Born to a German father, he played as a midfielder. He started playing football at youth level in Kulladals FF and began his career at his hometown club Malmö. In 1990 he played as a youth player in Leverkusen before moving on to Benfica where he played from 1990 to 1994. He also played for Arsenal, Fiorentina, Valencia and Sunderland. The most prestigious award he received was Guldbollen, 1999, as Sweden's best footballer during that year.