– I have confidence in what I do and in my own skills, and I think that’s important in this game here, Kristian Thorstvedt told NRK.

The 22-year-old thinks his confidence needs to be in place for him to succeed, and according to him, it’s relatively high.

– Self-confidence is just high enough. Neither too much nor too little, he smiles.

NRK meet Thorstvedt on their new home track at Belgian club Genk. Inside the stadium, he says he is doing well at the club and is happy to still be in Belgium.

– Bubbles in the top lid

It’s always been the work he’s done for the Norwegian national team that has received the most attention here at home. As well as scoring two goals in four games, there was a lot of talk when he fired up the Turkish crowd after Istanbul’s goal earlier this fall.

– I always push in duels and I give one hundred percent, so if there is someone who does not like it, I defend myself and I win what I mean.

– Sometimes it may overflow into the top lid. It didn’t happen in combat, but in training it can happen, the 22-year-old admits.

Dad Erik Thorstvedt thinks demeanor is part of the zone style of play, but he has to be careful not to cross the line.

– I think it’s good that sometimes there’s a little guy in the tent. If you start taking those things away, I think we’ll take away what makes it so good. But there is a limit, you can’t be a complete fool, so you have to make sure he stays on the right side of the border, explains the former footballer.

– An important supporting actor

Erik Thorstvedt is one of the best Norwegian goalkeepers of all time. Kristian explains that his father is a great role model and an important support player, and although he now lives in Belgium, he plays an important role in everyday football.

– He’s a big part of my support system. He is always available if I have any questions or comments, as he sees all the campaigns. He knows what’s going on because he was in the game himself, explains the Genk player.

He never felt the pressure to achieve his father’s exploits and enjoyed being with him on the football pitch throughout his childhood.

– People often asked me before if I felt pressure to have him as a father when I was young and if it left a mark on me back then, but I think it was just good that he m helps and stands in the goal on the spot. , and when I wanted to go out on the track and practice, he was always with me. He’s a big supporter.

The dream

Erik was Tottenham’s goalkeeper in the 90s and Kristian thinks it’s cool to watch videos from when his dad was playing for the England side. It was also not a difficult choice to decide which English football club he should support.

The 22-year-old still does not hide that it is a big dream to play in the English league one day.

– The dream is of course to play in the Premier League. I’ve always followed the Premier League and I think it’s the biggest league you can play in. To be able to do it one day would have been great.

Erik Thorstvedt understands if the area will ever go to Tottenham, but thinks the most important thing is that he is fine and can play football.

– I think he himself wants to try other things after a quarter, but you have to have respect for the club you are in and not talk about wanting to go elsewhere. For example, it will apply with Genk, and I think it was a very good change to go from Viking to Genk. But I understand if he will play for Tottenham, says the former national team goalkeeper.

Also:

Thorstvedt had to stay at school for the fans: – They called us for a meeting

National team winning culture

Erik Thorstvedt was part of a golden generation of the national team. Kristian and the rest of the Norwegian national football team have shown that they can always claim to be among the best in the world.

– We have a golden opportunity and we have good players. We have a particularly good coach, so he looks very bright at the moment. We obviously have the difficult task of facing the Netherlands away from home, but in football anything is possible, explains Thorstvedt junior.

He says the national team members worked mentally to find a winning culture, which he says has proven to yield good results.

– You see it in the last campaigns that we have played, that everyone is giving one hundred percent and everyone is really going to win for each other and for their country. I think creating pride is important.

The away match of the World Cup qualifiers against the Netherlands will be played on November 16 in Rotterdam. The 22-year-old says he doesn’t think much about the game but is looking forward to playing.

– We have a golden opportunity to do something big, to come to the World Cup for the first time in a very, very long time.

– You never know what will happen, he concludes.