Sheffield United: Anel Ahmedhodzic's sad story from his childhood in Sweden and how war shaped his character

Ahmedhodzic, the Sheffield United defender, is reflecting on his childhood in the Malmo suburb of Rosengard; a place recently described by one social commentator as being among ‘the most dangerous ghettos’ in Sweden. It was the place, dominated by purpose built housing blocks which tower over its green spaces and parks, where the Bosnia and Herzegovina international’s family chose to relocate following the horrors of the Balkans War. Ahmedhodzic is fiercely proud of both his roots in Scandinavia and ancestral homeland, which he later chose to represent after being capped by the Blagult. Indeed, after politely declining an invitation to shed further light on what happened to his old pal, Ahmedhodzic admits they have combined to make him the person he is today.

“My dad was very strict and my mum was the same. Bosnian parents, as you might know, are like that and when you are growing up you are not allowed to do anything unless you really beg for permission.

“Where I am from, it is a good area but a very tough area with a lot of different problems. So when I was smaller, of course there were a lot of temptations as I’ve spoken about. You want to have the fun, you want to do the things others are doing. But my parents, they kept me under control and I appreciate that very much.”

Like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, another of its former residents, football offered Ahmedhodzic an escape route from the chaos which consumes many youngsters from Rosengard. “I met him once, when I was a mascot at a game. When he walks into a room, he’s the boss.” The 23-year-old, who recently became a father himself, “I’m going to be very strict too”, joined Nottingham Forest after progressing through Malmo’s youth system before returning to the Eleda Stadion and then joining United last summer following a spell on loan with Bordeaux.

“My dad, his whole life is football and so that is what I chose,” Ahmedhodzic tells The Star. “Every day he watches it and I always used to watch it with him. If you ask people, apparently I always had a ball at my feet and he was the one who made me start up with it. Now, I am so glad he did. My dad, he tells me he used to play back home in Sarajevo but then he had to stop all of that and fight to defend his country.”

Ahmedhodzic was born in 1999, once the hostilities which are estimated to have cost 100,000 people their lives and forced another two million to flee their homes ended. But events during that dark period in the region’s history still shaped his character; equipping him with the steel to eventually turn professional and then, during the Swede’s forays into Europe, compete against some of the leading names in the business.

“My parents and my whole family, they knew the war. I was born afterwards but it took a huge toll on everyone. Looking back, maybe it made every one of us stronger because they know what it is like to fight in order to survive. I have that same attitude when it comes to my football. When you are in this game, it is you against everyone else. There is always someone who wants to take my place but I am determined not to let them. That is who I am.”

Paul Heckingbottom, the United manager, recently identified Ahmedhodzic’s “drive” as one of the reasons why he has emerged as one of the most influential members of a team which enters tomorrow’s game against Stoke City second in the Championship table and nine points clear of their nearest rivals in third. Delighted with his decision to return to England - “I love it here, the club and the city. I can be in the centre in 10 minutes and am also 10 minutes from nature” - Ahmedhodzic’s swashbuckling displays have quickly seen him become a firm favourite among supporters; including, it emerges, members of the Bosnian diaspora.

“We are everywhere, because so many people moved. There were Bosnians in France, Sweden obviously and also at QPR no so long ago, I heard someone screaming at me in Bosnian. He was shouting ‘Come on, let’s go.’ I’ve got to admit I was shocked. Sheffield is probably the only place where I have not met any other Bosnians. But it’s great here and I’m sure I will.”

Still, Ahmedhodzic is not entirely satisfied with his lot so far.

“I want us to be number one in the league, not second. My dream has always been to play in the Premier League but I don’t want to say too much about that because the only thing is to keep winning games. The good thing is, the power is in our hands. But always, just focus on the next match. You have to fight. That is what I have always been taught, about staying in the moment, and that is what I did, in Rosengard, to take the right path.”