It's been a week most footballers can only dream about. First came the news that Mjällby winger Elliot Stroud had been selected in Graham Potter's Swedish national team squad for the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
As if that weren't enough, on Thursday he capped his success with a cup title after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Hammarby.
“So fresh”
"It's definitely up there. It really is," Stroud replies when asked if this is the best week of his life.
But he admits there has been so much to take in that it hasn't really sunk in yet.
It's so fresh, when you've had time to digest all this, you'll probably be able to look back and enjoy this week.
The final itself was an intense and exciting affair, with Mjällby punishing Hammarby by being clinical. Stroud himself became one of the match heroes when he made the most of a deep ball and scored the 1-0 goal. He describes his goal as the result of a well-executed game plan.
"We've talked a lot about going in behind them and challenging their back three, and with the goal we're doing really well with that," says Stroud.
“Of course you are worried”
The final stages were chaotic with calls for a penalty for Hammarby and a sending off for teammate Viktor Gustafson. Stroud admits that it was nerve-wracking in the final minutes.
"It's clear you're worried when there's a situation, especially at the end of the match, and as we've defended and fought, it would have been extra frustrating to concede something there," he says.
Despite the enormous success, Stroud keeps his feet on the ground. In the Mjällby locker room, he endures some snide remarks from his teammates about his success, but he emphasizes that hubris is not an option for the team from Listerlandet.
"It's about keeping your feet on the ground and being down to earth and humble. That's what has brought us to where we are today," says Stroud.
