EXCLUSIVE: WhoScored Chats with Rosenborg Hotshot Gytkjær

With the 2016 Tippeligaen entering its final stages, Rosenborg currently top the table. Kåre Ingebrigsten's side are set to secure their 24th league title in the coming weeks and as the season comes to a head, WhoScored sat down and spoke with their free-scoring frontman Christian Gytkjær about his strengths, his idols and where he feels he can impove.

Rosenborg FK currently sit 12 points clear at the top of the Tippeligaen and after back-to-back runners’ up finishes, how important is it to the club to now secure successive league titles? 

It’s very important. We want to build on the success we had last year, and over time to do better in Europe. From this point of view the championship, which gives access to Champions League qualification, is very important to us. 

You’re currently the top scorer in the 2016 Tippeligaen with 14 goals in your debut season with Rosenborg - how have you settled to life with your new team so easily? 

First of all I know I'm a good player. I feel good here in Trondheim, on and off the pitch, which is very important to me. There are nice people around the club, and maybe the best team spirit inside the team that I have ever experienced. 

One of your two WhoScored strengths is ‘finishing’, which is deemed very strong. Would you say this is your greatest asset to your game? And do you consider yourself a poacher in the box or a more all-round striker? 

Absolutely. I work hard on that all the time. I do as much finishing as I can. The higher level you play on, the fewer chances you get to score. I can tell you for sure that I am a good box player. 

Conversely, are there are areas to your game that you feel you can improve upon? You’ve scored the second most headed goals (4) in the league, so it surely can’t be your heading ability 

Maybe I still can improve, even in my heading ability. I focus on my strengths, and want to improve them as much as possible instead of focusing on what I'm not so good at. 

You are yet to be capped for the Denmark national team, despite impressing in the youth sides in the past. How important will your goalscoring exploits in the Tippeligaen be in your quest to earn international recognition? 

I don't know why I haven’t been capped yet. I'm just trying to do my best here, and then we'll see [what the future holds]. 

How has the use of statistics in self and opposition analysis changed during your playing career and have you played under any managers that have utilised them more than most? 

Surely it's used more now than before.  Thanks to the use of statistics, we can focus more on the finer details of the game. 

Do you set yourself a goal target ahead of each season and with 9 games of the campaign still to play, how confident are you of breaking the 20-goal barrier in the Tippeligaen this season? 

No I don't set myself a target for the numbers of goal scored. I just try to do my best when I play. Good question: it would be nice [to break the 20-goal barrier], but we also have a very tough program with many games to play during this fall. We'll see. 

Which players did you aspire to growing up and do you admire most in the game at present? 

The Brazilian Ronaldo when I was younger, and now it's the Portuguese one - great player! 

Having played in both the Tippeligaen and Danish Superliga, have you noticed any subtle differences between the leagues? What is harder about the Tippeligaen? 

There are not huge differences. Maybe there is a higher tempo here, but also a higher technical level in Denmark. 

Can Christian Gytkjær break the 20-goal barrier before the season ends? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below

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