Career
He is most noted for his career in IFK Göteborg, where he was highly successful. As an international professional his track record was mixed, often just staying a year in the team Ekström became a popular, respected player in Serie A club Empoli, where he acquired the nickname "Il Ciclone" (the cyclone) due to the exceptional speed he displayed when charging ahead with the ball in his possession, his most notable quality.
He had also appeared for the Swedish national team, and participated in the 1990 in Italy.
His nicknames in Sweden are "Kallebäcks-Expressen" (the express train from Kallebäck) or "Johnny Bråttom" (Johnny in a hurry), again due to his speed on the football pitch. He started his youth career in the boys" team of IFK Göteborg and is one of few that made the journey all the way to the starting lineup in the first team
