Fredrik Ljungberg

And that is why I have decided to concentrate on playing for West Ham United and that is where my focus will be."

Following the start of training camp, Ljungberg was nowhere to be seen. Many speculated a transfer was in the works despite Elefalk's claims that Ljungberg was to return. Days later, Ljungberg agreed to terminate his contract only after one year into the four year deal for a sum of £6 million. Ljungberg stated afterward, "I gave my all at West Ham and enjoyed my time there but the decision is the best for the both of us. Now, I will take my time to consider my football future."

Ljungberg's efforts as a male model have garnered media attention rivaling that of his football career.

After Ljungberg's West Ham exit, fans and sport pundits alike speculated about Ljungberg's future. On 8 August, Ljungberg was seen in Los Angeles fueling rumours of a move to LA Galaxy which was quickly dismissed. In actuality, Ljungberg went to Los Angeles to get a tattoo done by renowned tattoo artist Mister Cartoon. While he was in Los Angeles, Claes Elefalk urged Ljungberg to meet with Joe Roth, a Hollywood producer and majority stakeholder in the MLS Expansion Team Seattle Sounders. Ljungberg secretly met with Roth but did not want to make any rash decisions. At the same time, there were rumors of four Italian clubs being interested in Ljungberg including Lazio, Milan, Roma, and Fiorentina. Read Less

The terms of his contract saw Ljungberg earn $10 million over two seasons with the Sounders. Much like the contract of David Beckham and as is the norm for professional sports stars in the US, Ljungberg's contract will assure he keeps all of his private endorsement money. Because of this, Grahame L. Jones of the Los Angeles Times was quick to compare Ljungberg with Beckham. Alexi Lalas stated, "Eddie Vedder, I think, would have a better chance of making an impact at Seattle than Freddie Ljungberg". However, after the 2009 regular season Lalas acknowledged his initial skepticism but admitted he had changed his mind. "For me he's the best DP signing, because of the way he plays in MLS." Read Less

Surgeons repaired a slightly torn hip labrum and shaved a small amount of bone where the hip meets the femur to prevent future injury. The Seattle Times reported that Ljungberg was expected to miss 10–12 weeks of training and possibly be sidelined for the team's inaugural game, but he recovered from his hip injury sooner than expected. Although Ljungberg did not take part of Seattle's preseason in Argentina, he did however do light training with IS Halmia. Read Less

Ljungberg was a model for Calvin Klein underwear until 2007. He previously represented brands such as Nike, Procter & Gamble, L'Oreal and currently represents Puma, ESPN and Pepsi, as well as running his own blog since October 2009. Read Less