Kamo's Hannah Wilkinson has re-signed with Swedish side Vittsjö GIK for the 2018 Damallsvenskan season. Photo / Tania Whyte
Kamo's Hannah Wilkinson has re-signed with Swedish side Vittsjö GIK for the 2018 Damallsvenskan season. Photo / Tania Whyte
Hannah Wilkinson will continue taking on some of the best football has to offer after re-signing with Swedish side Vittsjö GIK.
The Football Ferns striker will return to Sweden in the new year for the 2018 season of Damallsvenskanfootball.
Wilkinson is looking forward to challenging herself at a high levelagain.
"I'm very excited. I really love the Swedish league. It's a tough league that's challenged me and definitely improved my game," she said.
"I like being there, we've got a great team with a lot of internationals. The whole experience there so far has been amazing and I'm grateful to get another opportunity.
"My touch has improved for sure. That league is so technically good, your first touch has to be perfect or you lose the ball so I've had to get better there.
"My heading and winning the ball has gotten better too. Our team's focus is winning the ball in the air and I've been doing a lot."
The Damallsvenskan competition is a big draw and not only because it is one of the top competitions in the world.
"A lot of internationals play in the Swedish league because they pay you a living. It's a dream come true to get paid to play football," Wilkinson said.
"The season is split into a spring season and an autumn season which I really like because it's constant football. It's the longest season ever. We have a break over their winter which means I get to be here for the summer."
Wilkinson formerly played in the US for the Tennessee Volunteers and had her progression to the professional level hampered by an ACL injury in 2015.
She said it still isn't 100 per cent but it's not far away.
"I had some patella pain for about two years after the injury when you get the graft you need for it. But that's finally gone," she said.
"It's a devastating injury that does take years to get back to where you once were. With more strength work it's getting close though."
Wilkinson plays a senior role in the Football Ferns following a period of major change in the last 12 months with Tony Readings stepping out of the coaching role just four weeks out from their recent tour of Thailand.
She said it's been a challenge, but there's a lot of excitement in the team.
"It's a fresh start. Right now we don't have a coach which has put us in a tough spot," she said.
"We've had a lot of players retire or step down from playing. There's been a lot of disruptions particularly since our exit at the Rio Olympics last year. It'll all started to change there.
"We're looking to rebuild. We just beat Thailand 5-0 which is huge for us and now we're moving into something new. We're excited to see where we go and who comes into the coaching role."
Wilkinson's focus turns to Vittsjö GIK in a few weeks as they look to improve on their five wins and eight draws from 22 games.
The 25-year-old said they want to be nearer the top of the table in 2018.
"Like any competition you want to win it, for sure. It is a pretty tough league, it's always ridiculously tight," she said.
"But we'll just take it one game at a time and keep the larger goal there."
