)

Midfielders: Tobias Linderoth (Galatasaray), Daniel Andersson (Malmo), Anders Svensson (Elfsborg), Kim Kallstrom (Olympique Lyon), Christian Wilhelmsson (Deportivo La Coruna), Fredrik Ljungberg (West Ham), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham City)

Forwards: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan), Johan Elmander (Toulouse), Marcus Allback (FC Copenhagen), Markus Rosenberg (Werder Bremen), Henrik Larsson (Helsingborg)

More at the Sweden Euro 2008 Blog