{{Short description|Swedish association football player}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Melker Ellborg | fullname = Melker Åke Ellborg | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|05|22|df=yes}} | birth_place = Kalmar, Sweden | death_date = | death_place = | height = 1,91m | position = Goalkeeper | currentclub = Sunderland | clubnumber = 31 | youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2017 | youthclubs1 = IFK Berga | youthyears2 = 2019–2020 | youthclubs2 = Malmö FF | years1 = 2017–2019 | clubs1 = IFK Berga | caps1 = 1 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2021–2025 | clubs2 = Malmö FF | caps2 = 7 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2022 | clubs3 = → IFK Malmö (loan) | caps3 = 14 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2023 | clubs4 = → Ariana FC (loan) | caps4 = 12 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2024 | clubs5 = → Trelleborgs FF (loan) | caps5 = 4 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2026– | clubs6 = Sunderland | caps6 = 3 | goals6 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 2018–2019 | nationalteam1 = Sweden U17 | nationalcaps1 = 8 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2021–2023 | nationalteam2 = Sweden U19 | nationalcaps2 = 7 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | club-update = 23:50, 22 March 2026 (UTC) | nationalteam-update = 26 March 2022 }} '''Melker Åke Ellborg''' (born 22 May 2003) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Sunderland.
== Club career ==
=== Malmö FF === Ellborg began training with IFK Berga's senior team when he was 12.<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 May 2025|author=Johan Dolck Wall|title=Melker Ellborg hade Henrik Rydström på väggen i pojkrummet |url=https://www.expressen.se/sport/fotboll/allsvenskan/melker-ellborg-hade-henrik-rydstrom-pa-vaggen-i-pojkrummet/| access-date=11 January 2026|website=Expressen|trans-title=Melker Ellborg had Henrik Rydström on wall in boyhood bedroom|language=sv-SE}}</ref> He notably made his senior debut at age 13, playing 20 minutes of a friendly game vs. Älmeboda/Linnaryd. He trialed as a teen with Juventus, but ahead of the 2019 season he chose to sign for Malmö FF.<ref name="auto3">{{Cite web|date=26 June 2021|author=Ole Törner|title=Ellborg är Kalmar-killen som hamnade i favoritlaget MFF |url=https://gasetten.se/malmo-ff/ellborg-ar-kalmar-killen-som-hamnade-i-favoritlaget-mff/| access-date=11 January 2026|website=Gasetten|trans-title=Ellborg is the Kalmar-guy who ended up in favorite team MFF|language=sv-SE}}</ref> He spent two years in the club’s academy before being promoted to the first team prior to the 2021 season.<ref>{{Cite web|date=8 December 2020|author=David Winberg|title=Bergaprodukten skriver a-kontrakt med mästarklubben |url=https://www.barometern.se/sport/bergaprodukten-skriver-a-kontrakt-med-mastarklubben/| access-date=11 January 2026|website=Barometern|trans-title=Berga-product signs first team-contract with the champion club|language=sv-SE}}</ref> For three successive years, Ellborg was loaned out to three different Scanian clubs, IFK Malmö, Ariana FC, and Trelleborgs FF.
In February 2025, acting on the advice of new goalkeeping coach Zlatan Azinović, previously the U19 goalkeeping coach, the club extended his contract by 4 years and chose to keep hold of Ellborg as a back-up keeper.<ref>{{Cite web|date=18 February 2025|author=Alexander Stenfelt|title=Officiellt: Malmö FF förlänger med Melker Ellborg |url=https://www.fotbollskanalen.se/artiklar/allsvenskan/officiellt-malmo-ff-forlanger-med-melker-ellborg| access-date=11 January 2026|website=Fotbollskanalen|trans-title=Official: Malmö FF extends with Melker Ellborg|language=sv-SE}}</ref> Because of Johan Dahlin's ACL injury and Brazilian goalkeeper Ricardo Friedrich dwindling form, Ellborg was given a chance to play and made his Malmö FF debut on 18 May 2025, keeping a clean sheet in a 3-0 win against Halmstads BK.<ref>{{Cite web|date=18 May 2025|author=Johan Flinck & Jonatan Pinheiro Diamant|title=Ellborg höll nollan i debuten |url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/73vPLv/malmo-vann-klart-mot-halmstad-melker-ellborg-holl-nollan-i-debuten| access-date=11 January 2026|website=Sportbladet|trans-title=Ellborg kept a clean sheet in debut|language=sv-SE}}</ref> With Sweden international Robin Olsen's arrival in the summer of 2025, Ellborg saw his playing time diminish. He ended the season with 5 clean sheets in 7 Allsvenskan games, and was heavily praised for his Europa League campaign.<ref>{{Cite web|date=28 November 2025|author=Ludwig Billengren|title=Melker Ellborg hyllas: "Fantastisk" |url=https://www.fotbollskanalen.se/artiklar/europa-league/melker-ellborg-hyllas-fantastisk| access-date=11 January 2026|website=Fotbollskanalen|trans-title=Melker Ellborg praised: "fantastic"|language=sv-SE}}</ref> As a result of his strong performances despite not being a nailed on starter, at the end of 2025 Manchester United reportedly held an interest in signing Ellborg.<ref>{{Cite web|date=12 November 2025|author=Anel Avdic|title=Malmö FF-talangen på storklubbens lista |url=https://www.expressen.se/sport/fotboll/allsvenskan/malmo-ff-talangen-pa-storklubbens-lista/| access-date=11 January 2026|website=Expressen|trans-title=Malmö FF-talent on the big club's list|language=sv-SE}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=14 November 2025|title=Gossip: Man Utd consider Adeyemi move |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cew4rwlpg4ko|access-date=11 January 2026|website=BBC Sport}}</ref>
