Hjalmar Ekdal

Following his move to Burnley, Ekdal's current-season form is down 29% on last season (Season 17→12), while his Rating held around 59. His peak season for form remains 2021/22 (Season 52).

Domestic career

Season	Club	Apps	G	A	Match	RTG	Season
2025/26	Burnley · 19th	19	0	0	6.67	59	12
2024/25	Burnley	1	0	0	—	—	—
2024/25	GroningenLoan · 13th	14	0	0	6.84	58	17
2023/24	Burnley · 19th	8	0	0	6.64	65	3
2022/23	Burnley · 1st	9	1	1	7.22	65	13
2022/23	Djurgardens IF · 2nd	24	3	0	7.2	39	46
2021/22	Djurgardens IF · 3rd	26	4	0	7.24	40	52

Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year. 3 earlier seasons in the full career.

Sweden · international

Side	Apps	G
Sweden	13	0
Sweden U21	1	0

Career caps & goals — tournament breakdown in the full career.

Scout report

Squad depthCentral defender

H. Ekdal is a 27-year-old central defender at Burnley, rated 59 overall by Field Insider's model, ranking 268th of 376 on scout potential in the Premier League. In his prime years, he has been a rotation option this season (45% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 2.87 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Ekdal.

Judged on this season alone, Ekdal graded 12 — a workmanlike campaign that ranks 57th of 64 of the 64 centre-backs in the Premier League, on 2 clean sheets and 2.865 defensive actions per 90.

Year-on-year, that's a drop on last season (Season 17 → 12). Over the 6 seasons on record his form has drifted down, peaking in 2021/22.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 59, 44th of 64 of the 64 centre-backs in the Premier League. At 27 Ekdal is in his prime years, and a market index of 70.8 reflects that trajectory.

From the career report

Read the full career report →

Below his 2021/22 peak but holding a solid level — the platform for a return is there.

Peak: 2021/22Trending upBreakout: 2021/22Streaky4 clubs

Current potential44th of 64 centre-backs · Premier League Current season57th of 64 centre-backs · Premier League57th-best centre-back in the Premier League268th in the Premier League · potential44th-highest potential centre-back in the Premier League

Ratingi

44th of 64 centre-backs

Seasoni

below regular-starter level

45%

Minutes

rotation minutes

2.87

Def. actions / 90

moderate defensive volume

Output in context · Burnley finished 19th of 20 · a relegation-threatened side

2.87

Def. / 90

Tackles

Interceptions

Clean sheets

2.87 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — moderate defensive volume, with 2 clean sheets across 19 appearances. Doing that for a relegation-threatened side (19th of 20) is harder than the bare numbers suggest: a back line under more pressure has to defend more often and protects fewer leads, so the volume — and any clean sheets — carry real weight.

Strengths

Pedigree. Performing in a top-tier setting (team strength 90.5/100).

Watch points

Game time. Only 45% of available minutes — needs a settled run to prove the level.

Outlook

With a Rating of 59, Ekdal carries the 44th-highest potential of the centre-backs in the Premier League of 64, and he is posting that for a relegation-threatened side (Burnley finished 19th of 20) — individual numbers are harder to earn on a struggling team, so his underlying level likely sits a touch above the ranking. Defensively he reads as moderate defensive volume (2.87 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). In the prime window — at or near peak market value, so the next two seasons are the ones to cash in or build around. Doing it for a lesser side, he profiles as a value buy for a club higher up the table.

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Per 90 & availability

Minutes played %45%

Available fixtures38 of 38

Goals / 900

Assists / 900

Goal contribution / 900

Defensive actions / 902.865

Player flow

Goal involvements0

Shot conversion %0

Shot accuracy %25

Pass accuracy %85

Dribble success %50

Cards / 900

Foul involvement / 900.702

Season-by-season progression

Rating (potential)Season (form)

Value & potential by age

Market valueRating

Solid = now · dashed = projected

The gold line is market value — an index (not €) blending rating, age and league. It climbs through the early 20s, peaks around ages 23–27 (~71), then tapers with age. At 27, Ekdal sits on 70.8, at or near its peak. The blue line is Ekdal's projected Rating — 59 today — recomputed at each age, so it follows the same rise-and-fall as a career matures and declines. Solid = up to today; dashed = projected.

