Niklas Backman

Niklas Backman

Personal information
Full name	Niklas Alexander Backman
Date of birth	(1988-11-13) 13 November 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth	Västerås, Sweden
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Centre back
Youth career
1993–2004	Skiljebo SK
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005–2007	Skiljebo SK
2008–2009	Väsby United	56	(0)
2010–2013	AIK	92	(2)
2014–2015	Dalian Aerbin	59	(5)
2016–2021	AGF	98	(3)
International career
2009–2010	Sweden U21	5	(0)
2011–2014	Sweden	6	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Niklas Alexander Backman (born 13 November 1988) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a centre back.

He played for Skiljebo SK, AIK, Dalian Aerbin, and AGF during a career that spanned between 2005 and 2021. A full international between 2011 and 2014, he won six caps for the Sweden national team.

Club career

Backman started playing football for local Västerås team Skiljebo SK as a youth. He played with Skiljebo SK until 2008 when he was transferred to Väsby United in the Swedish second division Superettan. He played 56 games for the club and completed the 2009 season in style at Väsby keeping them in the Superettan. During the summer of 2009, his playing rights were transferred to AIK, but he continued playing matches for Väsby. He made no appearances for AIK during their championship-winning campaign. In 2010, he played his first match for AIK.[1][2]

On 14 October 2021, 32-year old Backman announced his retirement from football, after he experienced symptoms stemming from his previous head injuries.[3]

International career

On 19 January 2011, he made his debut for Sweden in a friendly 2–1 away win over Botswana.[4] He won his sixth and final cap on 21 January 2014 in a friendly 2–0 win against Iceland, coming on a substitute for Pontus Jansson in the 83rd minute.[5]

Career statistics

Club

Club	Season	Division	League		Cup		Europe		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Väsby United	2008	Superettan	30	0	—		—		30	0
	2009	Superettan	26	0	—		—		26	0
	Total		56	0	0	0	0	0	56	0
AIK	2010	Allsvenskan	24	0	3	0	4	0	31	0
	2011	Allsvenskan	30	1	1	0	—		31	1
	2012	Allsvenskan	28	1	2	0	8	0	38	1
	2013	Allsvenskan	10	0	1	0	—		11	0
	Total		92	2	7	0	12	0	111	2
Dalian Aerbin	2014	Chinese Super League	29	2	0	0	-		29	2
	2015	China League One	30	3	1	0	-		31	3
	Total		59	5	1	0	0	0	60	5
AGF	2015–16	Danish Superliga	14	1	4	0	-		18	1
	2016–17	Danish Superliga	0	0	0	0	-		0	0
Career Total			207	7	8	0	12	0	227	7

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[6]

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Sweden	2011	2	0
	2012	1	0
	2013	1	0
	2014	2	0
	Total	6	0

Honours

AIK

• Supercupen: 2010

References

1. Niklas Backman at Svenskfotboll.se
2. "AGF-kaptajn indstiller karrieren: 'En af de sværeste beslutninger i mit liv'". 14 October 2021.
3. NIKLAS BACKMAN INDSTILLER KARRIEREN, agf.dk, 14 October 2021
4. Backman, Niklas
5. "Island - Sverige - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll". www.svenskfotboll.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 14 October 2021.
6. "Niklas Backman - Spelarstatistik - Svensk fotboll". www.svenskfotboll.se. (in Swedish). Retrieved 14 October 2021.

• AGF HENTER SVENSK FORSVARSSPILLER I KINA‚ AGF, 18 January 2016

External links

• Niklas Backman at National-Football-Teams.com
• Niklas Backman at the Swedish Football Association (in Swedish)