Ghanaian duo make top 10 biggest names to move to the Swedish league

Two Ghanaian footballers have made the list of Top 10 biggest names to have joined the Swedish Allsvenskan, a survey by sportal.se

They chose to put the emphasis on how big a name the player was at the time he went to Sweden. Thus, successful players like Afonso Alves, Teddy Sheringham and Erik Thorstvedt pass away.

In addition, they chose to exclude Swedes from this list - picking up a returnee is large but not as remarkable as seizing a player without a connection to Sweden.

Freddy Adu (Österlen FF) was ranked sixth on the list with his clubs being Benfica, Monaco, DC United amongst others.

Adu did not play for any Allsvenskan club - he did not play in Division 1 per se either - but despite the fact that it was little Österlen who brought him in, he made the list.

Few talents have been as well known as Adu. He was the player who at the age of 14 played in the FIFA U20 World Cup, and is the first player ever to have scored a hat trick in both the FIFA U17 and U20 World Cups.

He made his debut for Benfica as an 18-year-old, but even today his main merits are from youth football.

Emmanuel Frimpong (AFC Eskilstuna) was ranked number 10 as he previously in played for Arsenal, Fulham, Barnsley and others before moving to Sweden.

After Arsenal's youth team won the Emirates Cup in 2010, Arsène Wenger chose to highlight Emmanuel Frimpong:

"I think Frimpong has done really well. He is not much of a dribbler, but is a warrior and a winner. If I had worked at the FA, I would not have hesitated to invite him to play with England. He will have a great future."

There are more meritorious players who came to the Allsvenskan, but those 6 matches he made as a young and promising player at Arsenal, and the status he had at that time, mean a lot to the name and to a list like this.

Recurring and serious injuries contributed to Frimpong never being able to break through at Arsenal, and despite his early debut in the Ghanaian national team, there was only 1 international match.

He instead played in the Championship, in Russia and then in AFC Eskilstuna then.

Here is the list of the 10 biggest names that set foot in the Swedish top-flight during the 2000s.

1. Marek Hamsik (IFK Gothenburg)

2. Jari Litmanen (Malmo FF)

3. Diego Lugano (BK Hacken)

4. Ibrahim Ba (Djurgaden IF)

5. Gianluca Curci (AFC Eskilstuna, Hammarby)

6. Freddy Adu (Osterlen FF)

7. Ravel Morrison (Ostersund)

8. Taye Taiwo (AFC Eskilstuna)

9. Dickson Etuhu (AIK, IFK Rössjöholm)

10. Emmanuel Frimpong (AFC Eskilstuna)