James Rowe recently spoke to Dutch national team midfielder Sherida Spitse. They spoke about her time at FC Twente Ladies in the Netherlands, Signing for Valerenga Ladies in Norway and captaining her teammates to glory as winners of UEFA Women’s Euro 2017.
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Below is a transcript of the interview.
JR: ”In 2018 you signed for Norwegian team Valerenga Ladies. How are you enjoying you time at the club and are you enjoying living is Oslo? ”
SS: ”I am really enjoying my time at Valerenga Ladies so far. It is a great club and the people are really friendly. I like living in Oslo we live close to the city center which is nice. The center of the city is always very busy so it is nice to live just outside of it. We are very happy in Oslo.”
JR: ”You also had two different spells playing for FC Twente Ladies ( 2012-2013 ) and 2017. How do you look back on your time there? ”
SS: ”I had a great time playing for FC Twente Ladies. I worked under many managers and I learned many things but my ambition was always to play football abroad again but my time at FC Twente Ladies was fine and I am grateful that I was able to play for the club ”
JR: ”Do you notice a difference between the Dutch and Norwegian Leagues? ”
SS: ”Yes there are differences. I have been away from Norway for a while but when I first playing in the country for LSK Kvinner FK it was difficult. The Norwegian league is very physical and the Dutch league is very skillful and a lot more attacks are built from the back. In Norway there is a focus on physical attributes especially power. But if you have the teammates than can play that way that can only be a good thing.”
JR: ”You managed to write history together with your teammates last summer to win UEFA Women’s Euro 2017. As captain did you have to exert your leadership qualities very often during the tournament? ”
SS: “I must say that I am a natural leader especially on the pitch. I always try to help and encourage my teammates. We had an objective that we wanted to achieve together. As a captain I tried to give my all during the tournament not just on the pitch but also off the pitch too. It was important for me to encourage my teammates and for us as a group to keep persevering together.”
JR: ”What in your opinion was the most difficult match of the tournament? ”
SS: ”For me personally the most difficult match was the quarter final against Sweden. But I believe our best performances were of course in the final against Denmark but also the semi-final against England. They were great matches where we were on form and playing well and scoring great goals too. We also never lost a match in the entire tournament.”
JR: ”You have played club football in the Netherlands and Norway. Given the growing popularity of the women’s game especially in England. Would it appeal to you to maybe one day play your club football in England? ”
SS: ”Yes I would be open to playing my club football in England if the opportunity arises in the future. I make my decisions regarding my career on instinct. If my instinct regarding a potential opportunity tells me to do so then I would be open to it. I would be intrigued to play my club football in England in the future.”
JR: ”Could you say who is the best player that you have every played with?”
SS: ”For me it is difficult to say because I have had teammates who all have different qualities. I believe that all teammates are good if you can compliment one another. In my opinion if you can support your teammates and that in turn shows that quality of your team then everybody looks good. If you look at the Dutch national team. We are a squad that has great quality and that shows through even more when it is harnessed together ”
JR: ”Who is the most difficult opponent you have ever faced ”
SS: ”In terms of international opponents Japan is always a difficult opponent. They have so much movement within their team and they have many skillful players too. If I was to name a specific player I would say English striker Kelly Smith having playing against her during international matches against England and at times it was difficult to play against her.”
JR: ”Finally Sherida, who is the best manager that you have played under so far in your career?”
SS: ”I must say that I have been lucky to have many good managers so far in my career even very early on in my career at VV Sneek. Vera Pauw brought me into the Dutch national team setup when I was only 16 and threw my to the lions but it done me the world of good. I never expected to be involved with the Dutch national team at such a young age so I am grateful to her for that. Arjan Veurink who was my manager at FC Twente Ladies would also give me good advice on how to improve my game. You learn something from every manager that you play under.”
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wishing you good luck to you and your team in your game at the world cup against the american,s
Rudy Dykstra Ontario Canada