After playing collegiate soccer at the University of Massachusetts, Colin Burns decided to make the move to Europe to pursue his dream of playing professional soccer.  The goalkeeper recently signed with Ljungskile in Sweden's Top Division, Allsvenskan, and took a moment to speak with Soccer 365 about the move to Ljungskile, style of play, Major League Soccer and more…

Soccer 365: Congratulations on signing a 2 year deal with Ljungskile in Sweden's Top Division, Allsvenskan. What attracted to you to Ljungskile?

Colin Burns: I was attracted to Ljungskile because of the challenge of playing for the smallest club in the Allsvenskan.  We are the underdogs, plain and simple.  Every game is going to be a fight and I like that challenge. 

I can relate to Ljungskile because I feel I am an underdog myself.  I don't think many people expected me to do this well as a professional but here I am and I relish the challenge of going even further as a professional footballer.  I think some people are afraid to fail and afraid that someone will tell them no.  I wasn't afraid to fail and so I took a risk and it has paid off.  I welcome the doubters and the criticism of others because it only fuels my desire to play better and continue on. 

You have already played professionally in Moldova, Finland, after playing collegiate soccer at UMass, why did you decide to jump the pond to play in Europe?  Did you consider MLS before making the move?
 
It was always my dream to play professionally in Europe.  I grew up reading about Kasey Keller playing at Milwall, I wanted to do the same thing, MLS wasn't even around when I first started dreaming of this.  

I wanted to live in a place where soccer is the number one sport and people live and die for their team.  I wanted to play under the pressure that every game means something and if you finish last, then your getting relegated.  Its just so hard to match that intensity in the US. 

I considered MLS when I graduated from UMass but I felt there were more and better opportunities in Europe.  I think the opportunities for a young goalkeeper coming out of university are just not there yet in the US.  Sitting 3rd choice on the bench in the MLS and getting maybe 8 reserve games the entire season vs. playing in first team games in lower leagues in Europe seems like a much better career path to me.  I proved myself in games in the lower leagues in Europe and I've worked hard to get to a league like this.  It's so important to get games in when your a young goalkeeper so I feel I've made the right choice. 

How does the style of play in Sweden compare to other countries in Europe?

I think the football here in Sweden is very physical. There are a lot of big players that just love to come crashing in on a goalkeeper.  At the same time though, I think there are a lot of very good teams in this league that like to move the ball pretty well and play some attractive football.

But unlike much of Europe you play on a different calendar?

The Allsvenskan follows an opposite schedule of the tradition European season.  We are like Norway, Finland, Russia and a few Eastern European leagues in that we start in the spring and finish in fall.  Our first match this season was March 31st and our last match is November 9th.  We take almost a month break in the season this year because of the European Championships in May/June. 

How has having an English coach helped with the transition?  Is it difficult to communicate with other players?
 
Having a British coach has helped a lot in the language transition as most of the team talks are in English.  It has been quite easy though as everyone here speaks English fluently and we have so many players from different backgrounds that on the field, we have to speak English.  I've started to take classes in Swedish so that will help more with my life off the field.

Ljungskile is the smallest club in the Allsvenskan. Do you think the other teams possibly overlook you?

I think we are definitely overlooked in the Allsvenskan.  I think a lot of teams don't want us in the league and it's our job to prove them wrong.  We are a hard working team and so we are going to get a lot of points this season just by outworking teams or taking them by surprise.

What are your fans like?  I assume the ground has very intimate environment?

Ljungskile fans are great!  We have fans watching our training on a daily basis and just about everyone in the village comes to the game for our home matches.    Starke Arvid arena is very intimate.  It was recently expanded to 8,000 capacity.  The fans are literally right on the field and you can hear them the whole game. 

There is a lot of passion for this club.  The away support is behind the home goal and so when a big team like Hammarby or AIK Stockholm comes into town and brings along 2,000 supporters, it gets a little loud during the matches.  I think it is interesting though going from playing in front of our home fans to playing away at AIK or IFK Gothenburg in front of 20,000, it will be a big change. 

What are the team goals for Ljungskile?

My goals for Ljungskile is to stay in the Allsvenskan this season.  I think we have a very good opportunity with the squad we have now and I know we can do it. 

What are your personal goals?

My personal goal is to continue to develop this season and hopefully move on to a bigger club or bigger league(Germany or Holland) in a few years.  I also have a goal of getting a national team call up in the future.  I'm only 25, and I think that if I continue to develop and continue to play well then anything is possible.

Do you follow MLS?  If so what team/players do you follow?  How do you see the style of play different in Sweden and MLS?

I do follow MLS some.  I try and take a look at the highlights every few weeks.  I like watching some of the saves the goalkeepers in the league pull off.

I swear they get more work than any goalkeepers in any other league.  I give MLS keepers a lot of credit.
 
I don't have any particular favorite player but my favorite team would have to be "Philadelphia FC" or "Sons of Ben FC".  It will be exciting to have a 'local' MLS team in the area I grew up in. (I'm from Delaware so Philadelphia is as close as I get). 

I think the style of play is very different here in Sweden compared to MLS.  I think MLS has a lot of South American influence so there is a lot more 'flash' in MLS compared to Sweden.  It is more traditional European football and less flare here in Sweden.  In the end though, for me, goalkeeping is goalkeeping and it is basically the same all around the world, there are 11 guys on the other team and they all want to score on you, doesn't matter what style of play it is.

Would you recommend other U.S. players looking to play in Europe make the move to Sweden?

I would recommend Sweden or one of the other Scandinavian countries as a good starting point for any American looking to have a career in Europe.  The Allsvenskan is a great league and a perfect place for young Americans to learn the professional game.  The league itself has a great reputation of producing good players that move on to some of the biggest leagues in Europe.  I think any American soccer player would be enticed by that outlook. 

What do you miss about the U.S.?

The thing I miss most about the US is seeing my family and friends on a regular basis.  I've been living in Europe for close to 3 years now so I'm a little used to it but its tough when all my best friends seem to be getting married around the same time of year (this year)....a lot of frequent flyer miles this year.  I miss out on a lot things but I think its worth it in the end, you have to understand you are going to sacrifice a lot to live this dream.  Besides that, I miss a good Mexican burrito, you just can't find anything even close here and the ones I make at home are not even worth mentioning. 

What habits/customs Sweden have been hardest to pick up?

There haven't been too many customs that I've had trouble with here in Sweden.  I think life here and life in the US is very similar.  The food is a bit different than US food but it is about the same as Finland, lots and lots of fish!