Henrik Ojamaa break strictly short hol as Well striker juggles club and country

  • Text size
  • Send this article to a friend
  • Print this article

Henrik Ojamaa break strictly short hol as Well striker juggles club and country

HENRIK OJAMAA has only just put his boots away for a summer break.

The Motherwell forward has finally finished off a round of international training and friendly games with Estonia and is desperate for a well-deserved holiday.

Not that he will stray too far from the football world.

Ojamaa will be glued to his TV screen throughout Euro 2012. But he knows his body needs a breather before he gets back to Fir Park.

The striker will spend this week in Florence with his brother, while watching as many European Championship games as he can on screen.

He will then head off to spend a fortnight with his parents in his homeland.

It has been a fast six months for Ojamaa who has made quite an impression since arriving at Motherwell during the January transfer window, with 18 appearances made and seven goals scored.

But the 21-year-old believes that getting a full pre-season with Well will ensure he can hit the ground running.

And that is something which could be vital given the early Champions League qualifying tie that looms on the horizon.

"I need the break and I think it is sensible to let my body rest and recover now," Ojamaa said. "But three weeks is a good time.

"It lets me relax a little but by the end of that I will be desperate to get back into things again. I have really enjoyed my time at Motherwell but it is always a little bit awkward when you go to a club in the middle of a season.

"I think it will be good to start with the rest of the boys and get a full summer of training with them. Hopefully I can go on and do even better for the club."

The focus of players inevitably lies on the Uefa Champions League draw which will take place on July 20.

Given the calibre of teams that Motherwell could face in their third qualifying round tie – Panathinaikos, Fenerbahce, Dynamo Kiev or Copenhagen – Stuart McCall's side face a daunting challenge in their attempt to progress.

Ojamaa, though, is keen to test himself at that sort of level.

"I don't have a huge preference about who I'd like to see us come up against," he said. "They are all good teams.

"They all have big supports and a good pedigree in Europe and it will be an exciting chapter in Motherwell's history.

"As a team we feel as though we are getting to a level where we are playing at a good standard.

"This is an ideal chance for us to measure ourselves against some very good teams and see just where we are.

"The hard thing is the early nature of the date because it means that we have to be ready right away. We cannot afford to take a bit of time to find our stride.

"But I think everyone connected with the club – the fans, the players, the management – are all really looking forward to it. My parents are booked up to come over and see the game and I hope we give everybody something to shout about."

Contextual targeting label: 
Sport

Commenting & Moderation

We moderate all comments on Evening Times on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.

Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.