Season statistics

Bars = where he ranks among centre-backs in the Premier League with 600+ minutes this season.

Shooting

Goals0

Shots on target1

Shots4

Passing

Assists0

Chances created4—

Passes681—

Pass accuracy85%

Possession

Successful dribbles2

Dribble success50%

Duels won83—

Duels won %63.8%—

Fouls won7

Defending

Tackles24

Interceptions12

Blocks13

Fouls committed5

Yellow/red cards

Yellow cards0

Red cards0

Transfer history

€2.8M total transfer fees · 10 moves

Burnley(back from loan)2025/26 – now

Groningen(on loan)2024/25 – 2025/26

Burnley2022/23 – 2024/25€ 2.8M

Djurgardens IFuntil 2022/23

Hammarby FF(back from loan)2020/21 – 2022/23

Siriusuntil 2020/21

Djurgardens IF2020/21 – 2020/21

IK Frej(on loan)2019/20 – 2020/21

Sirius(on loan)2019/20 – 2019/20

Hammarby FF(back from loan)2019/20 – 2019/20

Assyriska FF(on loan)2018/19 – 2019/20

IK Frej2017/18 – 2018/19Free

IF Brommapojkarnauntil 2017/18

About H. Ekdal

Hjalmar Ekdal is a 27-year-old centre-back who plays for Burnley, born on October 21, 1998 in Stockholm, standing 188 cm tall. He is from Sweden. Burnley currently sit 19th of 20 in the Premier League.

This season

In the current season, H. Ekdal has made 19 appearances with 0 goals and 0 assists across 1,539 minutes, averaging a 6.8 match rating over his last 10 rated games. His season has spanned the Premier League and the FA Cup.

When H. Ekdal plays, Burnley's record this season is 3W-4D-14L — and his match ratings average 6.98 at home against 6.3 on the road.

Recent matches

May 1, 2026: 1-3 loss away at Leeds (90 minutes, 6.6 rating)
April 22, 2026: 0-1 loss at home vs Manchester City (90 minutes, 6.9 rating)
April 19, 2026: 1-4 loss away at Nottingham Forest (90 minutes, 5.9 rating)
April 11, 2026: 0-2 loss at home vs Brighton (90 minutes, 7.9 rating)
February 14, 2026: 1-2 loss at home vs Mansfield Town (90 minutes, 6.2 rating)
January 17, 2026: 1-1 draw away at Liverpool (16 minutes, 6.9 rating)
January 10, 2026: 5-1 win at home vs Millwall (90 minutes, 1 assist, 7.3 rating)
January 3, 2026: 0-2 loss away at Brighton (90 minutes, 6.3 rating)
December 30, 2025: 1-3 loss at home vs Newcastle (90 minutes, 6.7 rating)
December 27, 2025: 0-0 draw at home vs Everton (90 minutes, 7.3 rating)

Field Insider's view

Field Insider currently rates H. Ekdal at 59 with a Season form score of 12, ranking 268th of 376 centre-backs in the Premier League. See the full scout report for strengths, watch-points and the market-value outlook.

His honours include 4 career titles — among them the Championship and the Superettan. Full list in the career record.

Career

Across 8 recorded seasons, H. Ekdal has totalled 164 club appearances with 11 goals and 1 assist for 6 different clubs. His busiest campaign came in 2020/21, with 26 appearances for Sirius.

H. Ekdal's career has also included time at Groningen, Djurgardens IF, Hammarby FF, Sirius, IK Frej, Assyriska FF and IF Brommapojkarna.

On the international stage, H. Ekdal has represented Sweden and Sweden U21 — 14 caps in our records.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.

Profile

Season stats

Performance data · by competition

Career

Scout report

Output in context · Burnley finished 19th of 20 · a relegation-threatened side

Strengths

Watch points