After a period in China that didn’t go as well as he imagined, Marcus Danielson, 33, is now back at Djurgården.
Sportbladet tells about the time gone by – and how it affected him on a personal level.
– Now I just want to go back to the person you want, says the Djurgarden midfielder.
He was a new old face at Djurgården training at Kaknäs IP on Tuesday. Golden Champion of 2019, Marcus Danielsononce again belongs to the club after signing a contract over 3.5 years.
– It’s great to be back in Kaknäs and to be part of this club again. There were other alternatives, but for me they were never relevant.
When he left Danielson Djurgården in 2020, he did so for China and Dalian Pro Club. Even then he knew he would come back one day.
– In fact, since I left, I had the idea that I wanted to go back. Lately, it’s been getting more and more approaching, and I’ve been waiting for this day, he says.
Time in China was not what Danielson had imagined. The epidemic hit the world and the Chinese League was closed for periods. Just two weeks ago, the 33-year-old opted to break his contract.
My situation was that I wanted to play football and I couldn’t do it in China. So we found a solution so I can play here. I decided a very long time ago that when I finished working with China, it was Djurgården that was important, he says.
“I want to go back to the person I want to be”
During his time in China, he was forced to spend long periods in quarantine and was isolated in players’ hotels. Something that affected him as a person.
Of course it’s not the most fun thing I’ve ever done in life. But as my situation was, I had a contract in China and if I was going to combine it with the national team, I had to do it and find ways to get past it, even if the periods didn’t feel the way you wanted to do, he says and continues:
It’s absolutely impossible to describe it to someone who hasn’t experienced it, no matter how many photos and videos I show, it’s hard to get into that seat.
Did you feel bad?
– Yes, I certainly did. Now I just want to look forward and start my new life in Stockholm and get back to the person I want to be.
He found support in his colleague
However, he wasn’t completely alone on the journey. In Dalian, he found support in fellow Swede Sam Larson.
– He meant an incredible amount. Having Sam with you has been safe and able to share experiences. He’s the only one who understands what I’ve been through and I’m the only one who knows what he’s been through. We got close to each other.
Danielson is now beginning to return to joy. During the spring, he was also able to train with Djurgården, even though he wasn’t part of the team. Sporting director Boss Anderson is hoping to be ready to actually play in the game against Hacken on Sunday.
– I think today is the beginning of something new. It was a pleasure coming here today and really belonging to the team and being able to be fully involved. It’s been a while since I’ve trained with a team, but I’ve continued to work on my own. It shouldn’t be too far, Danielson says.
The last time he played for the club, Djurgården won the gold medal in the Swedish Championship. Now he aims to repeat this feat.
– The team and I will do everything to win the gold medal.