From Subway to Stardom: 31-Year-Old Cyclist Set to Shine in Champions League After Remarkable Journey

A SWEDISH striker who worked at Subway until he was 24 faces Yaya Toure’s team for a place in the Champions League play-offs tonight.

Jacob Bergstrom will also travel on two wheels to the European clash between Swedish minnows Mjallby and 24-time Slovakian champions Slovan Bratislava.

Mjallby’s striker cycled to matches even as his team won the league last season Credit: AFP Jacob Bergstrom plays for the second smallest side to play in the Champions League in history Credit: EPA

The unconventional 31-year-old forward prefers a coastal cycle to Mjallby’s matches at the Strandvallen Stadium, situated next to a campsite and a mere 100 metres from the Baltic Sea.

When the former sandwich maker first signed for Mjallby, they were an obscure side in ‘s third division.

Europe’s finest were a far cry for Bergstrom, who never managed to break into a youth academy and was stuck at amateur level even at 22.

glamour also seemed a faraway fantasy for Mjallby, who were on the brink of bankruptcy in 2016.

The team are based in the miniscule fishing community of Hallevik, which has a population of scarcely 1,000 people.

It has now become the second smallest place to hold a Champions League fixture in history.

Despite their village roots, Mjallby stunned Sweden‘s city-based elite and sent shockwaves throughout the footballing world by winning last season’s national championship.

They now hope to ink a new chapter in their seaside fairytale by beating the most successful club in Slovakian history.

Mjallby’s picturesque Hallevik home has a population of barely 1000 people Credit: Alamy

Victory over former Champion’s League winner Yaya Toure‘s Slovan Bratislava would leave Mjallby just one tie away from facing the kings of the continent next season.

Whatever the outcome on the Swedish coast, the rural giant-killers are guaranteed a European stage in the Uefa Conference League.