Larsson made 133 international appearances between 2008 and 2021 and captained most of them. European Championship and World Cup finals - and not least a rare thrilling playoff against Italy in 2017.
The heroic matches in Solna and at San Siro took the national team to the World Cup in Russia.
When Jon Dahl Tomasson was appointed as national team head coach, he gave Larsson a key role. On paper, Larsson is the assistant national team manager, but in many ways he is the link between the players and the boss who selects the team.
Potter had no objections to letting Larsson continue in that role when the Englishman stepped in after the Dane last fall.
“A difficult time”
A difficult period, but one he would rather not revisit.
I am absolutely not interested in comparing it with how things have been, and I was part of that period when things were going worse for various reasons. The only thing I can say is that Graham has pressed on with what we saw today. He has talked about the strength of the team, how he views Swedish teams. He has, I feel, shown great confidence in the players and talked about how much he believes in the group, says Larsson.
We won't lie: since I joined the management team, it has been tough. The performances and results have not been what we expected of ourselves. But all credit to Graham and the players for this effort. It went hand in hand with everything we have been working on since November.
Potter has pointed out how important Larsson's experience is in his relationship with the players.
You try to contribute what you can. It's about dealing with a situation. Everyone works differently. I know how I felt about Italy. The second game was the hardest day of my footballing life.
Wants to cry again
"I've told the guys that. Some will feel calm, some may feel something similar to me, but you can go in and perform well anyway," says Larsson.
He cried that late November evening in 2017, when the World Cup was secured.
There will be an emptiness and a relief that I want to experience again on this leadership side and that I want the guys to experience. Those chances don't grow on trees.
The playoff final against Poland will be played in front of a packed Strawberry Arena on Tuesday evening.
