One hundred per cent Swedish on his mother's side, with a healthy dash of Italian and Brazilian from his father's – via his grandfather and grandmother respectively, variety has always been the spice of John Guidetti's life. Throw in several formative years spent in the Nairobi area of Kenya, followed by footballing sojourns in the Netherlands, England, Scotland and Spain, and the end product is a talented footballer with a strong character and intriguing world view, also known as 'Superguidetti'.
 
“I've become an amalgam of all of that," said the striker, in an exclusive interview withFIFA.com. "From the moment you're born, all the experiences you have in life make you the person you are. To have been in so many places, met so many people and sampled so many cultures is a privilege. I try to take the positives from every stage [of my life]." 
 
Born in Stockholm but with that period in Kenya, in addition to spells at Burnley, Feyenoord, Stoke City, Manchester City and now Celta de Vigo, Guidetti has no shortage of footballing lessons to draw on either. "I've learned something at every stage," said the powerful, well-travelled front-man, with justifiable pride. "In Africa sometimes I'd play with boots on, sometimes barefoot; sometimes on grass, sometimes on dirt pitches; sometimes with a nice, round ball, sometimes not... Then you go to Manchester City and the pitch is like a green carpet, and you're getting inch-perfect passes from the best in the world."
A genuine star in Sweden, where he even had a hit song – Johnny G (The Guidetti Song) by Badpojken – written about him, what does he make of being tagged as 'the next Zlatan Ibrahimovic', thanks to his charisma on and off the pitch. "There'll never be another Zlatan: he's a one-off," he said, with a shake of the head. "It'd be stupid to try and be like him. I just want to be the best John Guidetti I can.” 
He exemplified that at the UEFA European U-21 Championship 2015, as a key figure in the Sweden side that clinched the title, while the 24-year-old also played his part in Celta's success this season – the Galician club securing European qualification to draw a line under a ten-year absence from continental competition. Guidetti's displays have also cemented his place in Sweden's senior squad, currently preparing to tackle UEFA EURO 2016 in France. 
Furthermore, his involvement in the upcoming showpiece should help ease the hurt of having to watch the 2012 edition from afar. "That was really painful, because it was my dream and I didn't know if I'd get another chance. But I couldn't pass the medical tests," revealed Guidetti, on the beginning of a nightmare period: muscular problems triggered, believe it or not, by a severe bout of food poisoning. 
"It was a very lengthy process, which was mentally awful," said the player, a huge admirer of ex-Brazil star Ronaldo, no stranger to injury comebacks himself. "I'd put in eight hours' work a day to get back in shape and wasn't making any progress. Day after day and nothing... I had big dreams and that's why I found it so tough. I'm 24 and I've lost two years of my career. It's only now I'm starting to understand that I've still got time." 
Breaking the mould 
Not that he plans to waste any more of it. Restless and intense in mind and body, one moment he might be dedicating a rap to Sweden fans, the next enjoying an impromptu ball-juggling session with a young boy by the beach, and making it all seem perfectly natural. "If a young lad wants to kick a ball around with me, why wouldn't I do it? It doesn't cost me anything and it might mean the world to him. It takes so little effort and means so much... I put myself in his shoes and I know that it's something he'll remember all his life, so I have to do it."  
Not the kind of behaviour you often see from a top-flight player and senior international. It is anecdotes like these and his occasionally brash public statements – perhaps even more than his on-the-pitch gifts – that have earned him the Ibrahimovic comparisons. "I'm pleased at how this season has gone, but I know I can do much better and that's what I'm aiming to do," said Guidetti. "The way that he [Ibra] talked and behaved has inspired me. He would say 'I'm going to be the best', and that's not something a Swede normally says! That's when I realised that you could say that. We do want to be the best! He changed the way we think." 
And it is with that fierce desire to succeed that the striker heads to France, where his side have been drawn alongside Belgium, Italy and Republic of Ireland in Group E. "We've been drawn in a tough section, but we've got a very good team. Everything is possible. Spectacular things can happen in football: look at Leicester City. If you work hard as a team you never know. You have to be prepared to give everything, to die for each other.” 
The latter phrase was said with emphasis, as if instead of an informal chat withFIFA.comhe was urging his team-mates onto even greater efforts. It was these leadership qualities that he put to good use with the Swedish U-21s in said 2015 triumph, where he and his countrymen also secured a place at the Men's Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016.
“That victory was huge: it meant so much for our country," said Guidetti. "I got it tattooed onto my arm because it was a one-off. It's been a long time since Sweden went to the [Men's] Olympic Tournament. It was almost miraculous how we managed to qualify and to top it off we became champions! This is a very talented generation," added the forward, who admitted that, though he would have loved to go to Brazil, his age and involvement at the EURO preclude it.
Nor will a bit less travelling do him any harm. Celta are set to play in the Europa League this campaign, while Guidetti is sure to face sleepless nights for other reasons: the birth of his first child, a little girl, in September. "What a tremendous year it's been, eh?" he said, raising a hand to his head. 
He will therefore surely have little time to visit Nairobi, where he continues to go regularly to oversee his charitable foundation, which helps children escape poverty by means of football and access to education. "Only a very small percentage of kids who play football end up earning a living from it," he said. "That's why I see education as being so important. When their time at the foundation is over, even if they've not shone as players, at least they will have learned a trade, such as carpentry, teaching, painting... and that can help them towards a better life." 
His foundation features a heart symbol as part of its logo, while that is also the shape this multi-cultural Swede makes with his hands whenever he finds the back of the net. A gesture that he hopes to repeat as often as possible, in his race to become the best 'Superguidetti' he can be.