Mika Ääritalo

Mika Ääritalo (born 25 July 1985) is a Finnish international footballer who plays as a striker for TPS Turku. Previously, he has played for English Premier League club Aston Villa.[1]

Mika Ääritalo
Mika Ääritalo in Turku 2018.
Personal information
Full name Mika Ääritalo
Date of birth (1985-07-25) 25 July 1985
Place of birth Taivassalo, Finland
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position(s) Striker
Club information
Current team
 TPS Turku
Number 25
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2003 TPS Turku 5 (0)
2003–2005 Aston Villa 0 (0)
2005–2015 TPS Turku 196 (47)
2014 → Holstein Kiel (loan) 6 (0)
2015–2016 FC Lahti 24 (4)
2016 KuPS 30 (0)
2017– TPS Turku 74 (13)
National team
2010–2012 Finland 6 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 October 2019

Career

Club career

After beginning his senior career in 2002 with hometown club TPS Turku,[2] English Premiership side Aston Villa beat a host of clubs from across Europe to the signing of Ääritalo in January 2003.[3] After failing to make a first-team appearance for Aston Villa, Ääritalo returned to his first club, TPS Turku, in February 2005.

In June 2008, Portuguese BWINLIGA club C.D. Nacional were interested in signing Ääritalo, but the deal fell through due to cost and the fact that Ääritalo did not want to move to Portugal.[4]

In January 2014, he joined the German 3. Liga side Holstein Kiel on a six-month loan. He has since played for Turun Palloseura, FC Lahti and Kuopion Palloseura.

International career

Ääritalo made his international debut in 2010.[5] He scored his first international goal on 22 January 2012, in a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago.

Career statistics

International goals
#DateLocationOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.22 January 2012Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago2−32−3Friendly

International
As of 2 June 2012
Finland national team
YearAppsGoals
201010
201130
201221
Total61
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gollark: You'll either have to sell something at low prices or have something which nobody else sells.
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References
  1. The Football Manager Wonderkid That Couldn’t Make it at Villa underagaslitlamp.com
  2. "Veikkausliiga statistics" (in Finnish). Veikkausliiga official website. Archived from the original on 18 November 2007.
  3. "Villa snap up teenage star". BBC Sport. 18 October 2002. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  4. Jari Welling (15 June 2008). "Nacional tekemässä TPS:lleuuden tarjouksen" (in Finnish). Turun Sanomat. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  5. "Mika Ääritalo". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman.


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