Full name Kari Juhani Sundgren 1974–1987 IK Franke Position Defender 1973 Vasteras SK Height 1.87 m | Playing position Role Footballer Place of birth Vammala, Finland Name Gary Sundgren | |
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Date of birth (1967-10-25) 25 October 1967 (age 48) | ||
Kari Juhani "Gary" Sundgren (born 25 October 1967) is a former Swedish footballer who played as either a right back or a central defender.
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He played professionally with AIK and Zaragoza, in a 15-year career. A Swedish international for nearly a decade, he represented the country at Euro 2000.
Club career
Sundgren was born in Vammala, Finland, but moved to Sweden with his parents as a toddler, being raised in Västerås. There, he was often called Gary and it caught on, being addressed in the latter manner for the duration of his career.
Sundgren started playing professionally with AIK Fotboll, being an undisputed starter from an early age. He scored the winner against Malmö FF when they became Swedish champions for the first time in 55 years, in 1992.
Subsequently, Sundgren moved abroad and joined La Liga club Real Zaragoza. He played 31 games in his first season, while also being instrumental in the Aragonese team's fourth place in 1999–2000.
After the 2001–02 campaign, with Zaragoza relegated, Sundgren returned to AIK, retiring from the game in 2006 after two seasons with two modest Stockholm sides, IFK Sollentuna and FC Djursholm.
International career
Sundgren represented Sweden at UEFA Euro 2000, and played in the 0–0 draw against Turkey in the tournament. He was capped 30 times, scoring once.
International goal
Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first.Personal life
Sundgren is the father of four children. One of his sons, Daniel, also represented AIK, while his nephew Mikael Backlund spent several years with the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League.