There aren’t all that many aspiring young footballers that view Motherwell as their dream destination. But then again, few players on these shores call Norway their home.

Sondre Solholm is the latest emigrant from the Nordic country to pitch up in Scotland, and the central defender could have hardly wished for a better start to life at Fir Park.

Three points on the board, a clean sheet and a quiet day at the office for Aberdeen striker Christian Ramirez would leave most Premiership centre-backs feeling pretty pleased with themselves.

Solholm, though, sees his debut as the fulfilment of a lifelong dream – but he insists there’s plenty more to come.

“In Norway we call the UK the Ball Island, so every boy’s dream is to play on the Ball Island,” he explained. “Personally, I’ve watched Celtic a thousand times – Rangers as well – in the Champions League and the Europa League when I was younger and they actually show two games a week on national television in Norway.

“It’s an unbelievably different standard to Norway, it’s much higher. To go overseas and play with the big boys over here – that’s something I couldn’t say no to.

“It’s a dream to come over here to play. I know people will laugh at me when I say it’s a dream come true to come and play here but it is. It’s one of the top 10 leagues in Europe and I want to improve my game, and hopefully take a few more steps here. I think I can do it.”

Some would be content with arriving in a new country and then getting to grips with the culture as and when they arrive. Solhelm does not see it that way though, and was keen to brush up on the Scottish game before pitching up in Motherwell.

“The club I came from back in Norway – it’s a small club, they’re not supposed to be in the top division in Norway in terms of the economy, so we had to work hard for each other,” he said.

“I think that’s why the gaffer brought me over here.

“Of course [Motherwell can defy the odds as well]. I saw the budgets of the other teams when I arrived because I googled everything before I got here to get an overview of what the Scottish league is about.

“Of course, when you’re smaller than some of the big clubs you have to do something extra. I think I’m a player that can contribute a little extra in terms of defending. I play every single game as if it’s my last ever and I see everyone here is the same.

“The crowd is unbelievable so I don’t think there’s any limit to what we can achieve. The gaffer is pushing us every day on the training pitch and the fans are pushing us in every home game, so hopefully we can push each other to be even better.”

Solhelm’s first game in claret and amber will be one he looks back on fondly, but it wasn’t one for the scrapbook for Dons goalkeeper Joe Lewis.

The Welshman could do nothing to prevent Kevin van Veen’s first-half header or Juhani Ojala’s on the hour-mark as Aberdeen slipped to a 2-0 defeat – extending the Pittodrie club’s winless run in all competitions to six games.

Lewis opined: “It is not great, is it? We have just lost 2-0 so it is difficult to be positive about it.

“There is a lot of good play between the two 18-yard boxes but you don't win any game if you don't defend, have a cutting edge and a ruthlessness in both boxes. We didn't have that but I have no doubt we will get better.

“It is difficult to say what we were doing earlier in the season that we aren't doing now. “There is certainly no lack of effort there. We have to move the ball quicker. If you give a team like Motherwell a lead then you know that they can defend it. It also encouraged them to get onto tight areas and defend compactly and make it difficult for us to break them down. 

“We have to be better and I am sure we will be.”