He was signed for SEK 16 million and pictured as a future favorite in Hammarby.
August Mikkelsen is looking forward to stepping out into the Tele2 arena and showing that he’s worth every penny.
— I checked on YouTube and it looks absolutely insane, says the 22-year-old of crowd pressure.
“I see in front of me a crowd favorite at the Tele2 Arena,” Jesper Jansson said when August Mikkelsen was ready to face Hammarby at the end of January.
The 22-year-old striker came from Norwegian Tromsø and, according to the Norwegian media, should have cost close to SEK 16 million.
Mikkelsen has no problem with the expectations placed on him.
– I use it as motivation. I don’t think much about the price, it’s just for me to show that I’m worth every penny, he says.
Do you feel you can become a crowd favorite?
– Certainly, I think so. We’ll have to wait and see now on Sunday.
“a bit unusual”
Hammarby will play their first competitive match of the season when they face Prague in the Swedish Cup premiere. The big question is what position Mikkelsen will play.
During training camp in Marbella he was mostly tested in the ninth round, something the 22-year-old was not used to.
– It was a completely new location that I just played on. It’s an exciting situation, but if I had to choose myself, I’d choose an edge or a tian. I’m a player who really likes to have possession of the ball and to have someone in front of me. But I’ll probably be able to handle this role when I learn it a little better, it’s a little unusual.
Is this where you would expect to play Brage?
– we will see. Marty is the one leading the team.
Not Guardiola or Klopp.
Marti Cifuentes says Mikkelsen can play in several positions, but he says he is best “between the lines”.
August is a player who fits well with our style of play. He’s very good in one and very sharp in the final third. He will give us a lot. My job is to find the job in the field where he can show what he can do. Fans have to remember that I’m not Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp, so they have to be patient with me. I will do my best to get him to perform right away, but it’s a new league and a new city, so give him some time and he’ll show he’s a very good player, says the coach.
No matter the situation, Mikkelsen is looking forward to getting out in front of 20,000 green-and-white supporters on Sunday.
– He’s really sick. I’ve been on Youtube and checked and it looks absolutely insane. It’s something different here in Sweden than in Norway, so it will be fun, he says.