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Player Analysis

Caroline Graham Hansen, Right winger

Started at Stabæk's youth, moved to Stuttgart and Wolfsburg in Germany, signed for Barcelona in 2019. The right-wing partner of Bonmatí and Putellas, the third leg of arguably the most decisive front three in club football of either gender. Has type 1 diabetes since 16 and manages it as an elite athlete.

Career goals 180+
Champions League 3
Norway caps 100+
Liga F titles 5+
Bundesliga titles 3 (Wolfsburg)
Position Right winger
Training style

Built around 1v1 dominance and meticulous diabetes management. Graham Hansen's training reputation is for being the most footage-obsessed player in the Barcelona dressing room, plus the visible discipline her type 1 diabetes has required since 16.

From first kick to today
Caroline Graham Hansen

Caroline Graham Hansen

Right winger · FC Barcelona

Norway's most exciting attacker. Barcelona's right-wing maestro.

Born 1995, Oslo, Norway
Country Norway
Instagram @cgrahamhansen Club FC Barcelona Femení
The Journey

From first kick to today

The moments and decisions that shaped Graham Hansen’s career.

  1. Stabæk youth

    Joined Stabæk's youth setup in Oslo at 8. The same academy as Hegerberg, Reiten, and many other Norwegian internationals. Trained 4 nights a week.

    Key point
    Same academy as Hegerberg, two future Norway internationals at the same youth club.
    Interesting fact
    She and Hegerberg overlapped at Stabæk for two years (Hegerberg was three years younger). They have remained friends. Graham Hansen is the godmother of Hegerberg's nephew.
    What to copy
    Strong cohorts at one academy build careers. Stay in touch with the kids you played with at 12.
    Sources Stabæk youth archive

  2. Type 1 diabetes diagnosis

    Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16. Initially considered giving up football, doctors warned the management would be brutal. Decided to continue, with the family supporting the decision.

    Key point
    Career-threatening diagnosis at 16. Chose to continue.
    Interesting fact
    Her endocrinologist was Dr Knut Dahl-Jørgensen, the same Norwegian specialist who treated Bjarne Riis (former Tour de France winner). Dahl-Jørgensen designed her insulin protocol around football, not the other way round. He has said it was 'the most rewarding patient case of my career'.
    What to copy
    Find the right specialist for the player you want to be, not the patient you currently are. Specialists make a difference.
    Sources Diabetes UK: Graham Hansen story

  3. Stabæk first team

    Made her senior Toppserien debut at 17. Played 3 seasons at Stabæk while finishing high school. Norway national team called her up at 18.

    Key point
    Senior football at 17 alongside her medical management.
    Interesting fact
    She was the first elite footballer in Europe known to wear a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) during matches. The Norwegian FA had to apply for special permission from FIFA in 2013 to allow the small device under her shirt.
    What to copy
    When you need a piece of medical kit on the pitch, push for permission. The bureaucracy moves when athletes show what is needed.
    Sources Norwegian FA archive

  4. Wolfsburg signing

    Signed for VfL Wolfsburg in Germany in 2014 after a brief spell at Tyresö in Sweden. Won 3 Bundesliga titles, 4 DFB-Pokal cups, reached Champions League finals.

    Key point
    Won 3 Bundesliga titles in 5 years at Wolfsburg.
    Interesting fact
    Wolfsburg's then-club doctor designed her training week around her blood sugar curve, not the other way around. She has said this experience taught her to advocate for medical individualisation in any club, an approach Barcelona later adopted.
    What to copy
    Push for individualised programmes. Generic protocols aren't enough at the elite level.
    Sources Wolfsburg women's archive

  5. Barcelona signing

    Signed for Barcelona in 2019. Has won 3 Champions Leagues, 5 Spanish leagues, and become the right-wing third of the Bonmatí-Putellas-Graham Hansen front three.

    Key point
    Joined the most successful women's club side ever and immediately fitted into the trio.
    Interesting fact
    Bonmatí, Putellas, and Graham Hansen have a private chat group called 'el trío' where they discuss positions, defenders, set-pieces, and family logistics. Graham Hansen is the only non-Spaniard in the group. The chat is in Catalan.
    What to copy
    Learn the language of your dressing room. It opens conversations the head coach never sees.
    Sources Barcelona Femení archive

  6. Daughter born

    Daughter born in mid-2022. Returned to professional football 8 weeks postpartum. Lyon manager Sonia Bompastor has called her recovery 'the most physically remarkable I have witnessed'.

    Key point
    Returned to elite football 8 weeks after giving birth.
    Interesting fact
    She brought her newborn daughter to Sant Joan Despí for the first time at 6 weeks old. The Barcelona Femení dressing room reportedly went silent, then erupted in applause. The club has since added a creche to the women's facility.
    What to copy
    Athletes who become parents often reshape the institutions around them. The presence of a child changes the system.
    Sources El País: Graham Hansen motherhood

  7. World Cup quarter-final

    Norway reached the QF of the 2023 World Cup, lost to Japan. Graham Hansen captained the team, scored 2 goals in the tournament. First Norway QF since 2007.

    Key point
    Norway captain at the World Cup, 8 months postpartum.
    Interesting fact
    She brought her daughter to the team hotel in New Zealand. The Norwegian FA paid for her partner Christoffer to travel with childcare costs covered. She has said it was 'the simplest and biggest concession a federation has ever made for me'.
    What to copy
    Negotiate the conditions you need before you commit. Money is one thing, family logistics another.
    Sources FIFA archive: 2023 QF

  8. Champions League third

    Lifted her third UEFA Women's Champions League with Barcelona in 2025. Has appeared in every Barcelona final since joining.

