Where were you at the age of 15? Maybe wiling away time with friends and family or planning a course of action for the future. But did you go through the hardships and achieve the feat of extraordinary? No you didn’t.
Vivianne Miedema, it was who had already done wonders while only 15. Since not so old, the Netherlands International has been keeping defenders at bay. As they say, the player is born and gifted with so much talent.
The work ethic and hard work that Vivianne put in, nothing could eventually stop her from outperforming her age. In the most unlikely circumstances will you see a 15-year-old playing for the senior team.
Player Profile
Full Name: Anna Margaretha Marina Astrid Miedema
Nationality: Netherlands
Date of Birth: 15 July 1996 (age 22)
Position: Forward
A Background Check
Vivianne’s journey of being a future great began in the school playgrounds where she started believing in herself and dreamt “like all the little boys did” to play for Football Club Barcelona.
“My dad always used to play, so I got into football without having a choice,” Miedema says this is how her footballing career began.
The 5-year-old Viviane barely knew that she would go on to become Dutch best when she started playing football HZVV football club from Hoogeveen. She went on to play for the club for 8 years before joining VV de Weide when aged 13.
Growing and glowing, continuously, Miedema penned her first senior contract, only at the age of 15 with club SC Heerenveen in the year 2011.She made 69 appearances in the first team, having a lucrative run of 78 goals i.e 1.13 goals per game.
Beginning of Golden Days
The scouts from Bayern Munich did not take long in noticing an untraceable talent and signed an 18-year-old youngster from Heerenven. She was a part of young and talented women’s team. The inputs of Vivianne helped Bayern remain unbeaten in the league and win their first title after 1976.
In her 3 years at Bayern, Vivianne won the trophy twice and also netted 35 times in 61 matches. The striker then left Germany to travel to London, in what was thought to be a unworthy move considering the player had left a star-studded squad.
Joining Arsenal in 2017, Vivianne has already achieved a lot, be it winning the Continental Cup of 2018 or her goal scoring spree of 20 goals in 25 matches. With Arsenal into the finals again, Vivianne has a chance of making it two.
The reason of becoming a GUNNER
“I had some really good years a Bayern and I really enjoyed it, but I needed a new challenge and to be honest, I didn’t really want to stay in Germany,” she said.
“The way of playing wasn’t my style of play, so I wanted to try something new.
“If you saw Bayern we would often play with five at the back and defensive midfielders in front, which meant a lot of long balls forward and me trying to run in behind the opposition – I just wanted something different.”
Her Idol and who?
A national of Netherlands, Vivianne grew up idolizing and watching the maestro of Netherland football, Robin Van Persie. It were Van Persie’s days at Feyenoord, where Vivianne started liking the striker and also football.
“Van Persie was my biggest idol ever. So the moment Arsenal came in, you’ve got that special feeling as well,” she explains.
For her contributions in German giants, Vivianne was also attributed as Arjen Robben of Bayern Munich women’ team.
Her goals for upcoming World Cup
“I should say I’m really confident but I’m not,” she admits.
“It was really hard for us after the Euros to qualify directly again, to handle the pressure. We had to go through the play-offs against Denmark and Switzerland. Even right now, people are saying ‘you’re going to be world champions’ – but it’s too easy to say.”
“I think it’s a really open tournament, with probably France, USA, Germany, Japan – they’re always the favourites. I would say we are a good outsider. We’ve got a good team and we know what we can do. If that comes out at the right moment, we can have a good World Cup.“
What makes Vivianne,” Vivianne”
The Dutch Striker has a liking and affection towards scoring goal, so much so fast that she has already achieved a lot, while only 22. The Princess is only 6 goals adrift of becoming Netherland top scorer for the national team, presently second behind Manon Melis with 54 goals.
The forward is a clinical footballer with one eye always behind the goalkeeper, into the nets. Brilliant, both in the air as well as with the ball, she can cruise through the defenders in set-pieces and head a goal or squeeze through them and smash the ball into the net. Either way, she is an unwanted threat.
[ALL THE QUOTES ARE FROM HER’ INTERVIEW WITH JOE]
