Helen's latest performance against league leaders Valur gained her national recognition as she was named Icelandic League Player of the Week.  Here is the extract from her interview with “Fotbolti.net”.

Are you surprised to be chosen player of the week?
It was a very nice surprise to be chosen as the player of the week. With so many games going on every week, and so many talented players around, it's a great honour to be singled out for my performance.  

Were you happy with your performance? 

I was mostly happy with my performance, however there were things that i would have done differently if I had played the match again! The team as a whole did well - especially defensively - and that helped me out a great deal. Knowing that I have a strong defence in front of me is very reassuring. Afterwards the girls were disappointed to have been beaten, I think that shows how far we have come as a team over the past season - that we expect to compete with the top teams. Those high standards are a good thing and will help us continue to improve in the future.

You are a player in England, what do you think of the Icelandic league compared to the English one?

When I came over to Iceland, I did not know what to expect. I was delighted to find that the standard was extremely high - with little to choose between the Icelandic and the English league. My favourite thing about this league is the amount of passion and commitment the girls have - during a game no one will ever stop running, people will throw themselves in front of the ball just to stop a cross or a shot, and the attitude from everyone is brilliant. Icelandic football has developed so quickly over the past few years, and is already competing both nationally and domestically amongst the top countries in the world. I think the future of football in this country is very bright. 

You will leave soon to return to England as I understand, how has the time here been, and won´t it be hard to leave when it´s going so good?

Yes, I am due to leave next week to return to Sunderland, my club in England. I have loved every second of being here, and it will be extremely difficult to leave. I missed last season in England due to injury, so my move to Grindavik came at a perfect time. Playing here has helped me build up my match sharpness and confidence, as well as improve parts of my game that i needed to work on. The club itself and the players have been extremely welcoming, and I was made to feel part of the team immediately. It's great to be part of a club which is moving in the right direction. The girls have all grown up together and are learning and improving all of the time. I have no doubt whatsoever that in the near future; Grindavik will become a force within Icelandic football.  

You have had 4 clean sheets in your games for Grindavik, you must be pleased with your personal performance?

Overall I have been pleased. After every game I have set myself a target to improve upon for the next game, for example to play quicker, or to improve my distribution. With the help of the players and coaches I have been able to work on these things and I have managed to improve. As I have said before, my performances are mainly due to being part of such a good team. We expect high standards from each other, but if things are not going right, we will encourage each other. Having such a positive atmosphere around the club makes it that much easier to perform well.

Courtesy of www.fotbolti.net