LANCE (VG) He was one of the fastest and one of those who ran the most for 90 minutes. Ahead of tonight’s match against England, Julie Blakstad (20) is said to be extraordinary, unique – and an anomaly…

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The words belong to Norwegian assistant coach Anders Jacobsson. He doesn’t stop being impressed by Manchester City’s youngsters scoring goals first goal in a 4-1 European Championship win against Northern Ireland.

– Julie is an extraordinary footballer who has fantastic qualities. Sometimes you will come across this unique feature. They are found in all sports. We call it an anomaly – a deviation from the norm – but here we mean it in a positive way, the Swede told VG before Norway on Monday night will face their toughest test in a long time, champions England’s favourites.

But let’s rely on UEFA data first. Against Northern Ireland, only Ingrid Syrstad Engen covered more distance than Blakstad (10.95 km), but the 20-year-old did not finish the match, and ran 10.4 km. He was substituted five minutes before the referee blew the whistle.

Another interesting fact for nerds is the speed measurement from the opening match. Blakstad’s top speed is 28.5 km/h. In fact, only the fast Guro Reiten could match.

– He has the capacity to run many and far. Then we have to add that the role he has in the back is very demanding. It contributes to this data, the assistant coach said before filling in with the info:

– Match and opponent pictures affect the result. Against Northern Ireland, where we want the slopes to move forward, that role will be very, very demanding. In certain other matches, there may be other people who run the most because of the match drawing. It was not surprising that he put several kilometers behind him because of his condition. He caught on very quickly. Then there are the very fast fibers in that body. He has incredible endurance, and that is what is so unique. He was only 20 years old but managed to work for a long time and also managed to recover quickly, which made him explode.

Jacobsson can talk a lot and for a long time about the profile of the youth national team. We stopped him and wanted to know: Is he really the fastest in this national team as measurements in the first game know?

– I don’t have all the data, but he is always on the top layer.

It has been years since Julie Blakstad played for Farts. Through Rosenborg he ended up at Manchester City and here he is standing on the training pitch outside Brighton with the world’s biggest smile and having scored on his championship debut. It didn’t get much better.

As he had previously proven, the knob had contact with the surface, so to speak.

– It is clear that there will be more pressure when you take the step and start at a new club abroad with a big name. But as I always say, I’m the one who puts the greatest pressure on myself. That’s what I struggle with the most. So I don’t really care what other people think. If you play badly they will think so, but what I think and think is the most important. I have supporters that I rely on and I receive feedback instead of reading in the media and other things.

– Do you put a lot of pressure on yourself?

– Yes, sometimes it is. You are strict with yourself and always want to stretch. I think it is important that you are not satisfied. On the day you are happy, I think your career will go down. So you should always stretch, I think it’s healthy.

The 20-year-old now has a new team-mate in the blue shirt at Manchester. On Sunday, Erling Braut Haaland was presented in his hometown. And then we’re not talking about Ottestad.

– Very cool. Haaland has a very good mentality. He always manages to perform in important and big situations. There are things you can learn and be inspired by. So of course there’s something I look at and try to see him.

– Maybe you can chat a bit about it too?

– There must be a chance for that. Maybe not now, but when I come back to the club every day and he is a little bit involved in everyday life. Then of course there is an opportunity for that, said Julie Blakstad.

PS! English-Norwegian you watch on NRK1 at 21.00.