Exclusive interview: Signe Bruun

Our ranks going into the second half of the season have been bolstered by the 23-year-old’s arrival, who has joined Marc Skinner’s side on loan for the remainder of the campaign from French giants Lyon.

Upon touching down in Manchester on WSL deadline day last month, the 2021 Danish Women’s Player of the Year spoke of her eagerness to make an immediate impact in her new surroundings, in an exclusive interview with us. 

Having described how it feels to become a Red in answer to our opening question, Signe goes on to discuss her aims for the weeks ahead during the conversation, which you can now see in full here…

Signe, welcome to Manchester United. How does it feel to be a player for this club?
“Thank you so much! It’s amazing, I’m really, really happy. It’s been a long day but, finally, I’m here and I’m so excited to get started with all the work, the training, the games, everything. I’m really, really happy.”

You’re here on a loan until the end of the season – what do you hope to achieve in the time with us here? 
“Obviously, I hope to be able to help the team. In the end, it’s all about winning games, so, hopefully, I can contribute with a lot of goals, but also with a lot of hard work. I want to enjoy the games, to push every day in training but, in the end, it’s about winning the games.”

So, what United fans can expect from you is goals, right?
“I hope so! That’s my goal before every game, before every season, is to score goals. I’m a no.9, I’m a goalscorer, so what I’m doing every day on the pitch in training is to give myself the best possibilities to score goals at the weekend. So, I hope so… that’s the plan.”

What was it that attracted you to this project at Manchester United?
“Obviously, Manchester United is a really big club, huge, a big history. I’ve followed the women’s project for a while and I think it’s really, really interesting, I think they’re doing some really good stuff. When I heard the interest and talked to the coaches, and also got the feeling of how it is here, I felt like it was a really good match and being here today just confirms that.”

The club are really pushing hard for a Champions League spot, and you come to us with Champions League experience, so what do you think that will bring to this squad of players?
“Of course, the Champions League is something different, like there’s this special atmosphere around the Champions League. Huge games and often it’s the case where you either make it through or you’re out. So there’s a lot of big games, many people in the stadiums, so I hope I can bring some experience from earlier games I’ve played in the Champions League and, again, I have to go back to the goals. So I hope I can score a lot of goals – the Champions League is the biggest tournament so to have that as a goal is perfect, and it’s the way this project is going.”

Have you spoken to Marc Skinner much, and what has he said to you about coming over and joining us?
“Yeah of course, I’ve talked to Marc and it’s also important for me to get to know the coach and also that he gets to know me. I have a very good first impression of him and I can’t wait to get to work and get to the pitch, train and play the games. Marc is a good coach, and I can’t wait to work with him.”

You come to us with great international experience as well. How can the girls we have here learn from that experience that you bring to us?
“I mean, I hope I can inspire especially some of the young girls. I’m not that old either! I’m quite young as well, but it’s true I’ve played a few national team games and also, as you said before, Champions League games, so I hope I can bring some experience in, and if the games get tight, I can use some of that experience.”

You were named the Danish Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2017 and the Danish Player of the Year in 2021, so you must be very proud of what you have achieved so far and are aiming to continue that here…  
“Of course. I always want to push and become a better footballer, and prizes like that shows you that you’re doing something right, that the work you’re putting in every day pays off. But for me, I’m here to push and to become even better, so that was one of the reasons why I chose to come here, I felt it was a really good match in order to do that.”

We have a really great set of fans here – what is your message to those United fans who will be so excited to see you?
“I can’t wait to play in front of the fans. United is a special club and I think it’s amazing that they bring the fans into the women’s section as well, so I hope to see a lot of them at the stadiums and I hope we can give something back at the end of the season and I will do everything I can to help with that.”