In January 2022, Jacob Bergström got a concussion that kept him away from playing for half a year. The symptoms, which are now gone, affected his life outside of football and created anxiety.
You felt really bad. You were a little uncertain if you would become normal again. That was a tough time, says Jacob Bergström and continues:
Then you were a bit fragile and thought about if you would come back and be a good dad, to be able to be among people. It's never fun to feel that bad.
More than three years later, "Bergarn" says he is in a very good place and that he has Mjällby to thank for everything.
The 30-year-old, who is making his third stint in the Blekinge club, lives with his family in Hällevik near the home ground Strandvallen. The team is unbeaten, has two draws and five consecutive wins, and leads the Allsvenskan ahead of the early season finale away against AIK on Sunday.
"The real test comes"
Great start. There's no other way to put it. Then we have some tough games here in May. It's probably now the real test comes if we want to be up there or not.
Last year, Jacob Bergström was Mjällby's top scorer with eight goals in 26 Allsvenskan matches when the team finished fifth.
This year, he has started in six of seven matches, but has not yet scored. Instead, it's the Gambian striker Abdoulie Manneh (five goals), the Danish midfielder Nicklas Røjkjær (five goals), and the offensive left-back Herman Johansson (four goals) who have delivered upfront.
The lure: London
To keep the successful players on Listerlandet and prevent them from leaving for bigger clubs, a team trip is planned for the winter.
It will, of course, be difficult to keep them. But then we have a London trip, or we're not sure if it will be London. We're trying to end the year with the bonus pot. But I don't know how high it will be, says Bergström.
He was recruited to Mjällby by sports manager Hasse Larsson in 2018 when the team was in Division 1. Then Bergström made headlines for combining football with working at the fast-food chain Subway in his hometown Karlskrona.
I'm unfortunately not there that often anymore. But when I am, it's one of the alternatives on the places you go to. It's never wrong with a sandwich.
Born: April 26, 1995 (30 years old) on Aspö outside Karlskrona.
Home club: Karlskrona AIF.
Lives: Hällevik.
Family: Fiancée Sara and children Olle, 2, and Vera, 1.
Position: Striker.
Nickname: "Bergarn".
Senior career: Karlskrona AIF (–2012), FK Karlskrona (2013–2014), Ronneby (2015–2017), Mjällby (2018–2019, 2020–2022, 2023–), Mjøndalen, Norway (2019), Djurgården (2023).
