– In that case, I am the next Nils Arne Eggen. Strømsgodset coach Jørgen Isnes chuckles easily at his own play about 22-year-old Nikolaj Möller. The nickname the club’s new striker got when he played in Italy and England has apparently not reached the Godset boss. – I think that he was already the next Zlatan Ibrahimovic, then he wouldn’t be here in Drammen, he follows up. CREATED HEADLINES: English newspaper headlines called Nikolaj Möller “the next Zlatan” when he ravaged Arsenal’s U23 team. Photo: Facsimile: Goal.com/The Sun But there are some similarities, and the nickname is therefore perhaps not entirely unreasonable: He is from Helsingborg in the south of Sweden, actually only about 40 kilometers from Rosengård, where the superstar grew up. quite similar to Ibrahimovic He played his youth in Malmö FF Like Zlatan, he went abroad early on, including Italy In addition, find Isnes, who brought Möller to Godset on a 12-month loan two weeks ago, other similarities when news asks again . – Having said that, he has raw physique, he is good as a play-off point and he has speed. Then he can be even more raw as a 1.94 tall bundle of muscles and use it even more. – We know that he has the qualities to perhaps be as good as Zlatan at some point, he says. – Aren’t the qualities you list there as a young Zlatan? – They are looking for the big headlines, he grins. – I understand the comparison. So it is perhaps a bit early to compare an elite series player with a world star, but there are some similarities. ADMITS SIMILARITY: After a while, Strømsgodset coach Jørgen Isnes decided that there might be some similarity between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Nikolaj Möller. Photo: Christoffer Andersen / NTB – Not going to say too much about what Möller himself has also got with both the headlines and the nickname. – I heard a bit about that. I’m big, from Sweden and played in Malmö, he laughs while shrugging his shoulders. – It is not something I should focus on right now. I must first show what I can do before people start calling me Zlatan. It is a little too early, he says to news. So far, he has made two appearances from the bench and started one game in the Eliteserien. He scored in his debut against Lillestrøm, which is Strømsgodset’s only victory in the last 11 matches. – I hope I can do well in the Eliteserien, but Zlatan is on a completely different level. – First I have to score some goals and show more. Right now I probably won’t say much about it. – Not everyone is Martin Ødegaard Many people are probably still wondering how a player with this stamp ends up in Norwegian club football. The explanation contains many sharp turns: Several top European clubs early on saw something unique in Nikolaj Möller. He had barely turned 16 when Italian Bologna picked him up. Then he returned to secret quarters in Malmö. He wasn’t there long before Arsenal themselves picked him up. Success coach Mikel Arteta thought highly of him. – I took an incredible amount with me from Arsenal. I trained with the A team every day for three months. There are incredible players, and you learn so much every day, he says. – Just being in that environment makes me believe that “I can do this myself too”. So then it’s just a matter of showing it, then I hope to one day be at that level again. But even though he made his mark both in A-team training and in matches for the U23 team, there were never opportunities in the Premier League. LOAN ON LOAN: Even when he secured a permanent transfer to St. Gallen, there was finally another loan. Here in battle against Yverdon-Sport in 2023. Photo: FRESHFOCUS Möller was instead sent on loan to Europe. Twice. Before it finally became a permanent transfer to the Swiss St. Gallen. Still, no more permanent than the fact that he ended up on loan to Drammen this summer. – I don’t see that as a negative at all. All players have their own journey. This is mine. It was meant to be that way. You just have to be positive and look forward. Jørgen Isnes really likes that setting. Because there are several roads to Rome. – I think it’s a pretty cool journey. There are many paths one can take to become decent, decently good. Not everyone is Martin Ødegaard. – Nikolaj has had a bit of experience abroad, has taken out many loans here and there. So you sometimes have to take a step back to be able to get up and forward. Few players will admit that. But those who dare to do it, they can have a very solid career. And when it comes to the Zlatan nickname, which he did not want to say much about: – If we come back in a few months then? – Then I can probably say a little more, yes! Published 12.09.2024, at 08.26 Updated 12.09.2024, at 08.51
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“The next Zlatan” plays in the Eliteserien – it surprises the coach – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