    Key point
    Three Champions Leagues, one of the most decorated wingers in the women's game.
    Interesting fact
    After the 2025 final whistle, she handed her medal to her 3-year-old daughter Vilde, who was watching from the stands. Vilde wore the medal around her neck for the entire post-match celebration. The image was on the cover of Marca the next day.
    What to copy
    Trophies are best displayed by the people you played for. Pass them on, even if just for an evening.
    Sources UEFA archive: 2025 final
Club History

Where Graham Hansen has played

Each move is a decision. The pattern is the lesson.

  1. S
    2003 to 2014

    Stabæk

    8 to 19
  2. T
    2013 to 2014

    Tyresö FF (Sweden)

    18 to 19
  3. V
    2014 to 2019

    VfL Wolfsburg

    19 to 24
  4. FC Barcelona
    2019 to present

    FC Barcelona

    24+
Daily Training

How Graham Hansen trains

Five pillars he keeps consistent across the week. Click each to expand.

Diet Designed around her type 1 diabetes. ~3,000 kcal in season. Slow-release carbs, lean proteins, no sugar (ever). Eats 5 small meals to keep blood sugar steady. Uses a continuous glucose monitor at all times.
  • Protein 30%
  • Carbs 50%
  • Fat 20%

Some of the foods Graham Hansen eats most. Hover for protein / carb / fat (per 100g).

Salmon
Quinoa
Eggs
Sweet potato
Avocado
Spinach
Almonds
Greek yoghurt
Berries
Olive oil
Salmon
Quinoa
Eggs
Sweet potato
Avocado
Spinach
Almonds
Greek yoghurt
Berries
Olive oil
Sources
Sleep & health 9 hours overnight. Continuous glucose monitor (CGM) alerts during the night if her blood sugar drops. Has spoken about how the diabetes diagnosis at 16 forced her to obsess over sleep quality.

9 hours overnight. Continuous glucose monitor (CGM) alerts during the night if her blood sugar drops. Has spoken about how the diabetes diagnosis at 16 forced her to obsess over sleep quality.

Sources
Strength training 2 light sessions per week. Mobility, hip flexor, ankle work. Has to manage strength sessions around insulin timing, the gym session itself drops blood sugar.

2 light sessions per week. Mobility, hip flexor, ankle work. Has to manage strength sessions around insulin timing, the gym session itself drops blood sugar.

Sources
Pitch work Daily 1v1 isolation drills against a defender. Plus daily rondos at Sant Joan Despí. Watches 5 hours of footage weekly, mostly opposition full-backs.

Daily 1v1 isolation drills against a defender. Plus daily rondos at Sant Joan Despí. Watches 5 hours of footage weekly, mostly opposition full-backs.

Sources
Recovery Family-anchored. Husband Christoffer Hellebust runs her glucose readings. They have a 3-year-old daughter (born 2022). Daily mobility, weekly massage.

Family-anchored. Husband Christoffer Hellebust runs her glucose readings. They have a 3-year-old daughter (born 2022). Daily mobility, weekly massage.

Sources

A day in the life

In-season weekday. The discipline, hour by hour.

  1. 07:00 wake Wake + glucose check
  2. 07:30 diet Eggs, oats, berries
  3. 09:30 wake Drive to Sant Joan Despí
  4. 10:00 strength Pre-training mobility
  5. 11:00 pitch Team training (rondos heavy)
  6. 13:00 diet Lunch: salmon, quinoa, vegetables
  7. 14:00 sleep Nap (~60 min)
  8. 15:30 pitch 1v1 isolation reps
  9. 17:00 strength Light strength + glucose check
  10. 18:30 recovery Family time + daughter
  11. 20:00 diet Dinner: chicken, sweet potato
  12. 22:00 sleep Lights out (CGM alerts active)
Skills Over Time

Graham Hansen’s game, year by year

Slide through the career. The shape changes, power up, raw pace down, mentality climbing.

    20142017202120232025
    Sources FIFA EA SPORTS player ratingsWhoScored advanced metrics
    What young players can copy

    From Graham Hansen’s playbook to ours

    Five takeaways from Norway's most exciting attacker, who has been a type 1 diabetic since 16 and turned it into a competitive edge.

    Pitch work 01

    1v1 isolation reps daily

    Graham Hansen's dribble carry comes from daily 1v1 reps against a defender, with cones forming a gate to attack.

    The Matico approach

    Our u11 to u14 attacking sessions include weekly 1v1 isolation blocks. Different defenders, different angles.

    Strength 02

    Mobility before mass

    Wing play needs the cardio engine, not the bench-press number. Light strength, daily mobility.

    The Matico approach

    Our u14 strength curriculum is mobility and posterior chain only.

    Sleep 03

    Track what affects you

    She wears a continuous glucose monitor at all times. The data tells her how every meal, training session, and night affects her body.

    The Matico approach

    Our parent handbook recommends a simple sleep diary. The principle is the same, observe, adjust.

    Diet 04

    Five small meals, no sugar

    She eats 5 small meals a day to keep blood sugar steady. Diabetes-led, but it works for any athlete.

    The Matico approach

    Our parent handbook recommends 5 meals as the lunchbox structure. Low sugar, real food.

    Recovery 05

    Make the limitation an advantage

    She has reframed type 1 diabetes as the reason she pays more attention than her teammates. The visibility into her body is permanent.

    The Matico approach

    We talk to families about reframing limitations. Glasses, asthma, dyslexia, ADHD, all are managed by the players who become professionals.

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