Who is Emil Krafth? Meet Newcastle United’s perfect squad player and dependable defender

Add as preferred source on Google

Emil Krafth is a professional footballer who plays for Newcastle United.

PIF’s takeover of Newcastle United in 2021 has seen winds of change blow through the club, with Eddie Howe assembling a team fans couldn’t even dream of beforehand.

World-class players like Alexander Isak and Sandro Tonali now play for Newcastle and even more star-studded names are bound to arrive in the years to come.

However, Newcastle are built on more than just impressive names and there are still several members of the squad who joined in the Mike Ashley era.

The hard-working Emil Krafth is one of them, signing more than two years before Newcastle’s takeover was finally completed.

Though not the best, Krafth has become well-respected by his teammates, manager and fans for his dependability and versatility.

Krafth may not be a guaranteed starter, but he always puts in a shift when called upon and never complains about his position, making him the perfect squad player.

Here’s what you need to know about him.

• Who is Martin Dubravka? Newcastle United’s adored long-serving goalkeeper

How old is Emil Krafth?

Krafth was born in Ljungby, Sweden, on August 2, 1994. As of July 2025, he is 30 years old but will soon be turning 31.

That makes the Swede one of Newcastle’s most experienced players.

Emil Krafth height

Krafth stands at 6′ tall.

Though that’s not particularly tall for a defender, it does help him remain agile and pacey when he’s asked to fill in on the flanks.

Emil Krafth squad number

Krafth has worn No.17 for the entirety of his stay at St. James’ Park.

He has previously worn numbers 4, 15 and 23 for his previous clubs Amiens, Bologna, Helsingborgs and Osters, while typically donning No.2 or No.16 for Sweden.

How much does Emil Krafth earn at Newcastle?

Krafth reportedly earns £55,000 a week at Newcastle, which works out at £2.86m a year.

It puts him in the midrange of earners at the club. He signed a new one-year contract extension in 2025 to keep him at the club until 2026.

Emil Krafth transfer fee

Newcastle purchased Krafth for a meagre fee of just £5m.

The defender was bought from French side Amiens in the summer of 2019.

Emil Krafth stats

Krafth’s career stats for the six clubs he’s spent time at in his career and the Sweden national team.

Krafth Instagram and X/Twitter

Krafth has an official Instagram account with nearly 55k followers that you can find @emilkrafth.

He does not appear to have a public X, formerly Twitter, account.