=== Sunderland === On 31 January 2026, Ellborg was sold to Sunderland.<ref>{{Cite web|date=31 January 2026|author=Benjamin Hanafi|title=Uppgifter: MFF säljer Ellborg till Sunderland - Allsvenskan - Fotbollskanalen|url=https://www.fotbollskanalen.se/artiklar/allsvenskan/uppgifter-mff-saljer-ellborg-till-sunderland|website=Fotbollskanalen|access-date=31 January 2026|trans-title=Details: MFF sell Ellborg to Sunderland|language=sv}}</ref> The transfer sum reportedly landed on a record-breaking 42 million SEK plus additional bonuses, or just under 4 million Euro. The transfer became the most expensive goalkeeper transfer in Allsvenskan history, breaking the previous record of Hákon Valdimarsson's move to Brentford for 40 million SEK.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1 February 2026|author=Ludwig Billengren|title=Officiellt: Malmö FF säljer Ellborg|url=https://www.fotbollskanalen.se/artiklar/allsvenskan/officiellt-malmo-ff-saljer-ellborg|website=Fotbollskanalen|access-date=2 February 2026|trans-title=Official: Malmö FF sell Ellborg|language=sv}}</ref>
Ellborg made his first appearance for Sunderland in a Premier League match against Leeds on 3 March 2026, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 win. He made his debut in an Emirates FA Cup fifth round game at Port Vale on 8 March 2026 which Sunderland lost 1–0.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lansley |first=Peter |date=2026-03-08 |title=Port Vale stun Sunderland to reach first FA Cup quarter-final in 72 years |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/mar/08/port-vale-sunderland-fa-cup-match-report |access-date=2026-03-09 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
== International career == Ellborg is a youth international for Sweden.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Melker Ellborg|url=https://www.svenskfotboll.se/spelarfakta/melker-ellborg/9a0a0af7-29bb-4812-b29c-a022c585d40d/|access-date=11 January 2026|website=Svenskfotboll|language=sv-SE}}</ref>
== Style of play == His longtime goalkeeping coach Zlatan Azinović has described Ellborg as having an "exceptional gripping technique".<ref> {{Cite web|date=22 May 2025|author=Jonas Hansson Lilja|title=När Azinovic hörde om 13-åriga Ellborg i Division 2: ”Exceptionell greppteknik”|url=https://gasetten.se/malmo-ff/nar-azinovic-horde-om-13-ariga-ellborg-i-division-2-exceptionell-greppteknik/| access-date=11 January 2026|website=Gasetten|trans-title=When Azinovic heard of 13-year old Ellborg in Division 2: “Exceptional gripping technique”|language=sv-SE}}</ref>
== Personal life == Although he was born and raised in Kalmar, already as a child Ellborg supported Malmö FF due to the influence of his best friend.<ref name="auto3"/> Ellborg’s paternal grandfather's brother, Folke Ellborg, was chairman of Kalmar FF between 1972–1976 and then 1989–1993.<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 May 2025|author=Fredrik Palmqvist|title=Målvaktstalangen: ”Mer teaterapor i vår familj” |url=https://www.sydsvenskan.se/sport/malvaktstalangen-mer-teaterapor-i-var-familj/| access-date=11 January 2026|website=Sydsvenskan|trans-title=Goalkeeping talent: “More theater monkeys in our family|language=sv-SE}}</ref>
== Career statistics == {{updated|match played 22 March 2026}}<ref>{{SvFF player|id=9a0a0af7-29bb-4812-b29c-a022c585d40d}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes Svenska Cupen, FA Cup}} !colspan="2"|League cup !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="6"|Malmö FF |2020 |Allsvenskan |0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0 |- |2021 |Allsvenskan |0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0 |- |2022 |Allsvenskan |0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0 |- |2023 |Allsvenskan |0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||0||0 |- |2025 |Allsvenskan |7||0||3||0||colspan="2"|—||7{{efn|Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League}}||0||colspan="2"|—||17||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !7!!0!!3!!0!!colspan="2"|—!!7!!0!!colspan="2"|—!!17!!0 |- |IFK Malmö (loan) |2022 |Ettan |14||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||14||0 |- |Ariana FC (loan) |2023 |Ettan |12||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||12||0 |- |Trelleborgs FF (loan) |2024 |Superettan |3||0||2||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||5||0 |- |Sunderland |2025–26 |Premier League |3||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||4||0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !39||0||6||0||0||0||7||0||0||0||52||0 |}
== Notes == {{notelist}}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *{{WorldFootball.net|ellborg-melker}} *{{SvFF player|id=9a0a0af7-29bb-4812-b29c-a022c585d40d}}
{{Sunderland A.F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellborg, Melker}} Category:2003 births Category:Living people Category:Swedish men's footballers Category:Sweden men's youth international footballers Category:Men's association football goalkeepers Category:IFK Berga players Category:Malmö FF players Category:IFK Malmö Fotboll players Category:Trelleborgs FF players Category:Sunderland A.F.C. players Category:Ettan Fotboll players Category:Superettan players Category:Allsvenskan players Category:Premier League players