Hjalmar Ekdal

Hjalmar Ekdal is a Swedish defender born in Stockholm on 21 October 1998. He developed at IF Brommapojkarna before moving to the United States in 2017, where he played college soccer for UNC Wilmington and earned CAA Rookie of the Year honours. Returning to Sweden in 2018, Ekdal joined IK Frej and later moved to Hammarby IF, spending much of that period on loan at IK Sirius. He joined Djurgardens IF in 2021, establishing himself as a regular central defender and helping the club reach the Europa Conference League knockout rounds. Ekdal moved to Burnley in January 2023, joining Vincent Kompany's side during its Championship-winning campaign. At 1.88 metres, Hjalmar Ekdal offers composure in possession, supports build-up play and uses anticipation to defend space. He has also been involved with Sweden at international level.