Amalie Thestrup on overcoming adversity, fighting for your goals and more

Roma Women forward Amalie Thestrup joined club partner Generation Amazing for a live Instagram interview on Thursday afternoon, as she discussed her career and how she's coping with the lockdown.

The live broadcast was the latest in a series of Gender Equality sessions hosted by Generation Amazing youth ambassador Shouq, who last week interviewed Qatar Women national team goalkeeper Shaima Abdullah.

If you missed the live interview, here's what the Denmark international had to say...

How are you keeping busy without football?

"This is a challenging situation for all of us. We are trying to adapt as best we can. I have found it helpful to try and keep a daily routine and simulate normal days and weeks. This means doing daily training sessions. I am in close contact with our coaches and they have given us a specific programme to follow.

"It is important to stay positive and be grateful for the small things during this time. I am currently back in Copenhagen in Denmark with my family; I get to spend a lot of quality time with them and I see that as a real positive.

"I miss Rome and my teammates a lot, but luckily we have social media to keep in touch and hopefully we will be reunited soon."

Why did you move to Roma?

"My transfer last summer was a dream come true. It is an honour to play for such an historic club. I like the Italian style of football and it fits with my own playing style. Our team has a lot of potential.

"The goal is simple: we want to compete for the top two spots in the league in order to qualify for the Champions League and we will keep striving for that as soon as we return to the pitch."

The goal is simple: we want to compete for the top two spots in the league in order to qualify for the Champions League and we will keep striving for that as soon as we return to the pitch.

- Amalie Thestrup

What is your message to young girls around the world wanting to get into football?

"To achieve your dreams, whether as a footballer or not, it is extremely important to have self-belief. Hard work is obviously important, too. You won’t achieve your goals if you don’t put in the work, which is something only you can do."

What are some of the challenges you have faced as professional footballer?

"The biggest challenge in my career was probably in my early 20s. I was playing for Brondby, the best team in Denmark. I had a great first year there but the following season I played a lot less and the club didn’t view me as part of their future.

"I decided to find a new club and this involved taking a step down. That's hard to accept as a footballer. But sometimes you must take one step back in order to move two steps forward. I eventually joined Ballerup-Skovlunde Fodbold (BSF), worked hard there, became their top scorer two seasons in a row and that ultimately led me to Roma."

Who was your idol growing up?

"I have never had one big role model in sport, but throughout my childhood I really looked up to a fictitious character called Pippi Longstocking. She is the main protagonist in a series of books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren.

"Pippi has red hair and braids. She is the strongest girl in the world and can lift a horse with just one arm. I used to dress up as Pippi every Halloween throughout my childhood. I kind of mirrored myself on her and what she represented, which was basically a huge sense of self-belief.

"I know I can’t lift a horse with one arm, but I am still up for the challenge! That is what I try to tell the next generation, that they should always have the confidence to try anything."

I know I can’t lift a horse with one arm, but I am still up for the challenge! That is what I try to tell the next generation, that they should always have the confidence to try anything.

- Amalie Thestrup

How important is education?

"I am currently studying for my master's degree in economics and marketing. Football is my number one priorirty and has been for my whole life, but I have always enjoyed learning both on and off the field.

"To keep studying has always been something I wanted to do and is a good investment in my future. Every footballer knows their career will come to an end some day and having an education can help with life after playing."

How fast is women's football growing?

"It is an extremely interesting time to be a part of profesional women’s football. Every time we stage a major tournament, like last summer’s Women’s World Cup, we see added interest and investment in women’s football.

"There are also a lot of men’s clubs moving into the women’s game now and putting money behind it. Just look at us here at Roma. The team is only two years old. Roma is a good example of how quickly you can get success in the women’s game. We are competing at the top of Serie A and are still a very new team. I hope within ten years there will be more clubs like Roma all over the world."

Generation Amazing is a non-profit organisation established during Qatar's bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. AS Roma and Generation Amazing signed a four-year strategic global partnership in 2019. They can be followed on Instagram at @ga4good.