Sophie Román Haug Seeking Fresh Start At Liverpool After Missing Euros

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 13: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Sophie Roman Haug of Liverpool during the Barclays Women’s Super League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield on October 13, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Liverpool FC via Getty Images

After a year of “ups and downs” which ended with her being left put of Norway’s squad for the UEFA Women’s Euro, Sophie Román Haug cannot wait for the new WSL season.

In Román Haug’s first season at Liverpool, the club surprised many by finishing in fourth position in the league, above the Women’s FA Cup winners Manchester United. Yet, in the last campaign, they underachieved, ending up in seventh place a distant eighteen points behind the top four. The man who signed her, Matt Beard left the club in February and was replaced by assistant coach Amber Whiteley.

“I think maybe we lacked a bit of consistency,” Román Haug admitted to me. “Obviously he didn’t end up where we wanted to at the end of the season. We were in the fight for fifth place up until the end but yeah, it’s not where we want to be or where we have ambitions to be in the table. We keep working and we take that experience and we move, and hopefully we’ll be able to fight higher up in the league this season.”

Last week, Liverpool appointed the former Manchester City coach Gareth Taylor as the man to succeed Beard with Whiteley resuming her role as assistant coach. Román Haug is glad Whiteley will stay at the club. “She came in at a difficult time, it’s never easy when you get changes like that in the middle of the season. That was a really good thing for us. We had a good connection with her from before so it didn’t really change a lot for us.”

Roman Haug’s own season was interrupted during the winter by an injury which sidelined her for three months. She told me “I got an injury down in my foot, it needed time to heal. An injury never comes at a good time and especially because I felt like I was in good form when it happened.”

“Obviously when you’re out for that long, it does affect you. I did my best to work my way back. When I returned it was for the last part of the season. I felt like I did the work and I got back and was happy to be back and help the team because it’s always frustrating when you’re on the sidelines and you can’t really help out in any way. I’m really, really looking forward to the new season now.”

Liverpool will open the season at Anfield against their city rivals Everton on September 7. Despite scoring in a League Cup victory over them in which Román Haug scored, she was never enjoyed a win over them in the Women’s Super League in her time at the club.

“That will something that we definitely want to do this time,” she told me. “It’s a big rivalry and you can also feel it around when you’re in the city as well. To be able to play them at Anfield, and hopefully beat them as well, will be a massive thing for us. It’s something that we’re really excited about.”

Román Haug did start at Anfield in the women’s team first-ever win at the famous old ground, a 3-1 victory over the club’s historic rivals Manchester United. She told me “I have a few good highlights in this team, but that is definitely on of them. It’s quite special to play at Anfield, under the stars and the atmosphere during that game was something special.”

That game also gave her the opportunity to get one over her three Norwegian compatriots in the Manchester United team. She admits, despite living close to them in the north-west of England, she does not get to see them as much as she would like. “I would want it to be more but, you know, we’re all on busy schedules with our teams. It’s always nice when we do see each other, both when we play each other and in the national team. It’s always nice when we meet.”

Two of Liverpool’s goals against Manchester United came from Olivia Smith, their top scorer last season. Such was her form that European champions Arsenal spent a world record transfer fee to prise her away from Liverpool. The task of replacing her goals in the team next season will fall most heavily on Román Haug who scored as many as Smith during the previous campaign.

She told me “Liv is obviously an incredible talent, and she’s had a big impact in several games for us. But players come and go, it’s part of football. Then it will be other players that can take the moment, and take their chance as well. Liv has done really well for us and been a big player and obviously we wish her all the best.”

At the end of the season, Román Haug suffered the personal disappointment of being left out of Norway’s squad for the UEFA Women’s Euro. “I did have a video chat with Gemma before this selection, where she said her piece. No matter what I might think of the case, I do respect her decision, it’s her choice. She is the one that has to take the squad out. Obviously you’re always disappointed when you’re not part of the squad.”

Román Haug watched the start of the tournament at home in Norway. Despite surprisingly losing in the quarter-finals to Italy, she believes reaching the last eight was a success for the team. “I think Norway did have a good tournament in many ways, they did get out of the group like they wanted to. Obviously, playing in those tournaments is never easy, Italy was a good team.”

It was all a far cry from two years ago when Román Haug shone for Norway at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand. Coming in for the injured Ada Hegerberg, Román Haug scored a stunning hat-trick against the Philippines in Norway’s make-or-break group match in Auckland. She is one of only 27 women to score a World Cup hat-trick.

With another World Cup on the horizon, getting back in the Norway squad is a huge motivation for her. “Playing in the World Cup was a really big thing for me, it was something that I was really proud to be able to do and I have a lot of good memories from that tournament. So obviously Norway have to be able to qualify for the next World Cup, I’m really hoping to be able to be a part of that and contribute.”

“The 2027 World Cup in Brazil is a massive goal for me, and something I will really work hard towards being a part of. It starts with the qualification which I’m also working towards being able to help out and getting the team there.”