Hannah Wilkinson is back in Sweden and the OBOS Damallsvenskan, and this time she will represent Djurgårdens IF - the pride of Stockholm. 

Wilkinson, who has played 98 international games with New Zealand and scored 26 goals, is now back in Sweden for the second time in her career. 

The 28-year-old striker, born in Whangarei in New Zealand, played for Vittsjö GIK for two seasons, 2017 and 2018, before playing in Portugal for the Sporting CP last year. 

VAVEL UK spoke to the striker after the final whistle in Linköping, after Djurgården lost 1-0 to Linköping FC in round 3 of the Damallsvenskan. 

"We had a lot of chances to score in this game. That's the positive side of it. Still, it's very disappointing to lose, of course." Wilkinson said

  • Getting to know a new team

Wilkinson, who recently joined her new team after landing in Stockholm two weeks ago, hasn't had that much time to settle in. She played her first minutes out on the pitch in round 2, where Djurgården drew 1-1 against newcomers Umeå IK. In Linköping, she came on at half time and played 45 minutes:

"I'm still learning Djurgården's way of playing. I've been here for a short time, and I've only trained with them for two weeks. To build relationships out on the field with new teammates will take time." Wilkinson reflects. 

"To be fully integrated into a team as a new player is always a challenge, but I'm sure it will come. Djurgården are a great team, and the players have been so welcoming and nice to me. I'm eager to play with them a lot more for this season." 

Hannah Wilkinson fights to win the ball back from Nilla Fischer,
 

 

  • Still smiling from WWC news

Before joining Djurgården, Wilkinson spent most of her time during the spring back home in New Zealand. When the news that the 2023 World Cup 2023 would be played in New Zealand and Australia hit the world, Wilkinson and many other players, reacted with a lot of joy:

"I haven't been able to stop smiling since I got the news. It's fantastic, and I'm still celebrating it."

"As women, we push hard as footballers all over the world. For New Zealand, I hope that this will create a huge wave for young footballers and inspire them for the future."

As for now, there isn't any professional league for women in New Zealand. Wilkinson hopes that the World Cup can change that. She seems happy about her situation, and she talks very positively about the Damallsvenskan and Sweden;

"The Damallsvenskan is one of the most competitive leagues in the world. Talented, young players from all over the world play here and every team has to fight to keep their spot in the league. For me, in this stage of my career, this is the right place to be!"