Manchester City midfielder Julie Blakstad says that she feels inspired by the journey which Manchester United defender Maria Thorisdottir has been on in the English game.
The Norwegian internationals could face each other on Sunday when Manchester City take on Manchester United at The Academy Stadium.
Blakstad only moved to England last month and when speaking ahead of this weekend’s Manchester derby, she said that she takes inspiration from what Manchester United defender Thorisdottir has achieved in the English game.
“She took the step to move to England quite early from Klepp,” Blakstad told FAWSL Full-Time in a Manchester City press conference. “She did not come from the best club in Norway but she has shown that she took a great step.
“She was with Chelsea first then Manchester United and she has shown that it is really possible for Norwegian players to succeed in the English game and that is a good inspiration for me.
“The other Norwegian girls like Guro Reiten and Maren Mjelde have also done really well here so far so I think it just shows that the opportunity is there and you have to take it with both hands.”
With Manchester United’s Norwegian pair Thorisdottir and Vilde Bøe Risa being older than Blakstad, the player was asked whether they were inspirational characters for her when she was growing up. Blakstad responded by highlighting those players in the Norwegian national team who she has looked up to over her early years.
She said “Of course, I had been watching them (Thorisdottir and Bøe Risa) in the Norwegian national team and also Caroline Graham Hansen and Ada Hegerberg. All of the players who have played on the national team have been an inspiration for me and when I go to camp, I try to learn as much as I can from them, they have more experience and they have played more games.
“It has been great to play with those girls and they are really good players. It is going to be really exciting to play against them (on Sunday).”
The Barclays FA Women’s Super League’s Manchester derby kicks-off at 12.30pm on Sunday afternoon.
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