She rightly wants to make a name for herself in her own right.
But Elena Sadiku sees no reason why she shouldn’t tap into her knowledge of Henrik Larsson’s time at Celtic to help her as she begins her journey as the club’s new women’s head coach.
The 30-year-old was appointed on a two-and-a-half-year deal last week as she arrived from Everton’s academy.
At first glance, looking at her age, you’d think it was safe to assume she was a bit of a rookie in the coaching game.
However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Having been forced to retire at 23 due to severe problems with injuries, the Swede went straight into coaching and has gained vast amounts of experience in China, Denmark and England, as well as her homeland.
It’s time for a new chapter at Celtic though, and never mind the ‘King of Kings’, she wants to become known as the ‘Queen of Queens’.
She said: “I can say that he was my role model when I was young when he was playing at Celtic. I know pretty much about his time here.
“The King of Kings, right? Maybe I can become the Queen of Queens.”
“I could say many words so far,” she continued at her unveiling at Celtic Park. “I’m thrilled, excited, over the moon. I’ve been overwhelmed with all my feelings.
“Celtic is a huge club and we look forward to what’s ahead. I’m just excited to get going. Friday is the first test, so that’s going to be amazing.
“I’ve been playing football since I was 10, so that’s 20 years of experience. I was 23 when I started coaching and where I am today, it’s gone in fast.
“But I work really hard to be where I am today. So, it’s not a coincidence, I’ve been doing really well. Hopefully, I can continue to do that at this club.
“I would say that I’m very passionate. Right now, I’m very calm but it’s because on the pitch I’m passionate and I love football. I’m very passionate about developing players. On the pitch, I’m on fire, outside of it, I’m more calm.
“I come from clubs where you need to win. This is something that I feel I’ve signed up for. At other clubs I’ve been part of, you had to win the league, win the cups, be successful in Europe. I know about that.
“I don’t see it as a pressure, I see it as something to look forward to. I want to make it achievable.
“I’ve already made history by becoming the first female head coach here. The next thing would be to write history and win the league, that would be amazing. That’s what I want to dream about.”
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Sadiku suffered from serious knee injuries throughout her professional career.
Eventually, the recurrence of such problems saw her calling time on her career much earlier than expected. She played just six games at Hammarby before retiring.
Her outlook on life changed in this moment though, as she might not have been here had she not prevailed from her fight with a threatening condition.
She explained: “I have a long history of injuries. The last injury gave me sepsis, so I almost lost my life, which has given me a different perception and appreciation away from football when not playing it.
“What it has done for me is that when I stopped playing I was 23, in my head I was only thinking about becoming a coach so that I could help players fulfil their dreams. That’s something I’ve been living since then.
“I loved to perform to win games, but my biggest passion also comes from developing players. That was something that really gave me the strength and passion to love my job.
“It was important to me that what I signed for was a great project. This project that Celtic brought up was to be successful in the league and cups, but also about building this academy and making them better so they can compete in the first team.
“That’s the idea that I fell in love with but also I got to know very good people around the club and the team during the process. It made my choice much easier.
“Since my first day, I’ve felt very welcome and I already feel a part of a big family here. I’m really happy to be wearing the badge.”
Looking ahead to tonight’s pivotal Sky Sports Cup semi-final clash against arch-rivals Rangers, she insists the team will treat the match as if it is the final.
“I had my first session on Tuesday and it’s Thursday today,” she said. “It’s about trying to keep the same but also putting my style across as well.
“Obviously there’s not been that big a change because it’s mid-season and there’s a game on Friday.
“My ideas will come across more the longer time goes by. That’s how I’ve been working. It’s really intense with everything going on around too.
“It’s about trying to get to know the players as well because I’ve never seen them before. It’s only been two days.
“It’s a final on Friday night. Either we win or lose, and if you lose you’re out. For me, it’s a huge game to start with and I’m really excited.
“I’m absolutely confident I can deliver trophies. If you look at my history, I’ve been in China, Denmark, Sweden and England. I have a good network and I’m very keen on developing young players, which I see we already have in the team.”
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