Dan Sahlin

Sahlin was born in Falun. He began his football career with Nynäshamns IF, and later played for Division 3 club Västerhaninge IF while also playing bandy at elite level. Sahlin came late into top-class football: he was nearly 28 years of age when, after lengthy negotiations, he joined Allsvenskan club Hammarby IF in February 1995. His debut was eventful: after 11 minutes 3 seconds, he scored the first goal of the 1995 Allsvenskan season, and in the 44th minute he received his second yellow card. He finished the season with 12 league goals and another 3 in the Swedish Cup, but his club were relegated. In November 1995, Sahlin made his international debut for Sweden, after which he went to England to join Division One (second-tier) club Birmingham City on loan. He made his debut in the Football League on 26 November 1995 in a 2–2 draw at home to Leicester City, coming on as a 74th-minute substitute for fellow debutant Danny Hill. This was the only first-team game that Sahlin played for Birmingham, and he returned to Sweden in December. Sahlin returned to the Allsvenskan with Örebro SK. In 1997 his 14 goals earned him a share in the league top scorer's crown, together with Christer Mattiasson of Elfsborg and Mats Lilienberg of Halmstad, and the following season his 10 goals made him Örebro's leading scorer. In his last game for ÖSK, Sahlin scored in the 89th minute to confirm a 4–2 win and take his club second in the table. In his three seasons with the club he scored 40 goals…

Sahlin played in three B-internationals for Sweden and three matches for the senior national team. On 15 November 1995, he made his senior international debut, as an 83rd-minute substitute to replace Jörgen Pettersson in a UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying match against Turkey which finished as a 2–2 draw. His first start for his country came on 22 February 1996, when he played the first half of the Carlsberg Cup final against Japan in Hong Kong. His third and last international appearance came in a friendly away against Lithuania in August 1997.

International

Individual

Allsvenskan top scorer: 1997 (shared with Christer Mattiasson and Mats Lilienberg)