Marika Bergman Lundin is excited about the prospect of beginning her first full season with West Ham United women’s team.
The Swede signed for the Hammers on deadline day in January 2024, joining from BK Häcken in her native Gothenburg, and made eight appearances as the season concluded - all of those coming from the bench.
The final four months of the campaign allowed her to get used to the style of play demanded by manager Rehanne Skinner, as well as the level of opposition in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
There was also the aspect of moving to a different country for the first time in her life, getting used to London and British life in general. The midfielder admits that it took time, but she is fully settled and ready for the new season now.
Speaking to whufc.com, Bergman Lundin gave an insight into the first week back at Chadwell Heath training ground, and her aims for the upcoming season.
“It’s been really nice to be back into the routine of things,” the 25-year-old said.
“I enjoyed my time off and had a good summer, but after a while you’re looking forward to getting the boots back on and seeing your teammates.
“We’ve had a productive week. The first couple of days were about making sure we’d returned well and were fit and healthy, with the medical team checking us over. Then, we moved onto testing and the different exercises that we’ve done inside and outside should help us all as we move through pre-season.
“I always find the first week or so a little bit tough to be honest, but it’s nice to have the ball back at my feet and I’m looking forward to the weeks that are to come and to continue building my fitness up.”
The break allowed the tenacious operator to head back to Sweden, where she relaxed, caught up with family and friends, and also celebrated her 25th birthday.
She said: “I spent pretty much all of my time off back home in Sweden. It was my birthday while I was off as well, so I was able to spend that with my family and friends which was really nice.
“It was important for me to have some time back at home. I didn’t get too many opportunities to go back during last season because I was still sorting my life out, to be honest!
“I think it [the break] will really help me heading into this season.”
The women’s team are hoping for an improvement in the 2024/25 campaign. After a transitional first year in charge for Skinner, the side are hoping to improve on last season's eleventh-place finish.
Bergman Lundin believes that the hard work the team are putting in now will stand them in good stead heading into 2024/25.
For herself on a personal level, she hopes to be able to make a much bigger impact now that she is fully settled here in east London.
“I want to make a bigger impact this season,” she explained. “Everything off the pitch is now sorted for me, and I think that was the biggest challenge for me when I arrived in January. I was leaving Sweden for the first time, coming to a new country and I had to adapt not just on the pitch, but off it too. I’ve done that now, and I feel really comfortable and also happy here.
“We’re all striving to improve our position in the table and get some really good results this season. There’s a lot of hunger in the squad to improve, and we know that the work that we put in now will help us to do that.
“We’ve had a really good first week, we’ve spoken a lot about what we want to put into practice and improve on for this season, and I’m excited to see what’s to come!”
