Nordlund sidelined by sickness

Umeå IK and Sweden midfield player Tina Nordlund has admitted "football comes second" after revealing that she is taking a break from the game to battle anorexia.

Foot injury
The 25-year-old has been out of action this season because of a foot injury, although Nordlund admitted today that she is also suffering from the eating disorder and is receiving treatment in Stockholm. "I have to accept that I'm ill and my body's not very well and it's hard," she said. "You don't want to believe it's true. But the first step towards getting better is to realise that you're actually ill."

'Worn out psychologically'
Nordlund, who has 43 international caps, believes her injury is the likely cause of her illness. "My foot injury is the main reason for becoming anorexic," she added. "I've really pushed myself to come back and when you get knock back after knock back it gets really tough. Everything has revolved around food and training. I've worn my body out both physically and psychologically."

Memorable season
Nordlund led Sweden to a silver medal at the 2001 UEFA European Women's Championship and helped Umeå claim the Swedish Cup. She capped a memorable season by leading her club to a second successive national title in a campaign where they became the first team to win the Swedish league without losing a game. However, she missed out on the inaugural final of the UEFA Women's Cup after slipping on ice in the run-up to the defeat by 1. FFC Frankfurt.

'About being healthy'
Despite receiving treatment, Nordlund is unwilling to discuss her footballing future. "I don't want to talk about when I'll eventually make a comeback, or put pressure on myself to come back," she said. "At the moment it's all about being healthy, football comes second."