Junior Senior with Finland's Olga Ahtinen and Tuija Hyyrynen

Tuija Hyyrynen, 34, has more than 100 Finland caps since her debut in 2007, and is appearing at her third Women's EURO. With great experience in Scandinavian and American leagues, she now plays for Juventus.

Olga Ahtinen, 24, is preparing for her first Women's EURO, and has accumulated more than 40 caps since her senior debut in early 2017, having been in the international youth setup since Under-17 level. Starting her career at hometown club GBK Kokkola, she now plays for Linköpings in Sweden.

From left to right: Ahtinen, Nora Heroum, Hyyrynen and Amanda Rantanen ahead of Women's EURO 2022UEFA via Getty Images

What do you remember about your first club?

Hyyrynen: I have a sister, she is two years older than me, and started playing football at the age of seven, so I started to play at the age of five. But at the beginning it was only about playing football in the garden, I was kind of shy, and didn't want to go to play in a club. I was already 10 when I went to play for Puotinkylä Valtti FC, so that was my first club. We had limited possibilities there, we had training sessions on sandy football courts and the coaches were the mums and dads of our team-mates, everyone was doing a voluntary job, [but] we had a really familiar, warm atmosphere. It was really easy to get involved.

Ahtinen: I also have a sister a year older than me and I often wanted to do the same things she did so it was natural for me to start to play football. I felt the same way, didn’t want to go to play in a club, but eventually I did join a club. I was lucky because I am from Kokkola. It is a small town but there are great possibilities for playing football, especially if we consider the number of inhabitants. There are a lot of grass courts where you can train in the summer and there is a sports centre, so you can train all over the year.

When did you realise football could possibly be a career for you?

Hyyrynen: It was when at the age of 17, I went to watch the women’s EURO in England, as a football fan. There I saw for the first time the top players of Europe. I thought: OK, that is where I want to get. Those players were so cool. So it was only at this point. When I was younger, I really couldn’t even dream of a longer career or so. On the other hand, I didn’t have any role models to follow. So I just played football because I loved to play it, there was nothing more than that.

Ahtinen captains Finland Under-19s against Belarus in 2016Sportpix.be

Ahtinen: To see the Finnish junior national team gave hope for me, to get to see players my age, top players from Finland. And I went in 2013 to Sweden to Finland playing at WEURO and it was a great moment for me. Anne Mäkinen and Laura Kalmari have been really big names for me, and I remember I gave a presentation at school about Linda Sällström. So, it is really cool that Linda is my team-mate now.

Olga, do you ask some of these more experienced players for advice?

Ahtinen: We do communicate, I don’t know if we normally ask them straightaway, but of course we learn all the time, we watch them and we just see what older players do every day. Of course, we talk a lot and sometimes we do ask some things but I think their presence itself helps us newcomers and gives us confidence.

Tuija, what would you say to Olga, and the younger players in the squad?

Hyyrynen in action at Women's EURO 2013Getty Images

Hyyrynen: These young players will get so much experience in the tournament. I just want to say to be yourself and try to enjoy the tournament, give it your all, go to the pitch with your head up and be proud of yourself. Be proud about who you are and where you are from. And then just show what you are capable of. I trust you and all the team trusts you. You young players are the future of football, so it is fantastic that you are going to be there and that we can build something together.

And what is your advice for even younger girls, who are just taking their first steps in the game?

Hyyrynen: What first comes to mind is dare to dream. Dreaming and thinking about what might happen there is a way of getting closer there, so dare to dream big. Imagine yourself at the tournament, wearing the national team’s jersey. This is a very important message for the youngsters.

Final question: what have you both imagined about Women's EURO 2022?

Hyyrynen: This is going to be the biggest female championship ever, so I am sure it is going to be a huge party at the tournament with superb conditions and huge media attention. So it is going to be the biggest event so far so I am so enthusiastic about it. I can’t wait to see what it is going to be like. I really hope we will be able to enjoy every moment and show what we are capable of.

Ahtinen: We have been preparing for this on a really big scale. As Tuija just said, it is going to be a huge event in all Europe and in all the world. Lots of people are going to watch the matches.