Daniel Håkans wanted to get away to secure his place in the national team – now he will shoot Vålerenga up – Dagsavisen

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INTILITY ARENA (Dagsavisen): It has been a busy couple of months for Daniel Håkans. First with the relegation, then he wanted to leave, then he was knocked out of the European Championship play-off with Finland, before he has finished the run-up by playing his best football and is Vålerenga’s biggest attacking threat before the start of the series.

– Hehe, you can say that there have been quite a few ups and downs in recent months. A lot has happened, but now I’ve put all that behind me and focus on what I can influence myself, which is to play better and train better. Everything else I can’t control, so there’s no reason to spend energy on it, says Daniel Håkans to Dagsavisen before Monday’s start of the season.

Read more stories about Vålerenga here

Lost EC playoff

The Finn was among VIF’s national team players who did not take part in the dress rehearsal against AIK, when he played 90 minutes in the EC playoff match against Wales in front of a packed Cardiff Stadium.

– The result was not what we wanted, but it was a cool experience to play a playoff for the EC. It’s always special to play matches for your country anyway, but a little extra special to play the type of matches where so much is at stake. It was a very cool setting and a great experience with a good atmosphere and a packed stadium that sang and created a lot of life. Those are the matches you want to play, and of course we wanted to win and go to the EC, says Håkans.

His Finland lost 4–1 to Wales, who in turn lost the deciding game on penalties against Poland. So that neither Finland nor Wales will be seen in this summer’s EC. Afterwards, there have been a number of articles in the Finnish press about Håkan’s place in the national team. Not necessarily because of his achievements, but VIF’s relegation.

– I try not to read too much about what is written about me in the press, but I have heard from many friends back home in Finland that it is being discussed whether the level I play at is good enough to be part of the national team. I just try to do my best when I get the chance, and I can’t care too much about what others write and think about me, says Håkans.

Also read: Marbella was a turning point for VIF: – Now we are well on our way (+)

The national team place in danger

Nevertheless, the place in the national team was one of the most important reasons why Håkans looked around early in the year for other opportunities than being with Vålerenga down in the OBOS league.

– All players want to play at the highest possible level. The relegation was a big disappointment for all of us, and considering that we were going to play the playoff matches with Finland and that I was told that it was not optimal for me to play in the OBOS league in terms of playing time in the national team, I considered leaving the club. I have played most of the matches in the qualifiers, and of course had a goal of getting into the squad for the EC, says Håkans and adds:

– Now, unfortunately, we were unable to qualify, and then the Nations League is next with Finland, and it is not until the autumn. I can only do something with what I can influence, and hope that the other things work out, but now my focus is just to win every game here, and that Vålerenga will return to the Eliteserien, he says.

This winter, Daniel Håkans has had much better continuity in his training work, and together with the fact that he has been given a better role in the team, the goals have also come. (Pål Karstensen)

Håkans hopes that with a good game for Vålerenga in the OBOS league he can still be relevant for the national team.

– There are many other players in my position who play in the Bundesliga and other major leagues in Europe, so it is not optimal to play in the 1st division in Norway. I still feel I have performed when I have been given the chance in the national team, and the most important thing is that you take the opportunity when you get it. I played 90 minutes against Wales, and that is a good indication that they have faith in me, he says and continues:

– I of course hope that I will be taken on, even if I play in the obosliga. Although the national team management would probably like me to play at a higher level, I hope that I can keep my place with good performances also in the OBOS league, says Håkans.

Read also: VIF gave away the victory in the dress rehearsal against AIK: – Our own worst enemy (+)

Adapted to Håkan’s strengths

For Vålerenga, there was never any talk of letting Håkans go with the offers that came up, despite interest from Heerenveen, and clubs in Belgium, Austria and Sweden.

– When we made the plans in January for how we should look, it was with a plan that Håkans should play forward and use his speed at his best. Of course all players are for sale if the right offer comes, but when we (Andrej) Ilic were determined that we had to build up the team. It has been an eternal battle around the clock since January, where we are still not at the finish line. The most important thing now is to keep the players we have, and now it takes an extremely large amount for us to sell more of our players, says VIF coach Petter Myhre.

He confirms that they have changed the playing style to a certain extent in order to get more out of Håkans this season.

– We try to adapt the strengths of all our players initially, but we have to have a framework from which we play, as we cannot change from match to match based on who is playing. For us, it has been important that Håkans has been in the field. He has had a little too many breaks and minor injuries in recent years, so that he has not had enough continuity in his training. He has now got that, and we are very satisfied with what he has shown in the run-up, says Myhre.

Coach Petter Myhre says that VIF has adapted to bring out Håkan’s strengths, and is well satisfied with what he has shown this winter (Pål Karstensen)

Check all Vålerenga’s games in the run-up here (+)

Will bite off better

With scores both against Rosenborg, Sarpsborg and Tromsø in the run-up, and as perhaps the team’s biggest attacking weapon, Håkans himself is very happy with the new formation.

– I have been given a better role in the team, which suits my strengths to a much greater extent, so I hope I can deliver much better than last year. Then I played almost half the season as a wing-back, and that is not my best role. Now we play more to my strengths, and I think we have been good in the build-up, as I have had a number of chances, scored goals and created dangers. We can only hope it continues into the season, says Håkans, who is now more than ready to play for important points again.

– It will be nice to play for three points again, as it is boring to play so many practice matches. In Scandinavia, we have the longest run-up ever, so now I’m looking forward to the start of the season, he says and continues:

– We have achieved many good results, and played well against elite league teams towards the start of the season. We have probably played better against the elite league teams in the run-up now than we did in the whole of last season, so that should count for something. I think we are at our best now since I have been here anyway, and that bodes well before the Sogndal game, says Vålerenga’s Finnish national team player, Daniel Håkans.

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