The Nildén sisters | Amanda and Matilda on ‘dream’ reunion
Sun 04 January 2026, 14:00|
Tottenham Hotspur
When Amanda Nildén and her younger sister Matilda used to play football in the garden as kids in Sweden, it was always their dream to one day to share the same pitch together as professionals – and that’s a moment that has taken a huge step to becoming a reality.
Following a two-year spell in Sweden with BK Häcken, Matilda became our third signing of the winter, joining us on a long-term contract earlier this week to become team-mates with her older sister Amanda for the first time in their professional careers.
With spells at IF Brommapojkarna, Bollstanas SK and AIK Fotboll, alongside her time in Gothenburg, the 21-year-old Sweden international has racked up plenty of experience in the early years of her career – but she’s now excited to share those moments with her older sister on the pitch for the first time in her career.
“It’s really special,” Matilda said at Hotspur Way. “I have dreamt about this moment for many years, from when I first started to play football. To have this thought that we could potentially play together, it just exciting and a moment I think we have both dream about.
“I have seen her [Amanda] play a lot and she also moved to England when she was young – I am even younger! But it was good to see her there and that was quite a big impact for me,” she explained.
And football certainly runs in the family. Her grandfather Jim and father David were both professional footballers while, alongside Amanda and Matilda, their younger brother is also currently plying his trade in Sweden with IF Brommapojkarna.
With half a century of appearances to her name since joining us just over two years ago, the 27-year-old defender never knew if the opportunity would arise to be at the same club as her sister – so it was understandable that she was full of excitement that possibility has now become a reality.
“It feels a bit unreal, it’s a dream you would always have – to play with one of your siblings,” Amanda added.
“We have six years in between us, so we never knew if the opportunity would ever come but, now we’re here, it feels like a dream come true. It will be so interesting and so fun to work close with each other and potentially share a pitch together. I’m really excited for that.”
Being six years older than Matilda – the oldest sibling in the Nilden family - Amanda has seen her younger sister grow into the senior football, hoping to have inspired the young Swede throughout the years.
“I have followed her a lot when she was younger and I saw her qualities early on. She was always on the sidelines when I would play my games. She is obviously younger than me, so I would hope to think I was like a role model to her.
“It’s so nice we can now share this moment together. We have both worked so hard to get here and now to be at Spurs, it’s a dream.”
