Fiskerstrand aiming to be 'number one No1'

"I want to be the greatest in the world – the number one No1. Nobody can stop me."

You cannot deny that Cecilie Fiskerstrand is confident, but after her performance against Germany on Saturday she has every right to be. Norway claimed a first ever WU19 EURO victory over the four-time winners but the 2-0 scoreline did not tell the whole story – Fiskerstrand, fresh from FIFA Women's World Cup duty, was player of the match.

"Being in Canada showed me what it takes," said the 19-year-old. "I was over there to learn and it was an amazing experience. I was the youngest, and got to train with the very best Norwegian women every day. I just got better."

Mentor Ingrid Hjelmseth©Sportsfile

Fiskerstrand credits Ingrid Hjelmseth, Norway No1 and her Stabæk team-mate, for her rapid development. "She's my mentor – she makes me better every day. If I hadn't trained with her over the past year, I wouldn't have been in Canada. But I want to be the best in the world, which means I will be better than her one day. She's 35, so I have a long way to go but I'll get there."

Now she is hoping to continue reversing Norway's fortunes after missing the 4-0 opening defeat by Spain with a minor knock: a place in the semi-finals beckons. "We just have to win the next game against England, and hope that Germany lose so we can go through to the next round."

Fiskerstrand concedes that she is becoming something of a poster girl for Norwegian women's football, but she adores the limelight. "People are so supportive and I love it. For me, that attention isn't strange – I'm not so shy and I love talking to new people to get to know them. I am going to speak to some Norwegian journalists straight after this interview, too."

Fiskerstrand, you sense, was always destined for a sporting career. "I used to play handball and was actually in the under-16 national team, but I don't play any more as it took up too much of my schedule. I'm still using my hands though!" Germany can attest to that.

©Sportsfile