Oliver Sonne on Burnley anniversary, love-hate Kyle Walker relationship and Helena Christensen's advice

A January 2025 signing from Danish side Silkeborg, the 25-year-old started as a much-changed Clarets side edged past League One Reading after extra-time.

It’s likely to be a similarly unfamiliar starting XI that takes to the pitch this afternoon to take on Millwall, with Sonne expected to get another chance to stake a claim.

It’s fair to say the right-back’s move to England hasn’t worked out as hoped so far, with Sonne making just five appearances during the second half of last season while featuring in a further nine games this term, mostly as a substitute.

He did notch his first Premier League goal against Fulham in December though and with Kyle Walker out of form, the Danish-born Peruvian international – nephew to 90s supermodel Helena Christensen – might soon get his chance.

Ahead of today’s cup tie, Sonne spoke in-depth about his time at Burnley so far, the Millwall game, what it’s like to compete with a serial winner in Walker and much, much more. Here’s what he had to say:

How would you sum up your first year at Burnley?

“I’ve really enjoyed it.

“There's been ups and downs and I feel like as footballers, we keep demanding that we want more and we want more and sometimes we forget to stop and look at all the things we've done.

“For me personally, I think now being here with the team in the Premier League, having minutes pretty often, it's a good situation and I'm really, really pleased with the manager looking my way in the games.

“But also just in general, I feel like obviously we as a team, we're under the line and that's something that has to change, but I feel like we are striving every day to become better and better and hopefully that's going to be enough for us to stay in the Premier League.”

Is this cup game a big chance to stake your claim?

“100%. Obviously the manager can only judge his starting XI from training, but sometimes we have tournaments like the FA Cup and the EFL Cup where we have a chance to actually prove our qualities in a game where the manager can go like: ‘okay, I can see your qualities here and I trust you more to put you on to a Premier League game’, where for my sake, for an example, I tend to get like small minutes, 10-15 minutes.

“Of course you can prove in those moments, but it's really about getting the manager to feel like he can trust you when he puts you in. When you have a FA Cup kind of game, hopefully 90 minutes you can prove your worth fully.

“I think for me and for the rest of the guys who are playing this game, it's really important to do our best.”

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Was it a bittersweet moment scoring your first Premier League goal against Fulham?

“Yeah, it was really disappointing that we lost that game. I feel like at home we have to especially aim for the three points every time.

“But for me personally coming on, it was a massive moment for me to score. Obviously it wasn't enough and I'm devastated about that.

“But as I said, we have the team in football and we have the individual and for the team, I wish that we win every game. But when I'm coming on, it's for me to show the manager that he can trust me first of all, but also that I can make a difference and scoring during that game hopefully proves that I have the level to compete at that level.

“Even though we lost, I'm very pleased with my goal. We just need to get more points now.”

What’s it like competing with Kyle Walker?

“Kyle Walker, of course, is a big name and it's one of the players that when I was 17 or 18, when I went on YouTube and I searched right defenders, right full-backs, looking at his highlights was something that I wanted to be.

“Now every day I get the chance to see him on-site and actually learn from the guy himself, so of course it's a massive, massive opportunity for me to go into every training just learning from him.

“Then again, it's also difficult because I have to beat the guy. As much as the respect I have for the guy and for everything he's done in the past and also for what he's done for me here in Burnley, there has to be some day where I'm like: ‘I want your position’.

“So it's a love-hate relationship I really have with him. I really respect the guy and he's a top lad and I see that every day, but I also want his position.

“It's always difficult when you have those small battles, but in general, he's a really, really good man.”

Is your auntie still planning to attend a Burnley game?

“I'm pretty sure it will happen. She already told me that she wants to come and I'm pretty sure she will come one day.

“I will make sure that the best tickets are for her as well on Turf Moor, she demands nothing less than the best. She will be there and she will make an appearance in the future, that's for sure.

“It’s funny, because she wasn't that interested when I played in Denmark to be honest. But now, every time I come on, she's like: ‘no, you should have done that!’

“In general in this world, people - I'm not only speaking for my family, but also the media, the outside world - everyone wants to try and tell you what you should do in situations. Mostly, it's just love because they have a passion for the game, because they have a passion for your path or whatever you have going on in your life.

“I think it also is for her. She's so passionate. When she watches my games, sometimes she calls me after the game and says like: ‘you know you had that one in the 40th minute where you should have... and I'm like, come on.

“It's like small details. Maybe I give a ball away and she's like: ‘you can't do that’. But there was no other option. I feel like sometimes it's just like that and it's with family, friends or whoever. They always try to tell you things.

“Sometimes it's really, really good and I take it to me and I improve. But sometimes you have to keep it out and trust your own instinct. That's a beautiful thing.”

What are your future goals with Peru?

“We were very sad that we didn't make the World Cup.

“Obviously I came into the Peru team I think two years ago where it was pretty hectic on the national team. We've had a lot of coaches and we've had a period where the level wasn't where we wanted it to be.

“I had a really, really good competition as well with the right-back Luis Advíncula, who at the time played in Boca Juniors, a massive club as well.

“For me in the beginning, it was about learning the culture, learning everything, how they do it down there.

“It's very different to Copenhagen where I lived before and England as well, so I think for the first period, it was for me to adapt to the culture.

“Now I feel like I'm in a spot, also in a very, very good club, a club at a high level where I need to start for Peru. That's the aim.

“Hopefully we can be even more competitive. It's a period on the national team where a lot is changing. We have a new coach and we have a lot of new players.

“Hopefully I can be part of that group where we're taking the national team to another level. Hopefully in the future we can compete even more with the other teams.”

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