By Oliver Grassman

STOCKHOLM - Former Barcelona and Celtic striker Henrik Larsson is to join Manchester United on loan from his Swedish hometown club Helsingborg.

The ex-Sweden international, 35, had been expected to end his career at Helsingborg, having returned there after the World Cup in Germany following a two-year stint with Barcelona.

Larsson will go on loan from Jan 1. to March 12.

United manager Alex Ferguson told the club's Web site (www.manutd.com) on Friday: "It's a terrific boost. Henrik has great pedigree and character. He also has goalscoring ability and can change games. We're very pleased."

Larsson told a media conference in Sweden: "I will travel to Manchester on December 17 to train and then I'll go back again after Christmas and New Year's Eve. My family thought it was okay, so there were no doubts.

"We haven't talked about how they (United) will be using me, but we'll have to discuss it...It's a very fun thing to experience at this late stage of my career."

With both United's Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Alan Smith still lacking match fitness, the Swede could be an option up front alongside Louis Saha and Wayne Rooney.

Larsson, who returned to Helsingborg after 13 years abroad during which he also played for Feyenoord and Celtic, will not miss any Swedish matches as the league kicks off in April.

"If it had been question of a longer period than to March we would have said no to the deal," Helsingborg chairman Sten-Inge Fredrin said.

In May's Champions League final, Larsson came on as a substitute to set up both of Barcelona's goals against Arsenal in the match they won 2-1 at the Stade de France in Paris. It was the Swede's last game with the Catalan side.