Denmark's Rikke Sevecke on carving her own path to the Women's World Cup 2023

For most players, this year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is a long way from home – but that’s nothing new to Denmark’s Rikke Sevecke.

Writing for Goal Click as she prepares for her first experience of the biggest tournament in the women’s game, the defender has detailed her somewhat nomadic journey to the top – which has taken her from Denmark to Liverpool and beyond.

“Being from Denmark where there is not a professional setup for women’s football, there are a lot of players who seek a move abroad to develop and reach the highest level,” Sevecke explains. “That is what I did. It is an amazing journey and experience to live in other countries and learn about different cultures, but the hardest part is being away from family and friends, which makes me appreciate the time when I am home even more.”

Sevecke recently left Everton, having previously spent time playing in France and the USA – and her career hasn’t been without sacrifice.

“The most important thing in the world for me is my family,” she continues. Throughout my career I have had to make decisions that were not always fun in order to become a better footballer. When I was 16 years old, I moved out of my parents’ house in Falster and into a tiny apartment in Copenhagen to play football at a higher level. This made me grow up pretty fast but also shaped me and prepared me for the future and helped me to where I am today.”

What’s next for Sevecke? Well, she doesn’t like to stay in the same place for too long – but she’s yet to decide where she’ll head after Everton.

“I like to experience different things, so I lived in three different apartments in three years in Liverpool and then Manchester. It was a great few years, but in the past year I have felt an ambition to explore somewhere new. Who knows where that might be!”

Denmark get their 2023 Women's World Cup campaign underway against China on Saturday, July 22. Lars Sondegaard's side have been drawn into Group D alongside England and Haiti.

See Goal Click’s Women’s World Cup 2023 series in full at goal-click.com and follow via @goalclick on Instagram

Read more

Women's World Cup 2023 fixtures: Full schedule, dates and how to watch each game

Quiz! Can you name these 100 players just from their career path?

Cannavaro Italy legend reveals how Maradona rewarded him for bad tackle