Position: Defender
Born: 03.09.77
Club: Aston Villa

Olof Mellberg is the dominant presence in both the Sweden and Aston Villa defences, and has been for some time now.

He played in Sweden for Degerfors and later AIK Stockholm before joining Racing Santander in 1998 but they were relegated in 2001 and John Gregory paid £5 million to take him to Villa as a replacement for Gareth Southgate.

The England man was a hard act to follow, but Mellberg won over the fans instantly with a string of committed displays and he collected the Villa Player of the Year award in his first season.

He has remained one of the Premiership's most consistent defenders in his time at Villa, and he has been equally important to Sweden.

Mellberg is a strong tackler and header of the ball, and his excellent timing means he wins challenges than he loses.

He missed a penalty as Sweden lost to Holland in a quarter-final shootout at Euro 2004, and will be hoping to make amends at the World Cup.