John Sjoberg may not have been the flashiest name in the long and eventful history of Leicester City, but his dedication, versatility, and sheer dependability ensured he left a lasting impact on the club.

 

PART ONE

Coming from Scotland, John Sjoberg started in the amateur ranks at Banks O’ Dee, a club that may not ring many bells outside of Aberdeenshire but proved to be an early testing ground for his defensive prowess. It was from there the young and promising defender joined First Division Leicester City in August 1958.

However, breaking into the Leicester City first-team was no small task, particularly for a youngster adjusting to the demands of professional football south of the border. It took Sjoberg two years to make his competitive debut for The Foxes, which finally arrived in a 2–1 Division One defeat against Cardiff City at Ninian Park on the 28th of October 1960. That match marked the beginning of what would be a long and distinguished tenure with the Filbert Street club, but it was merely a prelude to the key role he would go on to play.

Moreover, as Leicester established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the early 1960s, Sjoberg grew in prominence, becoming a near ever-present in the side during the 1962-63 campaign. That season culminated in an FA Cup Final appearance at Wembley, where Leicester lost 3–1 to Manchester United.

The opening fifteen minutes of the final were chaotic, with Leicester squandering three golden scoring chances after errors from Manchester United goalkeeper David Gaskell. Each time, Ken Keyworth, Mike Stringfellow, and Dave Gibson failed to convert, with last-ditch United defending keeping the score level.

United settled after the early scares and took control of the game. They peppered Gordon Banks’ goal with off-target efforts before breaking the deadlock after half an hour. Banks had comfortably saved a Bobby Charlton shot but then bowled the ball out to Gibson, only for Paddy Crerand to intercept 25 yards from goal. Crerand quickly fed Denis Law, who turned and fired past Banks and two defenders. Law nearly doubled the lead ten minutes later when he rounded Banks, only to be denied by Leicester’s scrambling defence.

Leicester started the second half with renewed purpose and had another chance when Gaskell spilled the ball at the feet of Graham Cross, but he failed to hit the target. United soon regained control and doubled their lead in the 57th minute of the encounter. A cross-field pass from Johnny Giles found Charlton unmarked. His shot was parried by Banks into the path of David Herd, who effortlessly tapped into the empty net.

Leicester pulled one back with ten minutes left on the clock when Keyworth met Frank McLintock’s speculative shot with a well-placed diving header. The goal briefly raised hopes of a comeback, but The Reds remained dominant. Law hit the post with a header before the game was put to bed in the 85th minute. Banks misjudged a Giles cross, fumbling the ball into the path of Herd, who calmly slotted the ball home.

Despite the disappointment, the final was a testament to Leicester’s quality in that era, with Sjoberg playing a key role in their journey to Wembley. His defensive performances had been instrumental throughout the campaign, and though Leicester fell short, their presence in the final underlined their growing stature.

 

PART TWO

The following season, redemption arrived in the form of Leicester’s first-ever major trophy—the 1964 League Cup. This time, there was no heartbreak, no second-place anguish, just a hard-fought triumph that etched Sjoberg and his teammates into the club’s history books. Accordingly, it reinforced City’s credentials as a side capable of defeating anyone, and Sjoberg’s importance at the heart of the defence continued to grow.

It was in the 1964/65 campaign that his career truly took shape, as he transitioned from right full-back to centre-half, forming an iron-clad partnership with Graham Cross. Together, they became the heart of the Leicester defence, repelling attacks with a blend of no-nonsense tackling and positional intelligence.

Nevertheless, Sjoberg’s combative style came at a price. Injuries were not just a risk; they were an expectation. He broke his nose, he broke his cheekbone, and he even broke his jaw in a bruising encounter against Glasgow Rangers. Yet, he simply carried on, as if pain was just another opponent to be shrugged off. What’s more, he unintentionally left his mark—quite literally—on Queens Park Rangers and Manchester City forward Rodney Marsh, who suffered partial deafness after an aerial duel ended with Sjoberg’s head colliding with the side of Marsh’s. Football during the 1960s was a different beast, and Sjoberg embodied its grit.

Unfortunately, his resilience was not enough to prevent disappointment, as he missed out on the 1969 FA Cup Final, a moment that might have been the pinnacle of his career. That season proved disastrous for Leicester as they struggled without his presence and suffered the ultimate blow—relegation. Accordingly, his absence only proved his value, a player whose influence extended far beyond the tackles and headers.

In 1970-71, Leicester gained promoted back to the First Division after winning Division Two with 59 points from 42 games. The Midlanders continued to compete for silverware, and Sjoberg was back at Wembley again as they lifted the 1971 FA Charity Shield, a confirmation of his enduring influence within the squad. He also played an important part as City consolidated their position in Division One in the 1971/72 campaign.

Yet, football is rarely sentimental, and by 1973, after 15 years of loyal service and 413 first-team appearances, it was time for Sjoberg to move on. He had a relatively short spell with Rotherham United before calling it a day, opting instead for the rather less combative world of the printing business in Leicester.

Nevertheless, while his post-football career may not have involved packed stadiums and crunching tackles, his legacy at Leicester City remains firmly intact. And after all, it is players such as John Sjoberg that form the backbone of their history, the foundation upon which grander achievements are built.

And how many modern defenders could say they fought in cup finals, and built a business, all while probably possessing a harder tackle than some of today’s entire backlines combined? Not many.