Mikael "Hella" Hellström (born 11 March 1972) is a Swedish retired footballer. Throughout his whole professional career he represented Hammarby IF, as a one club man.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1972-03-11) 11 March 1972 (age 50) | ||
| Place of birth | Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender, Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1981 | Västerhaninge IF | ||
| 1982–1989 | Hammarby IF | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1990–2005 | Hammarby IF | 301 | (18) |
| National team | |||
| 1991 | Sweden U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 1999 | Sweden | 1 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Mikael Hellström started playing football at the local club Västerhaninge IF, before joining Hammarby IF as a youth player in 1982, at age 10.[1] As a youngster, he mostly played a central defender.[2]
He advanced through the ranks at Hammarby and made his senior debut for the club in Allsvenskan in 1990, aged 18.[3] His first competitive appearance came as a substitute in a local derby on August 13 in a shocking 1-9 loss against Djurgårdens IF.[2]
He soon established himself as a regular starter during the 1990s, a period when Hammarby was known as a yo-yo club bouncing between the first and second tier. He usually played at a central midfield position, being known as a technically gifted player with a great set of leadership and work rate.[1]
During the later years of his career he repositioned himself playing as a left full back. His biggest achievement came in 2001 when Hammarby won Allsvenskan for the first time in the club's history.[4]
During the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League qualification stage, he featured in both games as Hammarby got knocked out by the Serbian side Partizan Belgrade in the second round (1-5 on aggregate).[2]
Mikael Hellström was forced into retirement in 2005, aged 33, due to a hip injury.[5] In total, he made 301 league appearances for Hammarby IF and scored 18 goals. Hellström also captained the side in the seasons of 1999, 2000 and 2002.[2]
In 2004, Hellström was voted as Hammarby Fotboll's twelfth biggest profile throughout the history of the club.[6] Between 2007 and 2008, he worked as a scout for said club during the reign of manager Tony Gustavsson and director of football (as well as former teammate) Lars Eriksson.[7]
Hellström was a part of the Swedish under-20 national team during the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship in Portugal. He won his first, and single cap, for the side in a 0-2 group stage loss against Brazil on 20 June in said tournament.[2]
In May 1999, he won a cap for the Swedish national team, playing the whole game in a 2–1 friendly win against Jamaica on Råsunda Stadium.[5]