Swedish coach Lars Lagerback Tuesday selected veteran forward Henrik Larsson for his 23-man squad for the upcoming European Championship finals in Austria and Switzerland, dpa reported.
Fans and football columnists have clamoured for Larsson, who retired after the World Cup finals 2006, to make a comeback in the blue and yellow uniform.
Lagerback said he contacted Larsson on Monday, and after a few hours of consideration the striker who has played for powerhouses like Barcelona, Glagow Celtic and Manchester United recalled, saying he wanted to be on the squad.
Larsson was "100 per cent motivated" to be on the team, Lagerback said, lauding Larsson's skills as a player that makes others better.
His return to the Swedish side indicates that he has kept his form in the Swedish league with Helsingborg, making his sixth major championship, but also indicates problems Lagerback and his deputy Roland Andersson have had with injuries on key players.
Sweden takes on reigning European Champions Greece as well as Spain and Russia in Group D.
Lagerback said Spain is currently likely "the best offensive team" in the world.
Other choices in the squad included Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and team captain Fredrik Ljungberg of West Ham who are battling injuries as was Tobias Linderoth of Galatsaray.
If Linderoth does not recover fully from his hip injury he will be replaced by Kennedy Bakircioglu of Ajax, Lagerback said.
Lagerback praised Ljungberg's "eye for the game" and "psyche".
Provisional squad: Goalkeepers: Andreas Isaksson ( Manchester City), Rami Shaaban (Hammarby), Johan Wiland (Elfsborg);
Defenders: Mikael Nilsson (Panathinaikos), Olof Mellberg (Aston Villa), Petter Hansson (Stade Rennais), Fredrik Stoor (Rosenborg), Daniel Majstorovic (Basel), Andreas Granqvist (Wigan Athletic), Mikael Dorsin (CFR Cluj);
Midfielders: Niclas Alexandersson (IFK Goteborg), Daniel Andersson (Malmo FF), Kim Kallstrom (Olympique Lyonnais), Tobias Linderoth (Galatasaray), Fredrik Ljungberg (West Ham), Anders Svensson (Elfsborg), Christian Wilhelmsson (Deportivo de la Coruna), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham City).
Forwards: Marcus Allback (FC Copenhagen), Johan Elmander ( Toulouse), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan), Henrik Larsson (Helsingborg), Markus Rosenberg (Werder Bremen).