Born: Hudiksvall (Sweden), 29/11/69
Position: Forward
Clubs: Nasvikens IK, GIF Sundsvall, IFK Norrkoping, Parma, Leeds United, FC Zurich, Parma, Crystal Palace, Hudiksyallas ABK
Serie A apps: 144
Serie A gls: 20

Most footballers follow a conventional route after retirement from the game - becoming Coaches, trainers, sometimes even Presidents. But not Tomas Brolin whose demise from the game itself was extraordinary. At 21, Brolin was a prodigious talent emerging in the 1990 World Cup with Sweden. He attracted the interests of a suitably young team – Parma – who had just been promoted to Serie A for the first time.

The move worked like a dream for three years. Brolin was the eye-catching star of the side which won cups both at home and abroad, becoming one of the most respected stranieri. At the Euros in 1992 and in the USA World Cup of 1994 he again shone as one of the key players. But it all started to go wrong towards the end of that year.

Brolin began to struggle with knee problems, piling on the pounds and subsequently struggling to make a Parma team which now had Gianfranco Zola and Faustino Asprilla in the forward positions. It became apparent that his future lay elsewhere. Howard Wilkinson at Leeds United provided the solution, but from there it got worse. The portly Swede failed to justify his £4.5m price tag and lasted just a season in Yorkshire, scoring four times.

Within nine months he was at FC Zurich on loan and five months later back at Parma – more out of sympathy and a favour to rescue his flagging career. Again injuries blighted this prestigious talent and he seemed lose his desire for the game. He moved to Crystal Palace and played under Attilio Lombardo in one of the strangest managerial appointments in Premiership history.

Brolin then decided to turn his back on top-flight football, moving back to Sweden where he became a Third Division goalkeeper for a short while. Then he coached in the United States.

Now he is a entrepreneur, owning his own chain of restaurants combining Swedish and Italian food, his own shoe empire selling both Brolin Quality Shoes and Brolin Active Wear and various other outlets trading parts for vacuum cleaners and skin care. More typical of an ex-footballer, he has a passing interest in horseracing. It seems Tomas Brolin will never cease to surprise people.