Julie Blakstad: The story so far

Julie Blakstad became our fifth signing of the winter after she arrived in north London on Monday after two seasons with Hammarby IF.

The 24-year-old Norway international has racked up 184 appearances across previous spells in Norway, England – with Manchester City – and Sweden, but now returns to Women’s Super League for a new chapter at Hotspur Way.

From personal accolades to UEFA Champions League experience, here, we take a look back at her journey from her homeland to becoming a Lilywhite...

Julie began her footballing journey with Ottestad IL, based in a village in the Stange Municipality, progressing through their youth set-up into their senior side in the third division of Norway and went on to make a few appearances for the first team.

She later moved to FL Fart in the summer of 2018 and played a key role in helping them earn promotion to the Toppserien (Norway’s top flight) at just the age of 18 years old, scoring seven goals in 11 league appearances. Competing at the top level in her homeland for the first time in her career, she continued to impress at a young age, contributing with four goals in 22 games and was subsequently named the league’s Breakthrough Player of the Year.

Having featured regularly for Norway’s Under-19 squad in that term, scoring three goals in six qualification games for the Under-19 European Championship, Julie was named in their squad of the tournament, where she featured in all three group stage games for her nation.

Becoming a star in her maiden campaign in the Toppserien, it was unsurprising that the talented winger had offers across Europe for the next stage of her career but, in June, 2020, she opted to stay in Norway and join Rosenborg where she made an instant impact.

Making her debut in July, 2020, coming on as a second-half substitute, Julie scored the equalising goal to ensure her side gained a point with LSK Kvinner and, just a week later, she made it three goals in as many games with a brace in a 4-1 win over Lyn. She went on to make 20 appearances in total that term, scoring seven goals, as the Trondheim-based side went undefeated before finishing second in the table. Meanwhile, Julie was nominated for the league’s Player of the Year.

That strong campaign for Rosenborg saw her rewarded with a maiden call-up to Norway’s senior side in September, 2020, and in the October of that year, she made her international debut in a 1-0 win over Wales – a result that ensured her nation’s spot in the 2022 European Championship Finals.

A versatile individual who predominantly plays anywhere down the left-hand side, the personal accolades kept coming for the winger, this time winning the league’s Young Player of the Year award for the 2021 season - a year in which she netted 10 goals and contributed three assists in 17 appearances. She also opened her account in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, scoring and providing an assist on her debut in the competition – a 2-1 win over WFC Minsk in the qualifying round.

Off the back of that superb season, Julie was on the move again with England and Manchester City in her sights.

Making her debut for the Citizens against us in the semi-final of Women’s League Cup in February, 2022, she would later taste success in that competition as City went on to lift the trophy in the following month. She scored her first goal in England’s top flight in April – a 4-0 win against Leicester City – but that would turn out to be her only goal as she made eight appearances in total in the WSL.

In that summer, Julie enjoyed one of her standout moments of her career to date - scoring her side’s first goal at the 2022 European Championship Finals in a 4-1 win over Northern Ireland in the group stage.

The following term saw Julie make a further nine appearances, scoring twice, before heading out to Sweden to join BK Hacken on loan for the opening months of the 2023 Damallsvenskan season – a spell which saw her play alongside Josefine Rybrink, Anna Csiki and Hanna Wijk. In her short spell with the club, she registered four goal involvements (one goal and three assists) in 11 league games.

She was later named in Norway’s 23-player squad for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where her nation reached the last 16 of the competition before suffering a 3-1 defeat to Japan.

After spending the first half of the 2023/24 season back in Manchester, the Norweigian soon returned to Sweden on a permanent basis – joining Hammarby IF in January, 2024, alongside current Spur Cathinka Tandberg.

Despite having to wait until June to open her account for the club, Julie went on to score an impressive eight goals, along with eight assists, in 25 league games, while she also scored four goals in four matches in the Swedish Cup.

Netting in each leg in a second qualifying round clash with Benfica in the UEFA Champions League, Julie helped her side into the group stage of the competition, finding the back of the net once in a 2-1 win over St. Polten in the final fixture of the group phase.

Her best goalscoring season came in the most recent campaign as she bagged 15 goals in 26 games, including six assists, predominantly featuring in the left full-back role, as the Stockholm-based side finished runners-up in the table – just four points shy of champions BK Hacken.

However, after being knocked out in the Champions League qualifiers, Hammarby and Julie competed in the inaugural Europa Cup in October and November, where she scored twice in four games.