Grimsby Town were underwhelmed by double Scandinavian swoop after Chelsea link | OneFootball

Swedish defenders Sebastian Ring and Ludvig Ohman never really got going in a Grimsby shirt, despite the excitement that greeted their arrivals

When Grimsby Town boss at the time, Michael Jolley, brought in Swedish defenders Sebastian Ring and Ludvig Ohman in January 2019, it sparked huge supporter interest in their new Scandinavian recruits.

Ohman's links to Premier League side Chelsea earlier in his career was only part of the reason there was plenty of excitement surrounding their arrivals but while both were steady enough and fully committed during their somewhat brief spells in North East Lincolnshire, neither stood out in the way that had been hoped, with both moving on to pastures new within two years.

Left-back Ring was the first to put pen to paper, with Jolley, who'd spent some time in management in Swedish football before joining the Mariners towards the end of the 2017/18 campaign, tying him down to an 18-month deal at the beginning of the 2019 January transfer window.

Prior to his move to England, Ring had played top-flight football in his native country for hometown club Örebro SK, and it was hoped the 24-year-old could add some quality and dynamism in the wide areas for the Mariners.

A week later, central defender Öhman signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Grimsby, having previously played for the likes of Kalmar IF, AFC Eskilstuna, and IF Brommapojkarna in his homeland, along with a year in Japan with Nagoya Grampus.

Linked with a move to the English top-flight giants a few years prior, Mariners' fans hoped they'd captured someone of real quality far above that of League Two standards, though were ultimately left underwhelmed as both Ohman and Ring struggled to adapt to the English game.

Swedish pair never let Grimsby down but couldn't find consistent form and fitness

Both Ring and Ohman seemed like good characters who worked hard while at the club. However, both were limited and had flaws in their game which opponents exposed.

Ring lacked physicality. Not the quickest, the full-back, who played 21 games in total for the Mariners, was often caught out by pacy wingers and looked a little lost positionally on occasion, too.

Powerful centre-back Ohman was certainly wholehearted and committed, but was often reckless in his challenges, regularly giving away free-kicks in dangerous positions that saw his team punished. Sent off twice in his 36 Grimsby appearances, the Swede lacked the pace and nous to deal with League Two forwards consistently and effectively.

The pair both struggled for fitness at times in their time on the English east coast, and this further compounded their difficulty in making a lasting impression on the first-team and the Mariners' fanbase.

Ohman returned to Swedish football while Ring has plied his trade across the continent

Both players initially returned to their native country upon their respective Blundell Park departures, with Ring spending 18 months in the Superttan (Swedish top-flight) with Kalmar FF between 2020 and late 2001 and Ohman heading to second-tier outfit Falkenbergs FF for a season in 2021.

Since then, however, the pair's career paths have differed. While the latter has remained in Sweden, spending two years with Vasalunds FF between 2022 and 2024, before moving on to Umeå, with whom the 33-year-old remains, turning out for the third-tier side based on the Scandinavian country's southeast coast.

Ring decided to try his luck overseas once again, signing for Polish Ekstraklasa side Wisla Kraków just before Christmas in 2021. His stay with Biala Gwiazda was short-lived, though, as he left the club the following summer after they were relegated to the second tier.

The full-back then spent two seasons with French Ligue 2 side Amiens, making 49 appearances in total before the 29-year-old left for Greece Super League strugglers PAS Lamia, for whom he's become a regular for a side who currently prop up the rest in the divisional standings following a difficult first half of the 2024/25 campaign.

While both fell short in a Grimsby shirt, it wasn't through lack of effort. However, Mariners fans may find the levels and leagues that Ring in particular has gone on to reach in the meantime a little surprising. The same could be said of Ohman's Chelsea links following a spell at Blundell Park that won't live long in the memory.