Coach Kicks: Pia Sundhage

Pia Sundhage answers the Coach Kicks questionnaire. She has no favourite session but believes in finding joy where you can, which is why everyone loves shooting. Asked which player made the biggest impression, she names Kristine Lilly for being the most-capped player in the world, Maren Meinert as next level, Abby Wambach as the best in the air she has seen, and from Sweden Caroline Seger and Stina Blackstenius. Her latest lesson is to keep getting better at asking players questions rather than telling them, because they have the answers. She reminds herself of Bob Dylan’s line that you become what you practise, and ends every meeting with the Swedish sign-off Hopp a Lek.