Swedish soccer star and part-time male
model Freddie Ljungberg says he doesn't mind being called gay.
The handsome Ljungberg retired his post
as captain of the Swedish national team in 2008 when he retired from
international football. He now plays for the Seattle Sounders FC, a
Major League Soccer expansion team. The Sounders' owner, Hollywood
producer Joe Roth, reportedly paid Ljungberg $10 million over two
years to make the move.
The 33-year-old's moonlighting career
as a Calvin Klein underwear model thrust the footballer to
international fame.
Ljungberg shared some fast facts with
the New
York Times last week, including the fact that he's “proud”
of the rumor that he's gay.
The star says he has a house on Lake
Washington, wakes up at 7:30AM, eats oatmeal for breakfast, has three
tattoos, misses Swedish salt licorice, loves snowboarding and started
playing soccer at 5.
He said he initially disliked his male
model career because he's shy.
“I was an underwear model for Calvin
Klein for a few years,” Ljungberg said. “It is not something I
wanted to do at first. I never regretted it, but I am a shy person,
and to stand there buck naked in front of a camera was scary.”
And on those persistent gay rumors: “I
don't mind at all. I am proud of that. I love fashion, and I think
so many gay people have amazing style. So that is a compliment to
me. I really don't know why people are so interested. I just made a
decision that I won't talk about it.”