From Nairobi's slums to Manchester City: the remarkable journey of John Guidetti
In short: Before signing a three-year deal with Manchester City at just sixteen, John Guidetti spent five years in Kenya. Playing barefoot in the slums of Nairobi shaped a striker who would eventually dominate the Dutch Eredivisie and win a European Under-21 Championship.
John Guidetti's footballing foundation was far from the polished academies of Europe. After starting at IF Brommapojkarna in Sweden, his family moved to Kenya in 2002. During his five years there, he played in Nairobi's slums, joining academies like Impala BrommaBoys, Mathare United, and Ligi Ndogo. This period of playing barefoot in local communities was, by his own account, vital for his development both on and off the pitch.
His talent eventually brought him back to Sweden and into the spotlight. In 2008, manager Sven Goran Eriksson spotted him and secured his move to Manchester City. Guidetti's rise was meteoric; he was a prolific scorer for the Under-18s and even marked his reserve debut with a hat-trick. However, his career has been a complex tapestry of high-scoring brilliance and unexpected setbacks.
At Feyenoord, Guidetti became a sensation, scoring 20 goals in 23 games during the 2011–12 season. He achieved the rare feat of scoring three consecutive home hat-tricks in the Eredivisie, a feat previously achieved only by Cees Groot in 1963. Yet, this momentum was halted by a mysterious virus that caused him to lose feeling in his right leg due to an infected nerve.
Despite these health struggles and various loan spells at clubs like Burnley, Celtic, and Celta Vigo, Guidetti remained a key figure for the Swedish national team. His appearances for Sweden during UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup demonstrated that the grit developed in Nairobi could endure top-tier professional football.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: John Guidetti
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-john-guidetti.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Born on this day · More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
