Hans Eskilsson

Hans Eskilsson

Personal information
Full name	Hans Vimmo Eskilsson
Date of birth	(1966-01-23) 23 January 1966
Place of birth	Östersund, Sweden
Height
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1973–1975	Ope IF
1976–1983	IFK Östersund
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1983–1984	IFK Östersund	28	(20)
1985–1987	Norrköping	57	(7)
1988	Hammarby	15	(1)
1988–1989	Sporting CP	7	(1)
1989–1990	Braga	22	(2)
1991	AIK	12	(1)
1991	Estoril	4	(0)
1992–1995	Hammarby	73	(47)
1995	Vasalunds	10	(8)
1995–1996	Hearts	11	(2)
1996–2001	Hammarby	97	(11)
2002–2003	Östersunds FK	5	(0)
Total		341	(100)
International career
?–?	Sweden U21	12	(?)
1988–1990	Sweden	8	(2)
Managerial career
2002–2003	Östersunds FK
2004	Enköping
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Hans Vimmo Eskilsson (born 23 January 1966) is a Swedish retired footballer who played mainly as a striker.

He played in 168 games in the Allsvenskan, scoring 19 goals. He also competed three seasons in Portugal and represented Hearts in Scotland, during a 20-year career.

Club career

Early years / Portugal

Eskilsson was born in Östersund, Jämtland County. After starting in the lower leagues with local IFK Östersund, he moved in 1985 to the top division with IFK Norrköping, then competed in the 1988 season with fellow league side Hammarby IF.

Eskilsson moved to Portugal at the age of 22, joining Sporting Clube de Portugal as an electoral asset of future president Jorge Gonçalves: during the better part of the following three seasons in the country – with a brief spell in his country with AIK Fotboll in between– he only scored three goals for as many teams, also representing S.C. Braga and G.D. Estoril Praia.

Hammarby / Hearts

In 1992 Eskilsson returned to former club Hammarby, netting 40 goals in his first two campaigns combined and promoting to the top level in the second. In early November 1995, after a short stint at Solna-based Vasalunds IF, he moved to Scotland to play for Heart of Midlothian in the Premier Division, being sparingly played during the season and being released as his contract was not renewed.

Aged 30, Eskilsson joined Hammarby for a third spell in 1996, again finding the side in division two and again helping it achieve promotion. He also began featuring regularly as a central defender, forming an efficient partnership with Pétur Marteinsson; late into his final stint, however, he suffered a severe leg injury after a two-footed challenge by Daniel Hoch in a derby game against AIK, having to retire from professional football.

International career

Eskilsson gained eight caps for Sweden during two years, his debut coming in 1988.

Also in that year, he played Olympic football in Seoul, appearing in two matches for the eventual quarterfinalists.

International goals

Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref
1.	2 April 1988	Olympiastadion, West Berlin, West Germany	Soviet Union	1–0	2–0	1988 Four Nations Tournament
2.	27 April 1988	Råsunda, Solna, Sweden	Wales	4–1	4–1	Friendly

Post-retirement

Shortly after retiring, Eskilsson had a short spell as a manager, coaching lowly outfits Östersunds FK and Enköpings SK. He subsequently became a professional poker player. He married Swedish international footballer Malin Swedberg, and the couple have two children.

External links

• Hans Eskilsson at footballzz.co.uk
• Hans Eskilsson profile at ForaDeJogo
• London Hearts profile
• Hans Eskilsson at National-Football-Teams.com
• Sweden stats at Eu-Football