Embarking on a new adventure is always a daunting experience, let alone half-way through a campaign, but after a full pre-season under her belt – Josefine Rybrink has certainly embedded herself into life in north London.
After spending her entire career in Sweden, with spells at Kungsbacka, Kristianstad and BK Hacken, where she made over 100 appearances for Getingarna in all competitions, the versatile defender made the decision to move out of her native country and join us in January, 2025.
Thrown straight into the action as a Lilywhite, making her debut just a few days after her arrival before completing six games in total for the rest of the term, the 27-year-old then experienced her first full pre-season with the Club – and she feels that has helped her feel right at home now in England.
“It was really nice for me to get a proper pre-season with the girls, and to have that time to reset and restart,” she said, speaking exclusively in the official matchday programme against Birmingham City. “It has been really nice, having those weeks of training and pre-season games.
“Coming in late in January, I only had a few months with the team and staff but it was filled with so many games and not a chance to really take time to settle. So, for me, it was really important to get a full pre-season - to get to know everyone better, build relationships with the staff and the girls. That time was really important for me.”
And ultimately that opportunity to forge relationships and feel more settled at the Club has helped the Sweden international to be part of a strong defence in the opening weeks of the Barclays Women’s Super League season.
Showcasing her versatility across the backline, predominately featuring at right-back, Josefine started in three of our opening four games in the WSL, helping us to preserve clean sheets in our first two matches – and Martin Ho was quick to praise the defender’s impact in the early parts of the season.
“It’s been a bit unorthodox with her in that position but, when you break that position down for her, it probably helps her see football in a different way,” Martin said, speaking ahead of our clash with Manchester City last month.
“Her ability with the ball is really good, she’s calm, composed and she’s very selective in how she plays and plays forward. Then, defensively, she’s got a bit of experience behind her, she’s progressive when she’s up close and switched on with the tactical side of the game.”
Reflecting on the campaign so far, she added: “It’s been good. It has gone really fast so far, but it’s been good - and intense, too. I feel like we’re taking steps every game we play and we’re going in the right direction every week. You can see that progress in the games as well.
“I think our mentality has been really strong. Protecting our goal is our main focus as defenders and everyone’s been eager to keep clean sheets. It’s something we all take pride in - from the forwards to the backline. Everyone contributes defensively and no matter who’s playing, we’ve all been doing a really good job.”
Following in the footsteps of her international team-mates – Amanda Nilden and Matilda Vinberg – Josefine becomes the latest Swedish player to step foot in the WSL – a dream that she always aspired to.
“It’s been a dream for a long time,” Josefine said. “The league’s been growing every year and seeing other Swedish players come here inspired me. Having the opportunity to play in the WSL - and for Spurs - has always been a dream.”
Now with over 200 senior appearances in her career, 146 of those coming in the Swedish top flight, Josefine was always destined to step out on the pitch as a youngster with her family being a key part in her journey – although she did explore a few other sports when growing up.
“I’ve always loved football,” she said. “My family is very sporty - my sister and brother both played football, so I’ve been playing sports since I was about five or six and I’ve loved it ever since.
“I played tennis, floorball, which is like hockey but indoors and not on ice - and handball, too. My family’s always been into sports, so it was natural to try everything when I was little, but football was always the one for me.”
Moving away from Sweden for the first time earlier this year to London, our number 16 has also been eager to feel right at home in the capital, spending large parts of her days off by heading into the city to explore – although she admitted there’s still plenty more to come in the next few months.
“I’ve realised how big London actually is,” she said, jokingly. “I love going into the centre on my days off with the girls and exploring new places. I really like the London life. I still have a few more places to visit! The girls have recommended places like Kensington - I’ve heard it’s really nice, but I haven’t been yet. That’ll be my next mission!”