Paris (AFP)

Less known than Marta, Ada Hegerberg or Megan Rapinoe but crowned Thursday UEFA player of the year, the Danish Pernille Harder became this summer the most expensive player in the world by leaving Wolfsburg for Chelsea, where she found her partner Magdalena Eriksson.

Titled Thursday against Wendie Renard and Lucy Bronze, the other finalists, the small striker (27 years old) has grown well since her first taped balls at the age of 5 with Tulstrup-Faurholt IK, a club in central Denmark where she could already see herself reaching the heights.

So much so that she became, on September 1, the most expensive player on the planet with a transfer estimated at around 270,000 euros according to the British press.

“When you see me today, you don't necessarily think of this little girl who proclaimed loud and clear that she wanted to be the best in the world. At the time, it was just a dream. A dream. huge ... But over the years, I have not stopped improving and I have started to tell myself that maybe all this was not so absurd ", she declared last June on the site of the Fifa.

Harder is the story of a kid from central Jutland who, at 16, was already playing in the Danish first division with Viborg, but also in the jersey of the selection, of which she is the current captain.

Her career accelerated under the colors of Linköpings FC (2012-2017), a Swedish club where she gained a reputation as an accomplished scorer.

It was there, too, that she met Eriksson, with whom she has been in a relationship for several years.

- Iconic photo -

The two players, reunited since September 1 in Chelsea, experienced a sudden notoriety at the World-2019 by exchanging a kiss on the lawn of the Parc des Princes after a match for the Swedish team, whose defender of the "Blues" is A frame.

The photo, which has become iconic, convinced these discreet footballers to become more involved in the fight for young LGBT people.

"It was completely unexpected", then told the Dane in an interview with Fifa.

"People all over the world were leaving us enthusiastic messages. The photo sparked a lot of debate, almost without any aggression. It was really great."

After Linköpings, where they scored 85 goals in 109 appearances, Harder took off with the Wolfsburg "Louves", Germany's best team in recent years.

- "In another dimension" -

If she did not win the Champions League, despite two finals played in 2018 and 2020 against Lyon, the second in the 2018 Women's Ballon d'Or turned into a goal machine under the colors of the German club, for which she has scored no less than 103 goals in 113 matches!

The disappointment of the final lost at the end of August against the Lyonnaises (3-1) was quickly attenuated by the euphoria of his contract signed for three years with Chelsea, for a record amount.

"I am proud to take my discipline to another dimension," commented the person on Thursday when receiving the trophy for best striker, in addition to that of best player overall.

Already crowned best player by UEFA in 2018, Harder could take a new step in her career with the ambitious Londoners, defending England champions who dream of Europe.

"She chose the players, the staff, the environment, the way of playing. You cannot receive a better compliment than this from one of the best players in the world," said the enthusiast. "Blues" manager Emma Hayes at the time of signing.

The love story has only just begun.

© 2020 AFP