Berglind Thorvaldsdottir: “It will make me a better player”
At 31 years old, Berglind Thorvaldsdottir is awaiting a joyous occasion. The Parisian forward discusses her pregnancy at home in Iceland, but with Paris Saint-Germain still in the back of her mind.
Berglind, how are you? Or should I say, how are you both?
“It’s going rather well, given the circumstances. Everyone is in good health and we’re happy and excited about what awaits us. 9 months is a long adventure. But now it’s becoming more and more real. There’s only 2 months to go and we’re becoming more and more aware.”
I imagine that it was a great joy for you to get pregnant, were you at all apprehensive? Did you ask yourself questions about the impact it could have on your career?
“Of course, I asked myself questions. Obviously, we welcomed the news with great joy but I also asked myself what would happen to my career after the birth. I’ve seen a lot of footballers come back after having a baby and that gives me hope for the future, to do the same. It’s become more common to see sportswomen come back after giving birth. I know it will be hard and I’ll have to practically start from zero, but others have done it.”
During your pregnancy you can’t play matches, but I imagine you continue to work? What are you allowed to do?
“I try to stay as fit as possible. I do a bit of fitness, strength and biking… I swim too, which is great when you’re at this stage of pregnancy. I just try to move as much as I can. We’ll see where I’m at when I come back after the birth.”
What was the club’s reaction when you announced you were expecting the good news?
“Everyone was very happy for me, and they all said they’d support me during this adventure. I really felt that they were happy for me. From my side, I watch all the matches that the girls play, and I talk with them. I want to know how it’s going, how they are. I’m looking forward to coming back and seeing them again.”
Do you think having a baby will make you a better player?
“It must be incredible to have your baby in the stands. I see him with a little PSG shirt on. It will definitely be a source of extra motivation. I will have to leave him sometimes during the day to go and work but it will be great. I’ve discussed it with some of my friends who’ve had children and then returned to football. They’ve all told me that time becomes more precious and that you become more focussed in training and in matches too. In any case, I’m sure that it will make me a better player.”
Is your goal to return this season?
“Of course. We’ll see whether everything goes well, because we don’t know exactly how things will do, how long it will take. But I really hope I’ll be able to play a few matches at the end of the season.”