Profile: Henrik Ojamaa, Motherwell striker

By MOIRA GORDON
Published on Sunday 12 February 2012 03:31

HENRIK OJAMAA could not be accused of flying under the radar since his introduction to Scottish football.

Five goals in his first six appearances is a pretty impressive start to his Motherwell career and he has already helped the club reach the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup and plump up the cushion between themselves and their nearest challengers for third place in the SPL. The reward has been a quickly-arranged two-and-a-half-year extension to his contract, the Young Player of the Month award for January and the opportunity to earn full international honours.

He jumped at the contract extension and received the individual honour humbly but when it comes to representing Estonia in a friendly against El Salvador in a couple of weeks’ time, the gifted 20-year-old is still swithering.

Having represented his country through the various age-group teams, the timing of the latest promotion for a friendly in the US has left him torn.

“I’ve hit the ground running,” said the forward. “Within a couple of weeks I’ve broke into the starting XI but it’s been a good month not only for me as an individual but also the whole club. This is the sort of place I’ve been looking for over the past couple of years. I wanted to find a club where the manager rates me and gives me a chance to play. That’s a very big thing for me.”

In a career which saw him on trial at Chelsea and PSV Eindhoven as a youngster before opting for the academy at Derby County, circumstances have conspired to deprive him of opportunities to impress. Until now, which is why he is not overly enthusiastic about flying to Los Angeles for the 29 February friendly.

“It can be a bit of a distraction,” he said. “This game is right between the Celtic and Dunfermline games. It’s a very strange one and I have no idea why anyone agreed to it. Most of the Estonian players either play at home, Scandinavia or Russia where there’s no games at the moment, but it’s a bit of a problem for me because it’s a crucial part of the season.

“I’m going to speak to the manager about it and then I will be in touch with the people from the Estonian FA. With the fixtures we have coming up, I don’t think anyone would be too angry if I ended up not going but I’ve not made my decision yet so I’ll see what Stuart McCall and the Estonian manager [Tarmo Ruutli] think about it.”

But couldn’t failure to snatch at his first opportunity for a full cap have enduring repercussions? “I’ve not really thought about that one yet,” he said, “but the priority for me is to have a good back end of the season here. We need to keep hold of our league position and hopefully enjoy a good cup run. To be quite honest, I’m surprised I haven’t been called up earlier because there aren’t that many players in Estonia. Last summer they went on a tour to South America and they took players who are not even playing professionally. I don’t want to sound too arrogant but I’m surprised I’ve not been called up because the manager does not have too many choices.”

Despite what Ojamaa considers a lack of strength in depth, the country did make it to the play-offs for this summer’s European Championships before being ousted by Republic of Ireland and such progress on the European stage has given football a grander status in his homeland. Growing up in the Estonian capital, Tallin, football wasn’t the most popular sport, it wasn’t even his own first love. Winter sports dominate, with ice hockey his preferred option – “but I could never skate backwards so no-one would take me on”. Instead he followed his older brother Harri into football. Harri quit the game at 19 but his and Henrik’s younger sibling, Hindrek, shares the same football aspirations as Henrik, following him through the national youth set-up.

“My younger brother made his first-team debut aged 16 last year too. The first couple of times I saw him he didn’t stand out that much but he has now been captain in the youth national teams and has done well in the first team at Levadia. There has been some interest in him already.”

Though Ojamaa has been an instant hit at Motherwell, it has taken time and patience to get him to here, he says.

“I was at Derby for three years. But I must have had three different managers there and when a new one comes in they often don’t want to take risks and go for the experienced players. I can’t be too disappointed about that but I’m just happy I ended up here at a club where the manager likes me.

“The manager, the coaching staff and the other players were really welcoming to me. I really like the manager and the kind of football he wants us to play. I like the tempo and the physicality of Scottish football. It’s on a very good level and that can suit me and play to my strengths. I’ve always been confident in my ability but it’s been about finding a club where the manager sees a place for me.”

McCall unsurprisingly does, given Ojamaa’s early impact. But that place is unlikely to be in the starting line-up for Estonia in a meaningless friendly in Los Angeles.

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