It is possible to put together a normal-sized national team squad with all the Swedish professionals in England. This winter, a whole bunch of new players have made the move to the Super League, the top division where 23 football talents from Sweden now reside. That is more than from any other country, with the exception of England.
It's great that there are so many Swedes who can take that step, says Julia Zigiotti Olme.
Eleven of the 23, including Zigiotti Olme, are also in the Swedish national team squad, which continues its World Cup qualifiers today with an away match against Serbia in Stara Pazova just north of the capital Belgrade.
Good reputation
Of them, four have recently taken the step to the English league. Smilla Holmberg from Hammarby to Arsenal, Jennifer Falk from Häcken to Liverpool, Hanna Wijk from Häcken to Tottenham and Hanna Lundkvist from American side San Diego to Manchester United.
For Lundkvist, the change of environment has been easy, partly because there are four other Swedes there (Zigiotti Olme, Fridolina Rolfö, Anna Sandberg, Ellen Wangerheim).
I'm fairly new but it feels like I've been there much longer than I have been; it's been so easy to get in there, says Lundkvist.
It's not surprising that so many people want to go to the Super League, she says. Nor is it surprising that clubs want players from Sweden.
I think Swedish players have a reputation for being tactically smart and well-educated. And the reason we want to go there is probably because there's a lot going on with the English league - there are a lot of fans, a lot of big clubs and it's constantly developing.
"Scandi gang"
Hanna Wijk has also found it easy to blend in at Tottenham. She has four blue-and-yellow teammates, plus three Norwegians and one Danish. The gang even has a nickname.
Have you heard that expression? "Scandi gang"?
It's nice. It's been a great feeling of security, it's been great. There are many people I've known before, says Wijk.
Not everyone is happy with the Nordic invasion. In addition to the five Swedes, Manchester United also has three Norwegians, and the Norwegians sometimes resort to their native language even on the pitch.
Sometimes, but usually we speak English. Off the pitch, there may be some who complain that there's a bit too much Swedish around the tables. But it's just fun, says Julia Zigiotti Olme.
A total of 23 Swedish players are playing in the English top division Women's Super League (WSL):
Arsenal (2): Stina Blackstenius, Smilla Holmberg.
Brighton (1): Rosa Kafaji (on loan from Arsenal).
Chelsea (2): Nathalie Björn, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.
Leicester (2): Emma Jansson, Emilia Pelgander (on loan to Köge).
London City (2): Kosovare Asllani, Julia Roddar.
Liverpool (4): Alice Bergström, Jennifer Falk (on loan from Häcken), Cornelia Kapocs, Beata Olsson.
Manchester United (5): Anna Sandberg, Ellen Wangerheim, Fridolina Rolfö, Hanna Lundkvist, Julia Zigiotti Olme.
Tottenham Hotspur (5): Amanda Nildén, Matilda Nildén, Josefin Rybrink, Matilda Vinberg, Hanna Wijk.
