Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper enjoying testing herself against the world’s best

Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Cecilie Fiskerstrand is thoroughly enjoying having the opportunity to test herself against some of the best players in the world in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.

The 24-year-old Norwegian international goalkeeper joined Albion a year ago but has had to bide her time for regular playing opportunities.

Fiskerstrand played in Albion’s final two games of 2020 and she will be hoping to retain the goalkeeping jersey in the new calendar year. The keeper recently spoke about her experiences playing in England in an official club press conference in which FA Women’s Super League Full-Time were present. The player admitted that the move to Albion has provided her with an excellent opportunity to test herself against some of the very best players in the world.

“It has been really fun playing in the league” said Fiskerstrand “There are some of the best players in the world here and being able to play against them is really cool.

“Before Coronavirus, it was really good to see how women’s football was developing, more people were coming to games and more money was coming into the league and hopefully, when the pandemic is over, that will continue.

“It is really cool to be part of the growth of the women’s game in England.”

While Fiskerstrand has had a tough time on the pitch with her game time having been limited, the player has been able to settle in England. She is one of 10 Norwegians to have featured in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League so far this season and this has helped her feel more at home with Fiskerstrand keeping in contact with some players who she knows well from back home in Norway.

She said “I am really lucky because it is around an hour’s drive to the Norwegians at Chelsea and Reading.

“Before the lockdown in November, we were visiting each other and that was really nice and hopefully, when this lockdown is over, we can visit each other again.

“It is nice to have someone who you know well who you can go and visit when you cannot have your family over here.”

Fiskerstrand’s game time at Brighton & Hove Albion has been limited largely due to the form of fellow goalkeeper Megan Walsh and the Norwegian went on to pay tribute to her teammate.

“Megan is a great goalkeeper and I enjoy working with her, we get on really well” said Fiskerstrand. “England has a lot of great goalkeepers so she is competing alongside some of the best goalkeepers in the world.

“She is an excellent goalkeeper and she is still young so she can still get even better.”

Fiskerstrand will be hoping to retain her place in-between the sticks when Brighton & Hove Albion take on Birmingham City on Sunday.