Ahtinen on new deal: ‘We’ve been taking good steps'

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A vibrant character on and off the pitch, regularly named as one of the most talkative players by her team-mates, the 28-year-old has certainly experienced the highs and lows in a Lilywhite shirt in just her three seasons at the club.

A summer arrival in 2023, for her first venture into England at the time, Olga was part of the squad that reached our first ever FA Cup final in 2023/24 campaign before battling through a tough term the following year to maintain our spot in England’s top division.

Now, with one game left to play this campaign and having already confirmed our fifth-place spot and our highest-ever points tally in a single season (33), Olga feels the club has taken ‘good steps’ over the past few months and says this is the right place for her to continue developing.

“I'm happy that I get to be part of the journey we are on,” she told us, speaking to SPURSPLAY after signing her new deal. “I feel like we've been taking really good steps recently and I'm just really happy to be part of it.

“I know where we have been and what direction we are going too, and I feel like the things that we are doing on a daily basis really show that we are going to be able to compete with the teams that are above us and we just want to get better every day.

“I feel like a lot has happened during my time at Spurs and that this season, we've shown really that we've taken steps in the way we play and I feel like even our day-to-day life. It's been really good and challenging [her time at Spurs] but it's been the right place for me to become a better footballer.

“I'm excited to have a full pre-season with the team and have those weeks together, the time to build on the style we play, everything on and off the pitch. I've learned a lot during this year and during my all years at Spurs, so I just feel like I want to keep on doing that. I'm excited to just have that new start.”

One of the most regular themes throughout the season, when speaking to our players, is the unity in the squad.

The Finland international, who has made 55 appearances for us in all competitions, scoring three goals, spoke about her team-mates have helped her through the difficult moments since she arrived in north London and now being that experienced head for the younger players coming through.

“It's so important what kind of team we are and how the girls help,” she added. “In my hard moments, they've been my rock and it's like another family to have here because obviously many of us are far away from home, so these are the people that we spend more time with than we do with our families.

“It's hard to sometimes realise I'm actually starting to be one of the more experienced ones I hope that I can show every day with my work ethic and with my just doing things as well as I can to show that that can be the way that I can lead.”