When Hanna Bennison signed for Everton in the summer of 2021, she did so in the knowledge that she would become the club’s record signing.
It was a weighty mantle to carry for the then 18-year-old, who was already being widely tipped to become one of the brightest talents in the women’s game. Bennison’s rapid rise to notoriety in her native Sweden is well-documented.
After making her senior debut for FC Rosengard at the age of 15, the prodigious midfielder began to garner interest from European Champions Lyon. Less than two years later, she had won a place in the national side, introducing herself to the world in emphatic fashion with a phenomenal display against the USA.
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“I did [feel the pressure],” Bennison tells the ECHO, reflecting on the moment she penned a four-year deal with Everton.
“I have always put a lot of pressure on myself because I want to be the best but [the price tag] of course comes with pressure. Everyone has eyes on you because you’re seen as a big, upcoming talent.
“But everyone here has been good at helping me so I feel really good now.”
Bennison’s football journey began more than 1,500 miles away from Merseyside, in the Swedish seaside village of Lomma. It was there, at the age of five, she joined local side GIF Nike before she was enlisted into Rosengard’s academy in nearby Malmo.
“I first started playing with the boys in school and just fell in love with the game,” the midfielder recalls.
“Ever since that I always loved playing. When I moved to Rosengard at 11, I really looked up to [Brazil forward] Marta and Ramona Bachmann. They inspired me a lot.
“Getting the chance to make my debut there was amazing. I could never have believed I would play for the senior team at 15-years-old.
“It was a dream come true and I’m just very happy and grateful to have had the chance to do that.”
Now, five years on, Bennison has more than a century of senior appearances under her belt, 54 of which have been for Everton. Despite a disappointing collective campaign for the Blues last term, with the club finishing in 10th place, the midfielder remained a standout performer at Walton Hall Park, a feat which saw her named the club’s Young Player of the Season.
The appointment of Danish coach Brian Sorensen from Fortuna Hjorring last April was a catalyst for Everton’s WSL revival and, despite a raft of new arrivals in the summer transfer window, Bennison has remained a near ever-present figure in the Blues’ midfield.
“It’s been good season,” Bennison reflects. “Much better than last year. Of course there are still ups and downs but in general I’m happy with the season and we’ve made good progress as a team.
“The style of play Brian has brought in has helped us. He really wants to play football and keep possession. That’s something we’ve worked on a lot. Having new players come in has really helped too.”
While it’s not been the most prolific goal scoring campaign of Bennison’s career - the Swede has found the back of the net on three occasions this term - each of her goals have been hugely significant in the context of Everton’s season.
Her first, in September’s Merseyside derby, helped the Blues wrap up an emphatic victory in front of an exultant away end at Anfield. Her second, against Reading in April, was instrumental in helping Everton come from two goals down to pick up the three points at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
And her third, and most recent, goal came just last weekend; the 20-year-old curling in a sublime, right-footed effort to seal a stoppage-time win over Brighton at Walton Hall Park.
“Scoring at Anfield was an amazing feeling,” Bennison reflects. “It’s so nice when there are so many people supporting you. The crowd were amazing and it was such a cool experience.
“Last week was a very important goal. I think everyone was very tired and just wanted to win so it was nice to get a last minute goal in front of the fans and help the team out with the win.”
Bennison’s strike against Brighton offered a snapshot of exactly what the young midfielder is all about and demonstrated exactly why the club moved to make her their record signing two years ago. At just 20-years-old, she remains one of the most exciting talents in the WSL and it’s almost impossible to forecast how high her ceiling will be.
“[Staying grounded] is the most important thing for me,” Bennison says of the media hype that has followed her around for much of her career to date.
“I talk a lot with my family and friends. They help me a lot. I also try to focus on other things outside of football so I don’t think about it all the time.
“I love being in Liverpool. It’s such a nice city by the water and it feels almost like home. Having a lot of Scandinavian players at the club has helped me too, especially when I first moved here. Those players have helped me a lot so that’s really nice.”
While Everton’s season was wrapped up with Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester City, Bennison is one of a host of Blues who have a busy summer ahead.
The midfielder will almost certainly be on the plane to Australia and New Zealand as Sweden bid to emulate the heroic form that saw them clinch Olympic silver in Tokyo in 2020.
“The Olympics was an amazing tournament for us,” Bennison recalls fondly. “It was my first tournament and one of the proudest moments of my career.
“I’m very excited for the World Cup. It will be a great tournament and hopefully I will make the squad. I feel like we have a good team. We have maybe not got the best results lately but I think we have a good chance to do well, even though there are of course many good teams.”
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