It is bold to move to another country for your career, let alone when you have just turned 19. But for new Arsenal Women signing Smilla Holmberg, it is all about challenging herself to be the best footballer possible.
The right-back signed for the Gunners on January 5, joining from Hammarby in her home country, Sweden. While successful with her childhood club, Arsenal and the WSL offer new opportunities and a step up in intensity.
“This is the right place to challenge myself and to see how far I can go,” Holmberg exclusively told Sky Sports.
“This environment here is something very special and I have already felt the training environment.
“I want to be more consistent in my performances and contribute much more in the offensive part. I want to develop the one-versus-one situations and the different type of crosses, the timings and the defensive as well.
“I’ve felt in the training that the players are very skilful and have very high qualities, so we have to be good in the one-versus-one and defensively as well.
“I’m driven by challenges and to be in a team like this with many expectations and lots of very good players with quality is something new. It’s forced me to push my own level and I want to see how far I can go.
“And of course, I want to win titles with Arsenal. That’s everything I’ve dreamed of. Everyone here is working hard every day to improve and to achieve those types of things.”
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Highlights of the Women’s Super League match between Arsenal and Manchester United
Holmberg is earmarked as a star for the future. She has already made her mark with the Sweden national team – more on that to come – and is a player Arsenal have long had in their sights.
“The club is strategic and thinks a couple of windows ahead, so she was already on the radar,” Gunners boss Renee Slegers exclusively told Sky Sports.
“You always have to see how the player is going to fit into our environment. It’s always going to be a big change. She’s 19 years old and it’s the first time she’s moved away from home to the UK.
“It’s a big league, big games, all eyes on you and all of a sudden, there’s a lot of exposure. There are so many things that she’s going through at the moment as a young adult.
“I’m really impressed with how she’s dealing with this. She’s quite calm and stoic with everything that’s been thrown at her, but at the same time, she’s also presenting herself like ‘this is me, this is what I bring’.
“There’s also some confidence around her which she should have because she brings a lot of qualities to us as a team. You’ve seen one or two sides of her but there’s even more. We’re so excited that she chose to become a part of Arsenal.”
Holmberg had a decent scoring record for Hammarby last season too – six goals with four assists in 26 matches – but she will have to compete with the experienced Emily Fox for a starting spot at right-back.
Smilla Holmberg in action for Arenal against Aston Villa in the FA Cup
“She’s a top player,” the teenager said of her new teammate. “She has played international football for many years and has so much experience from playing on the highest level so I think there’s lots to learn from her.
“It’s also one thing I’m excited about and that pushes me to be at my very best to have a player like her in the team. There are many things to learn from her – her consistency in her performances over a long time and how she prepares, how she handles different types of situations.”
Holmberg making her mark with Sweden
Holmberg had her first taste of life on the big international stage when she was included in Sweden’s Euro 2025 squad last summer. It was her first call-up to the senior team too and then aged 18, she was the youngest player in the squad.
“Incredible,” she said when reflecting on the tournament as a whole. “Representing your country in a major tournament is something you always dream of and something you work really hard for so it was a pleasure to be representing Sweden.
“I took many experiences from that and learned a lot, both on and off the pitch. I’m very proud of how I handled the whole tournament.”
Holmberg (right) scored her first international goal against Germany during Euro 2025
She wasted no time in making a name for herself either, scoring her first international goal against Germany in the group stages. Sweden went on to win 4-1 in one of the tournament’s standout games.
“I remember everything,” Holmberg said of her goal. “It was a special moment that I will keep close to my heart my whole life. It is something special to score your first goal in that type of game, against that type of opponent. It was incredible.”
But as high as the highs are in tournament football, so are the lows – none more so than missing a penalty in a dramatic quarter-final shootout against England.
It was Holmberg’s final missed effort that sent the Lionesses into the semi-finals, and a moment that the young defender describes with maturity.
“Of course it was a disappointment, both missing the penalty and not going through to the semi-finals,” she reflected.
Holmberg missed Sweden’s final penalty against England (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)
“Right after, it was many emotions. It was hard to put into words how you felt in that moment. It was a bit of a blur and my family and friends were there for me.
“But it’s a part of football and I think you have to learn from it and move on.”
And the games keep moving for Arsenal, who are still competing in no fewer than four competitions, including the upcoming Women’s Champions Cup, which is set to be shown live on Sky Sports.
With plenty of football to play over the coming months, we are sure to see a lot more of Holmberg as she aims for that first trophy in Arsenal red.
