On January 10th, Beijing time, the second day of the Chinese men's football team's training in Haikou has arrived. The highly anticipated naturalized player John Hou Saetre also gave his first media interview during the training period. Hou Saetre, who was selected for the national team for the first time, expressed with emotion that he was very happy to return to his motherland, and he also stated that the level of the Chinese Super League is slightly higher than that of the Norwegian First Division (Norwegian second-tier league).
Hou Saetre frankly admitted that although he was somewhat tired due to a long-haul flight of 30 hours, he was still very happy to be able to return to his motherland: "There are still some jet lags that haven't been adjusted, but I believe that after a few days of adjustment, I will be able to get these states to the best."
Regarding his first selection for the national team, Hou Saetre frankly said that he would be somewhat restrained: "My Chinese is not yet fluent, but I am very happy to be able to come back and see these old friends, especially those former teammates from Guoan. It's almost 2 years since I last saw them. Yesterday, I did have a more in-depth chat with them."
Regarding Ivan's focus on observing him and giving him more attacking responsibilities, Hou Saetre frankly said that there would be pressure but also more motivation: "I played in the number ten position in Norway, and everyone has seen me score some goals. For this reason, everyone may expect me to perform more on the offensive line. I have high expectations for myself and hope to contribute to the upcoming World Cup qualifiers."
Talking about the support from Chinese fans, Hou Saetre was very grateful: "Thank you to the fans for their welcome and expectations. I also have the same expectations as the fans, and I also hope to make more contributions for myself and for this country."
Finally, Hou Saetre also answered the question that concerns the outside world about the comparison of levels between the Chinese Super League and the Norwegian First Division: "It's actually difficult to compare the two leagues as a whole. It feels like the competitiveness of the Chinese Super League might be stronger. During this transfer period, I might go to the top league. Let's see what happens next. Finally, I wish everyone a happy New Year."