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SEATTLE - Joe Roth didn't think he'd want to spend the money to sign a designated player for the inaugural season of the Seattle Sounders FC.

Until Freddie Ljungberg became available.

"He embodies what we promised to the city of Seattle," Roth said.

Ljungberg was introduced Tuesday as the Sounders' designated player, a move that should help Roth, Seattle's majority owner, keep his expansion team from the bottom of the Major League Soccer standings.

Roth hopes he's preparing for playoff games a year from now when Seattle's first regular season is complete. Ljungberg could go a long way toward making that plausible.

"It was my promise to the city of Seattle that we wouldn't come on as a straggling expansion team," Roth said, seated next to Ljungberg.

The former Swedish national team captain signed a multiyear deal with the Sounders, although only a small portion of his salary will count against the team's salary cap. According to reports in Europe, Ljungberg will be paid $2.5 million per year to play in Seattle.

"Having Freddie in the center of the field is going to help us get there. It's a great honor. I think it's great for the league. I think it's great for Seattle," Roth said. "And I think it's going to help us as we get on our feet, and not act like an expansion team."

It was a difficult decision for the 31-year-old former star for Arsenal in the English Premier League. Friends were telling him to balk at the offer from the United States, insisting that Ljungberg still possessed the ability to be a star in one of the top European leagues, and should consider a move to the American league in a few years.

But Ljungberg said he didn't want to show up and play in the MLS at 34 or 35, past his soccer prime.

Ken Lambert / Seattle Times

Freddie Ljungberg gets $2.5 million per season from the Sounders FC.

"For me, I felt if I was going to do this, it's a sincere thing, and really help the people over here with soccer, I should go now," Ljungberg said. "I shouldn't go in three years' time when I'm past my peak. I feel really happy to be here."

Ljungberg becomes Seattle's fourth signing, but is more well-known internationally than American goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who played professionally in England, Spain and Germany.

Ljungberg was a star for nine seasons with Arsenal in the EPL, anchoring the Gunners' midfield as Arsenal won two EPL titles and three FA Cup championships. He was recently voted No. 11 of Arsenal's top-50 players all-time.

But late in his Arsenal career, and last season playing for West Ham United, Ljungberg became injury-prone and his attractiveness to the top clubs in Europe appeared to be diminishing. He put some of those concerns to rest by captaining Sweden in the Euro Championships last summer, but the Swedes failed to advance out of group play.

Ljungberg retired from the national team after the Euros. Later in the summer, while in Los Angeles, Ljungberg met with Roth and later came to Seattle to meet with team management.

The city also reminded Ljungberg of his home in Sweden, and helped sell him on the move to Seattle.

"What was really the game changer for us and for Freddie also, was Freddie came to Seattle. We spent some time together," Sounders general manager Adrian Hanauer said. "And this was where we really realized how great his character is, how smart he is, how competitive he is. We knew that this was going to be an amazing partnership."

The soccer star is known for some other accomplishments.

He was a Calvin Klein underwear model until 2007, and has been rated one of the "hottest athletes" by "Sports Illustrated."