The central midfielder, Kristian Lee-Him, 30, has extended his contract with IFK Eskilstuna beyond the 2024 season!
Kris is now entering his third season with the club and over the years he has become an important member of the team. Kris has mainly played in central midfield, but has also been used a lot in the center back position. In 2022, he was voted the club's Most Valuable Player of the season, and in 2023, Kris also got to play a couple of international matches for Trinidad and Tobago. The club is happy that Kris is continuing with us and we ook forward to seeing him in the 2024 season.
The coaches Kent Andersson & Jesper Strid say this about Kris:
- Kris is a very experienced physical player who now represents a national team.
He has good and important qualities to contribute to this year's IFK squad and we look forward to working with him during the year.
We also asked Kris a couple of questions:
You are now entering your third season with IFK, how does it feel to have extended your stay at the club?
- It's a good feeling that I can call the club my home. Everyone around the club is very welcoming and supportive, which allows me to play at my best, knowing that they trust and believe in me. The fact that I am now continuing into a third season also means that we can continue to build a good chemistry with each other in the team. I think we have the formula to create a winning team.
Last season you got the chance to represent your father's country, Trinidad and Tobago, in a couple of international matches. Can you describe that feeling and that experience?
- It was a surreal experience to play for the Trinidad and Tobago national team. To represent my father's country means everything to me. Being able to play at the international level and being able to learn from the best coaches and players makes you improve yourself even more. Also getting to play against other professional players at that level from other countries is really an experience. It was truly a year to remember, getting to play in the Nations League and now getting the chance to qualify for Copa America.
What else do you think about this year's IFK team and the new management staff? Is there a player in the team that you think we should keep an eye on this year?
- It's really a big adjustment, but it will be a fresh start with the new coaches at the club. It's always a challenge to learn a new game philosophy, but it's a process that we players have to believe in and so far it's going very well. It's also fun to see a legend like Sebastian Larsson be a part of it, helping us with his experience. He is someone we can all learn from, especially our young players.
One of the players in the team to keep an eye on is Albin Flodkvist, he is a talent who can take the next step if he continues to work hard. Also players like Carl Wärme and Salem Bakos have gained experience playing in Division 2 now for a couple of seasons and have every opportunity to take the next step as well.
What is your own goal for the season?
-My main goal for the season is to make sure to help the team in any way I can. I want to get the best out of my teammates and myself so that we improve on the field. The second is to compete, try to win every game in the league. We have always had a team to compete at the top of the table, but when it comes to discipline and consistency, we have been lacking in recent seasons. Hopefully with some of the new players that we have brought in together with the management staff, we can continue to compete and be focused to get the best out of this season.
We wish Kris all the best during the season!
SOURCE: ifkeskilstuna.com